The Indiana fair circuit’s "Quest for the Governor's Cup" makes a southern swing this week with a pair of programs at the Harrison County Fairgrounds in Corydon. Harness racing is slated for Thursday, June 15 and Friday, June 16, with an 11 a.m. post time each day. Thursday’s program features 14 races, with a dozen carded Friday.

Five divisions of freshman pacing fillies lead off Thursday, with the first two $3,800 splits led by a quartet of fair winners. Eqs Lady Desire (sired by Real Desire) and Vel Little Sally (Keystone Velocity) both scored narrow victories last week at Converse. Each has drawn into the day’s first race. Eqs Lady Desire and trainer Jeff Dever start from post three, with Mike Peterson and Vel Little Sally drawing the rail. Chocolate Espresso (Always A Virgin) and Vel Flight On Time (Lost In Time) both won in the first round of fair action June 1 at Converse. Thursday each will attempt to add a second seasonal win. Chocolate Espresso starts from the rail, with Vel Flight On Time in post two.

Five divisions of two-year-old pacing colts will line up behind the gate Thursday. Extortion, a seven-length victor last week with a 2:01.3 performance, leads a trio of winners competing at Corydon. Trained and driven by Robert Taylor, the Shadyshark Hanover colt has drawn the outside post in the day’s eighth race. Four divisions of sophomore trotters round out the Thursday program, with two divisions for fillies and a pair for colts. Musclesprinctonian gelding Prince Henry has claimed victory in each of the last two weeks for owner and breeder Vernon Oakerson. The Leander Schwartz trainee lines up in the second tier in the first division for colts, race 13 on the program.

A pair of undefeated colts lead six divisions of freshman trotters on Friday’s card. Dashing Danny has drawn into the second tier in the day’s fourth race for trainer Donna Loney. The son of Dover Dan won by more than 10 lengths his first time out for driver Logan Loney, then covered the Converse half-mile configuration last week in a time of 2:07.2. Uncle Archie, a Swan For All gelding bred and owned by Alan White, will attempt to add his third seasonal win in the day’s fifth race. The 2:07 winner will be driven from post three by trainer Doug Rideout. A total of 10 trotting colts and fillies will make their first start Friday at Corydon.  

Friday’s program also includes three divisions of action for sophomore filly pacers and a trio of contests for pacing colts. Fleeting Flivver, nosed out last week to Shake Me Loose in a time of 1:56.4, leads the first filly division. The daughter of Check Six will be steered from post three by Brad Ferguson for trainer Gerald Miller. Attaboy Lloyd, already a two-time winner on the Indiana fair circuit, looks to make it three straight for owner and trainer Scott Linville. The Check Six gelding will be guided by Don Cincebox in the day’s last event. 

After two track records were lowered in the first week of action at Converse Fairgrounds, another record was equalled last week. Chocluck Chip, driven by trainer James Yoder, wired the field in his division for two-year-old pacing colts, reaching the finish more than four lengths in front and stopping the clock in 1:58. The time equalled the Converse mark for freshman colts and geldings set by Luckychris in 2021. Both record holders are sired by Breeders Crown champion Luck Be Withyou.

After two weeks of racing, Yoder leads the standings for both drivers and trainers. Yoder has piloted 12 winners, 11 of which he also conditions. Rideout, defending leading driver and trainer on the Indiana fair circuit, ranks second in each category. He has driven nine winners to date, training eight. Five different drivers (Clint Coy, Jay Cross, Josh Clouse, Peterson and Taylor) have tallied five driving wins through the first two rounds, and four trainers (Henry Graber Jr., Larry King, Taylor and Linville) have sent out four winners apiece. 

The 2023 Quest for the Governor’s Cup locations and dates are listed below:

• Round 1: Converse, Indiana - June 1 & 2 - Complete
• Round 2: Converse, Indiana - June 7 & 8 - Complete
• Round 3: Corydon, Indiana - June 15 & 16
• Round 4: Harrah’s Hoosier Park, Anderson, Indiana - June 21, 22 & 23
• Round 5: Shelbyville, Indiana - June 27 & 28
• Round 6: Portland, Indiana - July 3
• Round 7: Kendallville, Indiana - July 8
• Round 8: Frankfort, Indiana - July 13 & 14
• Round 9: Kentland, Indiana - July 18
• Round 10: Goshen, Indiana - July 22 & 25
• Round 11: Connersville, Indiana - July 31 & Aug. 1
• Round 12: Portland, Indiana - Aug. 5
• Round 13: Frankfort, Indiana - Aug. 10 & 11
• Governor’s Cup Championships: Indianapolis, Indiana - Aug. 16

Horses earn a point for each start made on the fair circuit, with race winners awarded 50 points. A second-place finish merits 25 points, a third-place effort yields 12 points, eight points are awarded for fourth place and five points for fifth place. The top eight point-earners in each division that have also made the prerequisite seven fair starts will compete in the $25,000 Governor's Cup Championships.

Indiana fair races will be available via livestream this season through a partnership between the Indiana Standardbred Association and Indiana Standardbred Breed Development. Fans can watch fair racing by visiting the ISA website on race days. Races will be archived on the website. Fans can also download fair programs throughout the season by visiting the Indiana Harness website.

If you have questions about the Indiana fair racing program, contact the Indiana Horse Racing Commission at 317-233-3119 or email [email protected].

(USHWA)