A star-studded field of nine will be sent postward in the $330,000 Dan Patch Stakes at Hoosier Park Racing & Casino on Friday, August 9. The 26th installment of Hoosier Park’s premier event will highlight the 14-race program that is set to begin at 6:30 p.m. and will be supported by an all-star undercard of racing action. The purse money to be distributed throughout the evening will be over the $500,000 mark. Boasting an increased purse for the fourth consecutive year of $330,000, The Dan Patch Stakes will serve as Indiana’s richest harness race and is reputed as one of North America’s premier races for older male pacers.

With combined career purse earnings over $12 million, the talented field of nine includes five millionaires, three World Champions and the co-fastest horse in harness racing history. For the fourth consecutive year, Indiana will be well represented as two Indiana-sired pacers are included in the star-studded lineup, this year with Always A Prince and Rockin Ron.

Lather Up - 2019 Sam McKee Memorial

Lather Up, who is the co-fastest Standardbred by virtue of his 1:46 win at The Meadowlands in July, will return to Harrah’s Hoosier Park in the Dan Patch Stakes and has been enlisted as the 6-5 morning line choice. The four-year-old World Champion pacer will be looking to make amends after a break and disqualification cost him a victory in the $190,000 Monument Circle Pace at Hoosier Park last season.

Lather Up, who is currently ranked No. 2 in harness racing’s weekly Hambletonian Society/Breeders Crown poll, will start from post four with Montrell Teague in the bike for trainer Clyde Francis. The Teague-Francis combination will be looking to score their second Dan Patch Stakes victory after they visited the winner’s circle with World Champion Wiggle It Jiggleit in 2016.

Also included in the celebrated field of nine, World Champion McWicked will make his way back to Hoosier Park for the first time this season and has drawn post two for trainer Casie Coleman. With over $4.2 million in lifetime purse earnings, McWicked finished third in the 2018 edition of the Dan Patch Stakes and fourth in 2017. McWicked has been tabbed 5-2 on the morning line with Brian Sears listed to drive.

The 2019 installment of the Dan Patch Stakes has been slated the 11th race on the program with an estimated post time of 9:50 EDT.

The 2019 Dan Patch field, in post-position order with named driver and trainer includes:

1. Miso Fast (Tr: Virgil Morgan Jr., Dr: Trace Tetrick) M/L: 20-1
2. McWicked (Tr: Casie Coleman, Dr: Brian Sears) M/L: 5-2
3. New Talent (Tr: Jeff Cullipher, Dr: John DeLong) M/L: 20-1
4. Lather Up (Tr: Clyde Francis, Dr: Montrell Teague) M/L: 6-5
5. Filibuster Hanover (Tr: Ron Burke, Dr: Yannick Gingras) M/L: 10-1
6. Jimmy Freight (Tr: Andrew Harris, Dr: Scott Zeron) M/L: 8-1
7. Endeavor (Tr: Jeff Cullipher, Dr: Sam Widger) M/L: 20-1
8. Rockin Ron (Tr: Ron Burke, Dr: Matt Kakaley) M/L: 12-1
9. Always A Prince (Tr: Tyler George, Dr: Trace Tetrick) M/L: 6-1

Racing fans will have the opportunity to participate in two special wagers offered for the Dan Patch card. A $25,000 Guaranteed Superfecta pool will be available on the Dan Patch Stakes along with a $15,000 Guaranteed Hoosier-High Five pool on the last race of the program as part of the Strategic Wagering Program. Each wager is available through the cooperative efforts of the United States Trotting Association, Hoosier Park Racing & Casino and the Indiana Standardbred Association.

In addition to the special wagers, five lucky racing fans will be drawn to place a $100 win bet on the horse of their choice in the Dan Patch Stakes. Racing fans will also have the opportunity to win up to $5,000 with a Dan Patch kiosk game.

The Dan Patch festivities will also include a driver autograph session, family-friendly activities, special giveaways in the winner’s circle, and a free backpack for the first 500 guests to visit Trackside Caesars Rewards, beginning at 6:00 p.m.

In a continued partnership with Hoosier Park, the local news station WISH-TV Channel 8 out of Indianapolis will provide exclusive coverage for all the Dan Patch Stakes racing action at Hoosier Park on Friday. WISH-TV will provide racing fans with coverage of all the festivities happening on and off the race track. Racing fans can also catch exclusive interviews from drivers and trainers racing at Hoosier Park throughout the evening. WISH-TV’s live coverage begins at 9:00 p.m. on Friday, August 9 and will include the live showing of the Dan Patch Stakes.

The festival weekend continues into Saturday with free, family-fun activities. At the conclusion of live racing on Saturday, Stella Luna and The Satellites will perform a free show in the Terrace Showroom.

(Hoosier)