Sweet win for Swiss Meringue in $100,000 Ellen’s Lucky Star at Horseshoe Indianapolis

Mike and Penny Lauer had to wait an extra 10 days for the 18^th running of the $100,000 Ellen’s Lucky Star Handicap due to a cancellation for excessive rainfall in Central Indiana.

However, the wait was worth it as Swiss Meringue and Santo Sanjur came rolling in to score the victory Saturday at Horseshoe Indianapolis.

Starting from post seven, Swiss Meringue opted out of the early speed as Prayer Unbridled and Joe Ramos moved out to the early lead in the bulky field of 12 over the turf course. Over and Above and Rodney Prescott sat to their outside with Spirited Justice and Amir Mendoza gapping in third and the rest of the field behind him.

Smokinghot Justice and Fernando De La Cruz made a big move in the final turn of the one mile race and moved into the lead with several others following his lead, including Swiss Meringue.

In the stretch, Smokinghot Justice took over and had the inside horses behind him but it was the outside horse that applied the most pressure. Swiss Meringue was widest of all and midway through the lane, caught up with Smokinghot Justice.

The two fillies battled all the way to the wire with Swiss Meringue getting the head bob at the wire for the win. Kaboom and Joseph Bealmear finished third with the race timed in 1:40.57.

Swiss Meringue was the favorite, paying $9.80 for the win. The fourth generation filly from the Lauer’s breeding operation is owned by Penny Lauer and trained by Mike. She is the daughter of Frosting, a multiple winner at Horseshoe Indianapolis during her career. It was the second career win for Swiss Meringue as she boosted her career earnings to nearly $100,000 with the win. It was her second time over the turf.

“I knew from the first time I got on her I liked her,” noted Sanjur, who was coming off a riding double in the previous racing program. “I thought they were going to try to race out of there (the gate) so I was just going to sit and wait for the last part of the race. I love this filly. She is a classy filly. And, she loves the grass.”

Managing a 30-plus racing stable can be trying but Lauer set Swiss Meringue up perfectly for her first try among premier racing company.

“You always try to time it out,” said Lauer. “There are certain races you can do that and have a prep for it. This is one of those races where she got a start over the turf in her previous race.”

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