On a chilly night in Indiana, odds-on favourites were hot at Hoosier Park Racing & Casino as both of the heavy favourites delivered in the $21,000 featured trot and pace on Saturday, April 4. Each of the featured events saw familiar faces in the winner’s circle as both races produced repeat winners from the previous week.
Kicking things off for the evening, Rose Run Parker and Ricky Macomber Jr. extended their winning streak as they easily handled an abbreviated field of six in the $21,000 Invitational Trot in 1:55.
Unhurried from the gate, Rose Run Parker sat patiently along the rail in fourth through fractions of :28, :56.3, and 1:26.2 set by Lady Blitz and Verlin Yoder before making a move.
Using a :27.4 final panel, Rose Run Parker set his sights on the wire and wore down Lady Blitz late in the lane. Ed Hensley and Bloodstockshalltab staged a late rally, but had to settle for second-place honours. Escuela and Jason Dillander rallied nicely for third. As the heavy betting favourite, Rose Run Parker returned $2.40 to his backers.
Trained by Ron Burke, Rose Run Parker remains undefeated in 2015 from three starts. The gelded son of Jailhouse Jesse-Centergy pushed his lifetime bankroll over the $600,000 mark for owners Burke Racing Stable, Weaver Bruscemi, and W. Haas Jr.
On the pacing side of things, Night Pro and Peter Wrenn scored their second consecutive Hoosier Park victory with a final time of 1:51.4 in the $21,000 Invitational Pace.
Using the same front-running tactics as the previous week, Night Pro dictated fractions of :27.1, and :56.2 before ever feeling a threat. Lets Drink On It and Tyler Smith were the first to commit to the outer flow as they began their first-over bid approaching the final turn.
With a three-quarter clocking in 1:24.3, Night Pro began to put his talent on display as the field turned for home. As the rest of the field struggled to stay within striking distance, Night Pro cruised home with a :27.1 final quarter to finish two lengths in front of Lets Drink On It. Latest Desire and Ross Leonard rounded out the trifecta ticket. As the public’s choice, Night Pro returned $3.00 at the betting windows.
“This is going to be a great summer with this group of horses,” Wrenn noted in the winner’s circle. “My horse has had a few starts and he’s really sharp right now. He did that tonight just like it was a training mile. He was well within himself at the wire and did everything like he was supposed to. He’s a great, great horse.”
Trained and owned by Dale Decker, Night Pro remains undefeated in four starts in 2015. With the win, the five-year-old son of Pro Bono Best-Midnight Jewel pushed his career earnings to $473,512.
Live racing at Hoosier Park Racing & Casino will continue on Tuesday, April 7 with a daily post time of 5:15 p.m. Live racing will follow a Tuesday through Saturday schedule and be conducted through November 14, 2015.
(Hoosier Park)