Hoosier Park will highlight the early stages of the 2015 harness racing season on Saturday with Indiana’s finest trotters and pacers convening on the seven-eighths mile oval for Hoosier Champions Night, the first of five rounds of $75,000 Indiana Sires Stakes finals.
A total of 14 races have been carded and will feature four $75,000 finals for the three-year-old competitors.
Revamped last season, the Indiana Sires Stakes program features five legs throughout the season, and from each leg, the top 20 horses return to compete in a final and consolation. The 2015 stakes season will culminate with the top ten horses from each of the previous $75,000 finals returning to compete in a $200,000 Super Final on October 10 at Hoosier Park.
“Our Hoosier Champions Night has become a much-anticipated event among horsemen and racing fans alike,” Hoosier Park’s Vice President and General Manager of Racing, Rick Moore noted. “While all four $75,000 finals are loaded with top-notch contenders, the three-year-old colt and gelding pace has the harness world buzzing as ultra-talented sophomores Wiggle It Jiggleit and Freaky Feet Pete prepare to go head to head for the first time.”
The three-year-old filly trotters will kick-off the stakes action for the evening and have been slated as the ninth race on the 14-race program. Indiana’s reigning two-year-old trotting filly of the year, Churita, will start from post nine with driver Trace Tetrick in the sulky. The Matt Rheinheimer trainee will be looking to score her second consecutive victory of the season and has been entrusted as the even money favourite.
A field of ten will be sent post-ward in the $75,000 Indiana Sires Stakes final for three-year-old pacing fillies. Rockin Good, Indiana’s two-year-old pacing filly of the year, will start from post three for driver, trainer Jared Finn. Last week’s elimination round winners, Nora Rockwell, Feetonthedashboard, and Sandysgoldenhour, will start from posts 6, 7, and 9, respectively.
In the three-year-old trotting colt ranks, Bluebird Reverend will look to remain undefeated in 2015 starting from post 5 with pilot Rick Farrington. Trained by Robert Reeser, the son of Swan For All scored his fourth consecutive victory at Hoosier Park in the elimination round of the stakes action last week.
The $75,000 Indiana Sires Stakes finals for three-year-old pacing colts is the twelfth race on the program and will feature perhaps one of the most anticipated matchups in all of harness as superstar Wiggle It Jiggleit will square off against Indiana Sires Stakes Champion Freaky Feet Pete
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Wiggle It Jiggleit has been tabbed as the 3/5 morning line choice and will put his nine-race win streak on the line from post seven with Montrell Teague in the sulky. Wiggle It Jiggleit remained undefeated with a win in his elimination of the Indiana Sire Stakes last Saturday and with that, moved to No. 1 in this week’s Hambletonian Society poll of top ranked harness horses. The World Champion is perfect in eight starts this season and 9-for-9 lifetime.
Freaky Feet Pete has been installed as the 8/5 second choice and will start from post nine for trainer Larry Rheinheimer. Voted Indiana’s two-year-old pacing colt of the year, Freaky Feet Pete has won 10 of 11 career starts and earned $271,950 for owners Mary Jo Rheinheimer and Marty Rheinheimer.
Saturday’s 14-race card is set to get underway at 5:15 p.m. Hoosier Park’s ‘Family Fun Days’ return this Saturday and will continue each weekend throughout the entirety of the harness racing season. Activities will include a bounce house, face painting, live entertainment, games and winner’s circle giveaways.
(Hoosier Park)