The two horses were named Pacer of the Year and Trotter of the Year, respectively, at the Indiana Standardbred Awards Banquet.

by James Platz

The leading equines and individuals from Indiana’s 2024 campaign were honored Saturday evening (Jan. 25) at the Embassy Suites Conference Center in Noblesville. The Indiana Standardbred Awards Banquet, sponsored by the Indiana Standardbred Association, Standardbred Advisory Board and Harrah’s Hoosier Park Racing and Casino, recognized winners on both the pari-mutuel and fair circuits last season. Filly Lets Go Endofaera was named Pacer of the Year in the state, while colt Gruesome Twosome was tabbed Trotter of the Year.

Building upon a freshman campaign where she won five of 10 starts, homebred Lets Go Endofaera returned in 2024 as a dominant force in the Indiana Sires Stakes program. Conditioned by Tabatha DeLong, the JK Endofanera—Let’s Go Higher filly claimed victory in two of her first three seasonal starts before reeling off seven straight wins. Driven by John DeLong, Lets Go Endofaera captured seven of eight sires stakes legs and was beaten by a neck in the $250,000 Super Final. Bred by Jesse DeLong, who co-owns the pacer with son John and brother, Bo, Lets Go Endofaera hit the board in 15 of 16 attempts, registering 11 wins and earnings of $420,140. The filly was also recognized as Indiana Sired Divisional Champion and Indiana Sires Stakes Point Champion.

Like Lets Go Endofaera, Gruesome Twosome was hard to beat in the Hoosier State in 2024. The You Know You Do—All Set Lets Go colt, owned by Ira Steinberg and Daryl Bontrager, scored wins in each of the five Indiana Sires Stakes legs he contested. After racing in the Canadian Trotting Classic, Gruesome Twosome returned to Indiana to rattle off seven wins in eight starts. His victories included the $250,000 Super Final and open stakes The Pegasus, Circle City, Star Destroyer and Thanksgiving Classic. Bred by Merle Yoder, Gruesome Twosome banked $468,228, and was also named Indiana Sired Divisional Champion.

JK Endofanera was selected as Indiana Pacing Sire of the Year after his offspring turned in a strong 2024 campaign. Led by the aforementioned Lets Go Endofaera, the sire was represented by 225 starters that collectively tallied 517 wins and purse earnings topping $7.2 million. Standing at Victory Hill Farm, JK Endofanera sired Super Final winners Can’ttouchthese ($255,370) and Noblesville ($269,396) as well as Indiana Sires Stakes Point Champions Brookview Fancy ($151,105) and Hopeyaliketheshow ($137,843). JK Endofanera was previously recognized as the state’s top pacing sire in 2022.

Swan For All continued his dominance in the trotting ranks, and Saturday evening he was named Trotting Sire of the Year in Indiana for the eighth consecutive season. Of the 198 starters to his credit in 2024, 141 of them were winners of a combined 413 trips to the winner’s circle. The group collectively earned in excess of $6.3 million, and Swan For All has now sired winners of over $55 million in his career. Standing at Victory Hill Farm, his top performers included M-M’s Dream ($388,136), Super Final winners Skyway Paige ($242,900) and Martz Seven ($210,087) and Indiana Sires Stakes Point Champion Hail Broadway ($240,620). 

Victory Hill Farm picked up the hardware for Large Breeder of the Year for the 10th consecutive year. The LaGrange, IN farm was represented by 41 starters last season that earned just over $1.4 million in the state and more than $2.5 million nationally. Victory Hill-bred Coach Stefanos captured the Breeders Crown championship for open pacers while raising his career bankroll to over $1.2 million. Other winners included Little Rocket Man, who has earned in excess of $1.7 million lifetime, Indiana Sires Stakes final winner Walkin On Sunshine ($147,714), All JK ($114,889), Kaks The Boss ($93,530) and This JK Rocks ($93,062).

The father-and-son team of Bo and Pat DeLong were named Small Breeder of the Year for the second straight season. Last year, they campaigned six homebreds including sophomores Teelatini ($177,606) and Tellmeitmatters ($246,315), each Indiana Sires Stakes leg winners. Combined, their homebreds earned more than $490,000 on the track. In addition, they partnered with Douglas Riccolo to breed and race Super Final winner Can’ttouchthese.

Trace Tetrick and Tyler George successfully defended their Harrah’s Hoosier Park titles, and thus, earned top honors as Pari-Mutuel Driver and Trainer of the Year, respectively. For Tetrick, the award is his 11th consecutive. In 2024, he led all Hoosier Park drivers with 281 victories and over $3.7 million in purse earnings. Nationally, he ranked 11th in wins with 417 trips to the winner’s circle, with earnings approaching $5.8 million.

George collected his fifth consecutive Hoosier Park training title in 2024. He sent out 138 winners over the 160 day meet, and accumulated earnings approaching $1.6 million. His .407 trainer rating was one of the highest at the Anderson oval. Nationally, George sent out 191 winners while earning purses just shy of $2.2 million.

Doug Rideout was named the top fair driver for the fourth consecutive year, but unlike previous seasons, he shares the award with Clint Coy. Both Rideout and Coy, who also works for the Rideout Stable, steered 61 winners throughout the summer to earn the title of Fair Circuit Driver of the Year. While Rideout has won multiple titles, this is Coy’s first time atop the standings.

Conditioner Larry King edged Rideout for Fair Circuit Trainer of the Year honors. Rideout had put together a string of three straight seasons as the leading trainer, but King tallied 57 winners to his rival’s 50 to claim the award. King, a regular participant on the Indiana fair circuit, twice collected seven wins on a program last summer, notching six wins on another occasion. He also scored Governor’s Cup consolation victories with Vel Mr Backfire and Vel Wat A Longshot.