by James Platz

Last season, trainer Henry Graber, Jr. campaigned a trio of freshman trotting fillies that each managed to reach the winner’s circle in Indiana Sires Stakes competition. Now sophomores, the trio are back in action and will be ready when the opening leg of sires stakes kicks off on Memorial Day (May 26) at Harrah’s Hoosier Park Racing & Casino.

“All three of them grew up a little bit,” said Graber, Jr. “They each got a little bigger, a little stronger. I think they all took a step forward.”

Classical Jane has been the most visible of the three to date, making three starts in the Msnaughtybynature Series, scoring in the $25,000 final on Friday (May 16). Bred by Steve Mast, the Swan For All—Class Angel 3-year-old, owned by Hillside Stables, Frank Baldachino, Beasty LLC and Backroad Stable, tripped the timer in 1:54.3, winning by more than seven lengths.

“I was pretty tickled,” the trainer said. “I was very happy. We did a  little shoeing adjustment, took some equipment off for this start, and it seemed like it worked, so we’ll see. We’ll see what happens on Memorial Day; I’m looking forward to it.”

As a freshman, Classical Jane made nine starts for her connections, finishing on the board five times. She peaked late in the season, claiming a pair of sires stakes divisions and finishing second in the $250,000 Super Final. She finished the year with $128,155 on her card and a mark of 1:55.4.

“You could feel she had it, but it just took her a little while to get it figured out,” Graber, Jr. said of Classical Jane’s speed. “Last year it took her a while to get rolling. She always did everything right, but we knew when we started qualifying that we’re not going to see the best of her until the end of the year.”

After her slow start last season, Graber, Jr. was glad to have the Msnaughtybynature Series before launching into sires stakes. After racing third in the opening leg, Classical Jane notched a win in the second leg before dominating Friday’s final.

“After we qualified and saw that it might take a start or two, that’s one reason we pushed to race in the series to get a few starts under her belt,” he said. “I’m kind of glad we did, because, you know, you could see her first start, she was a little flat. When we pulled blood her liver was a little elevated, but I thought she needed a start more than that being the issue.”

While Classical Jane surged to finish the 2024 season, Graber, Jr.’s other pupils, Miracle Maven and Better Tak’em, fizzled. Both fillies were sick heading into the Super Final and finished seventh and 10th in the finale. While it was a disappointing finish, both trotters excelled most of the season, and are back and primed to compete.

Miracle Maven turned out to be the most successful of the three last year. Bred by Noah Wickey, the Don’t Let’em—Bad Babysitter lass recorded five wins from nine starts, three of those collected in sires stakes. Her only off-the-board performance came in the Super Final. Owned by the partnership of Hillside Stables, Baldachino, Beasty LLC and Eleven Star Stables, Miracle Maven banked $150,020.

“A 2-year-old like that, it’s just so hard to, once they’re sick, trying to get them over it and still race,” Graber, Jr. said.

After a pair of successful qualifiers at Hoosier Park, the first a 1:54.1 effort on May 7, Miracle Maven made her sophomore debut on May 17 in a $20,000 Indiana Sires Stakes-eligible event that combined 3-year-old colts and fillies on track for the Memorial Day opening leg. He would have preferred to race against fillies only, but also acknowledged Miracle Maven needed a start.

“It was either that, going for $20,000, or a non-winners of like $5,000, going against the aged horses, and we’re going for $8,500,” he said. “I figured why not go for $20,000, and I figured she would draw inside since she’s a filly, but I guess she didn’t get that kind of respect, but that’s okay.”

Graber, Jr. said that besides sires stakes, Miracle Maven is eligible to the open stakes at Hoosier Park in the fall, as well as the Moni Maker at Scioto Downs.

“Last year, I would have said no to a five-eighths, but she trained a lot better here this year,” said Graber, Jr., whose pupils train over a half-mile oval. “She’s a lot more sound this year. I shouldn’t say she wasn’t sound, she just always locked on a line last year, and we just did everything we could think of and nothing got her off of it. She was really aggressive last year, but this year she came back and she’s two fingers.”

Better Tak’em is the last of the trio to make it to the races in 2025. The Don’t Let’em—Barmaid filly battled a bout of sickness that kept her from qualifying earlier. Steered by regular driver Jordan Ross, she was an eight-length winner on May 14, trotting home in :27.2 and hitting the wire in 1:57.1.

“Jordan told me he just gave her the reins and let her trot,” Graber, Jr. said. “She finished really strong. I was very happy.”

Last season, Better Tak’em finished first or second in seven of eight seasonal starts, with four wins. The Steve Mast-bred sophomore is owned by Graber, Jr., Eleven Star Stables and Indiana Stables LLC. With three sires stakes leg wins to her credit, the filly earned $119,125 in 2024 despite breathing issues that were addressed in the offseason.

“We actually did throat surgery on her right around Christmas,” Graber, Jr. said. “We discovered at the end of the year that her breathing was messed up. It was too late to do surgery before the final.”

This year, Better Tak’em is also eligible to Hoosier Park’s open stakes and the Moni Maker.

“She’ll take any track,” Graber, Jr. said. “It doesn’t matter if it’s a quarter mile track. She can take turns like it’s a straightaway. I’m really looking forward to racing her on a smaller track. She’ll have to be good enough to trot, you know, [1]:52 at Hoosier before she’s even good enough to go over there.”

To have one nice horse in a division is exciting. A stable with three contenders is special. Graber, Jr. credits the partnerships that have stepped up to buy quality racing stock, as well as the stable help that keeps the barn running.

“I’m very proud of my hardworking team and appreciative of my owners,” he said. “This wouldn’t be possible without either.”