Two-year-old stakes action got underway at Harrah’s Hoosier Park Racing & Casino on Tuesday, July 11 as the Indiana-sired freshman trotting fillies were first to step into the spotlight. Two divisions of the first leg for the two-year-old trotting fillies highlighted the 13-race card -- the first of six legs of Indiana Sire Stakes as the fillies seek to earn points for the $250,000 Super Final on Thursday, Oct. 12.
Agent Of Fortune didn't need much luck as she romped in the $67,000 first division, which went off as the ninth race on the card.
Leaving from the middle of the gate in post five, trainer/driver Robert Taylor opted to land mid-pack in sixth in the early going with Agent Of Fortune as Black Gold and James Yoder along with Full Coverage and John De Long engaged in a speed duel on the front end through an opening quarter of :28. The two fillies kept things contentious on the front end as Black Gold held her ground on the inside up the backstretch towards the opening half in :57.1 before Full Coverage went off stride.
Black Gold wasn't lonely on the lead for long as Summer Getaway and Mike Oosting pocket popped on the far turn through three-quarters in 1:26.4 with Ponda Grace, driven by Trace Tetrick, and Agent Of Fortune hot in pursuit second and third-over, respectively.
Taylor swung Agent Of Fortune wide at the top of the lane before she immediately grabbed the racetrack and surged to the front end. Gobbling up ground with a :27.3 final quarter, Agent Of Fortune opened up to a sixth-length lead at the wire, stopping the clock in a lifetime-best 1:55.1. Ponda Grace and Tetrick rallied for second, with Black Gold and Yoder holding gamely for the third position.
The win was the third in five career starts for the rookie daughter of Dover Dan out of the Lucky Chucky mare, Posterity. Bred by Black Creek Farm, Agent Of Fortune has now banked $38,500 for owners Taylor Racing LLC and Robert Paddock who bought the filly for a $12,000 price tag at last fall’s Hoosier Classic Yearling Sale.
In the $66,500 second division in the evening’s 11th race, Ponda Title (pictured above) cruised to victory when putting her perfect record on the line.
Faced with post seven in the field of nine, driver Kyle Wilfong wasted no time putting Ponda Title on the front end, crossing over to the pylons before the first turn and then guiding the field to an opening quarter of :281. Ponda Title had things her way up the backstretch as she controlled things to the halfway point in :57.3 with the bettors' second choice Final Text and John De Long stalking the leader in second.
Pressure came in the form of Swans Morning Song and Trace Tetrick first-up as Ponda Title continued to set the pace to three-quarters in 1:26.3.
As the field turned for home, Ponda Title quickly eased any concern there may have been for her spotless resume as she quickly gained separation on the field at the top of the lane. Ponda Title held the field at bay during a :28.3 final quarter to cruise to victory by three lengths in 1:55.1 over Truly Unbelievable and Kyle Husted who rallied at big odds of 69-1 for place. Swans Morning Song and Tetrick held for third to round out the trifecta.
Trained by Jay Hochstetler, Ponda Title has made it a perfect three-for-three to kick off her career for owners Connie Hochstetler and Robert Buddig. Bred by Pond-A-Acres, Ponda Title is a daughter of 2010 Hambletonian champion Muscle Massive out of the near $400,000-earning Angus Hall mare, Elin.
Racing continues at Harrah’s Hoosier Park on Wednesday, July 12 with a 14-race card highlighted by two divisions of Indiana Sire Stakes for the two-year-old pacing fillies. Gamblers will also have a $10,000 guaranteed Hoosier High Five pool in the race 14th race finale to shoot at -- that $10,000 guarantee is offered on the Hoosier High Five every weeknight of the 2023 live racing season.
(With files from Hoosier Park)