It’s the last weekend in May and we all know what that means in Indiana, The Indy 500. But for those race fans that prefer horses, there will be something for them as well

. The $500,000 Hoosier Cup is set for Saturday, May 29 and should make Hoosier Park one of the most watched racetracks in the simulcast nation. The Hoosier Cup is tied for the richest race in Indiana, along with the Grade II Indiana Derby, a thoroughbred stakes race.

The Hoosier Cup is scheduled for the 13th race Saturday with an approximate post time of 9:35 p.m. EST. The race features some magnificent three-year-olds, as well as some great drivers and veteran trainers. The race includes three double entries which puts the odds in the handicappers favor.

Hall-of-fame Drivers Ron Pierce, Dave Magee and John Campbell will look to add to their already impressive resume as will several local drivers. Namely, Hoosier Park veterans Ricky Macomber, Eric Goodell, and Peter Wrenn as well as up-and-coming drivers Trace Tetrick and Jason Dillander will all be included in the race.

The 12-horse field includes just two horses from Indiana stables. Allthatgltrsisgold hails from Victory Hill Farm in Lagrange, Indiana and is trained by Bobby Brower. The five-horse, Wayne The Lefty, shares the same signature with his owners’ stable name, Wayne The Lefty Stable, which is located in Markleville, Indiana. The stable is made up of several individuals around the Hoosier Park area, including Tom Hudson, Dave Stohler, Kathy and Kent Ottesen, and Trent Stohler, who also trains.

“He [Wayne The Lefty] should race well from post position three,” said Stohler. “He’s been training well and he is a very aggressive pacer.”

Stohler, who is a household name among Indiana harness fans, will have his first shot at the Hoosier Cup in the 14-year history of the race. He has elected for Dillander to drive Wayne The Lefty. The pair will start from Post 3 at odds of 8-1 on the morning line.

Stohler is the most familiar of the trainers with Hoosier Park, racing here since its 1994 opening. Perhaps he could turn his experience into a well deserving win.

Wayne The Lefty moves into the Hoosier Cup fresh off a qualifying win at Hoosier Park. The All American Ingot gelding was lightly raced last year. This year, he went out East and to The Meadows where he earned top two finishes in all nine starts. He increased his bankroll to more than $73,000 and took a record of 1:52 at The Meadowlands.

Hoosier Park Racing & Casino is also hosting an Invitational Trot and 12 Indiana Sires Stakes races. All races on the card Saturday total just over $1 million in purses, which makes it one of the richest nights in Indiana horse racing. The Hoosier Cup race will also be broadcast live on Sirius Radio’s new show, “Saturday At The Races.” With so much money on the line, the races should be extremely competitive and Saturday evening should be an exhilarating experience for everyone in attendance, regardless of the outcome in the Hoosier Cup.

Magee Heads Field Of Impressive Drivers In Hoosier Cup

Each year, some of the top three-year-old pacers in North America converge on Hoosier Park Racing & Casino for the $500,000 Hoosier Cup. When there is horsepower, there are always talented drivers that follow.

The 2010 edition of the Hoosier Cup is no exception. Twelve guys will line up behind the Todd Nixon starting gate Saturday, May 29 with one common goal – bring home the biggest paycheck in the $500,000 event. In all the drivers have tallied more than 54,000 career wins and includes Hall of Fame drivers, Ron Pierce, John Campbell and Dave Magee. All have maintained a level of excellence in their field for the past three decades and can always be counted on as a go-to guy when the big money is on the line.

One driver that has collected his fair share of big paychecks over the years is Magee. A resident of Big Rock, Illinois, he has invested several weeks of trips to Anderson, Indiana over the past month to drive, including the seat behind Allthatgltrsisgold. The duo has drawn post 11 on the second tier in the full field of 12 for the featured Hoosier Cup.

An exemplary leader and role model, Magee got his start in racing from family ties to harness racing in his native Wisconsin. He credits his grandfather as his initial influence in the sport and later looked to his uncle for advice when he decided to pursue his interest in racing further. His path led him to the Chicago circuit where he began to perfect his trade, working his way into a spot among Chicagoland’s top drivers – a status that has endured the test of time for the past 28 years and brought him more than 11,000 career wins.

“Numbers never really meant anything as far as goals to me,” said Magee. “It’s more short term vision for me, night to night and week to week. I’ve never been complacent in this business. I’m never satisfied. I feel you have to be open to learning and adapting, which I believe has allowed me to sustain my performance at whatever level I’m racing at.”

Always humble, Magee credits his experience as his biggest asset on the track. “I’ve been through a lot of situations over and over again. You hope you can respond and correct your decisions as a result and try to limit your mistakes. If I had a goal, it would be to limit my mistakes.”

Magee, who makes 56 years old look like the new 36, has no immediate plans to retire from driving. He still has the competitive spirit and physical ability to press on at the top of his class. An avid runner, Magee focuses on his basic overall health and recognizes that he feels better when he is in better condition. Besides running six days a week, Magee stays active with his family, which includes children ranging in ages from 29 to 11 along with the newest addition to the family, one-year-old granddaughter Jillian.

“Depending on what season it is, we get active with the kids’ sporting activities,” said Magee. “I have two daughters that play basketball, and I go out on the paddle boat with my youngest daughter almost every night. We also have a riding horse that I’m very attached to. My wife, Cathy, and I keep very active with our family.”

Although Magee doesn’t look at retirement as an option right now, he does have a keen sense for life after racing. He has explored several business opportunities over the past two decades. He currently owns a car wash and recently purchased a Sears Hometown Store in Plano, Illinois as a means to build upon a future after racing.

One trend that Magee has never included in his future is the path that has been well traveled for drivers from Chicago to the East Coast. He has claimed Chicago as his home base for his entire career and is content to keep his driving skills centered in the Midwest.

“I explored the idea of going out East 25 years ago, but at the time, racing was not bad in Chicago,” said Magee. “I’ve always liked the atmosphere and stayed. Since that time, our family has grown into a larger group and moving isn’t an option. I like to be involved with my family as much as I can. It would just be too painful to be away from home for any length of time.”

Home for Magee has been in Big Rock, Illinois for the past 15 years. The area was selected by Magee due to its similarities to his hometown in Wisconsin and its proximity to the Chicago area tracks, although the track that captures most of his business now is Balmoral Park, one hour and 20 minutes south. However, Magee doesn’t mind the ride. It’s a small price to pay to drive horses such as 2009 Illinois Horse of the Year Southern Rocketop, who is included in the first race on Hoosier Cup Night in the $23,000 Invitational Trot.

“Southern Rocketop sure gave me some thrills last year,” said Magee. “It’s the first time I hit the board in a $1 million race. He’s a special horse and something to look forward to again in 2010.”

Magee also has several stakes horses to look forward to in 2010, including Allthatgltrsisgold. A win in the Hoosier Cup would be one more stakes to add to his impressive resume and being involved in races such as this is what builds a fire in Magee.

“I have to be realistic with my goals as far as what races I can drive in,” said Magee. “At this stage in my career, I like to be involved in feature races with competitive horses.”

Magee will get that opportunity in Saturday’s Hoosier Cup as Allthatgltrsisgold enters the race as the fourth choice on the morning line at odds of 4-1. With a little luck and a little horsepower, the Cams Card Shark colt could be one of those horses that will keep Magee involved in featured races all year long.

(Hoosier Park)