Penn used a decisive, front-running effort to find the winner’s circle for the second consecutive week in front of a packed house at Hoosier Park Racing & Casino in the $21,000 Invitational Trot on Saturday, May 2.
Once again dismissed at the betting windows, Penn pulled a mild upset to score at odds of 10-1 in 1:53.4 with Darrell Wright in the sulky.
The Bobby Brower trainee fired from the wings of the gate from the outside post nine to reach the front through an opening panel in :27. Martz Time and Trace Tetrick benefitted from a pocket trip while the betting favourite, Natural Herbie and Verlin Yoder, were parked to the outside for much of the mile. Penn dictated fractions of :57.1 and 1:25.4 before ever feeling a threat from the rest of the field.
Lady Blitz and James Yoder were the first to apply pressure to the leaders as they began their first-over journey approaching the final turn with Natural Herbie in tow. Just as Lady Blitz reached the leader’s wheel, Penn found another gear. Using a :28 final panel, Penn coasted to the wire under a hand drive to finish three lengths to the good. Allie Labrook and Dan Shelter staged a big rally late in the lane but had too much ground to make up at the end of the mile and had to settle for second-place honours. Martz Time held on for third. Penn returned $22.60 to his backers at the betting window.
Penn scored his second seasonal victory from just three starts. The five-year-old gelded son of Master Glide-Photo Queen now has 21 career wins and earnings of $134,434 for owner Barkley Counts.
On the pacing side of things, Lets Drink On It took advantage of a pocket trip to score his first win of the season in the co-featured event of the evening, a $21,000 Invitational Pace, in 1:50.1.
Guided by Tyler Smith, the Joe Seekman trainee dug in gamely late in the lane to hold off the heavily favoured Night Pro and Peter Wrenn.
Lets Drink On It secured a pocket seat behind the pacesetter Ice Scraper and Trace Tetrick through an opening panel in :27. The field remained in single-file line down the backside as Ice Scraper continued to call the shots through :55.4 and 1:23.1 fractions. ItrustYou and Ricky Macomber Jr. began the first-over attack approaching the final turn and Night Pro tabbed the cover.
Ice Scraper continued to call the shots as the field turned for home, but Lets Drink On It loomed large in the pocket. Using a :26.3 final quarter, Lets Drink On It exploded from the pocket to finish two lengths in front of Night Pro. Ice Scraper held on gamely to round out the trifecta.
Lets Drink On It, the runner-up in the 2014 Little Brown Jug, notched his first victory of the season from three outings. The four-year-old son of Art Official-Letmedowneasy has now amassed $620,929 for owners Tina Seekman, Larry Bond, Hal Hewitt, and Vincent Boido Jr.
(With files from Hoosier Park)