Harrah’s Hoosier Park will play host to two of the premier stakes in North America for two-year-old trotters for the second straight year with the Peter Haughton and Jim Doherty Memorials on Friday, Sept. 13. Two full fields of 10 will go postward in each race, with a number of local competitors looking to protect the home-track advantage.

The $390,000 USD Peter Haughton Memorial for two-year-old trotting colts serves as the 10th race on the evening, headlined by the only once beaten Eugene The Genius from the Missy Essig barn. The Indiana-bred gelded son of Helpisontheway-Muscle Baby Doll enters off of a career-best effort in his last outing, a 5-1/4-length romp in 1:54 to take leg five of Indiana Sire Stakes. Leaving from post six with regular pilot Mike Oosting listed to drive, Eugene The Genius has won six of seven in his rookie campaign while banking $212,274 for owners Russ Beeman and Charles Weaver.

Eugene The Genius will hook up with Maryland who heads to Indiana fresh off a 17-1 romp in the $575,000 William Wellwood at Woodbine Mohawk Park in his last outing on Aug. 24. The two-time winning son of Chapter Seven-Crucial leaves from post eight for the red-hot Marcus Melander Barn with Dexter Dunn listed to drive the earner of $311,743.

The 10 hopefuls look to follow in the footsteps of T C I who won the 2023 Peter Haughton Memorial in the first year it was held at Hoosier Park. T C I took the 2023 edition in front-end fashion in 1:54.2 in a campaign which saw him bank more than $1.4 million and take O’Brien Award honours.

The 2024 Peter Haughton Memorial field is available below.

$390,000 USD Peter Haughton Memorial
Post - Horse - Listed Driver - Trainer 
1. Tarzan - Mike Oosting - Erv Miller
2. Bombay Tom - Ronnie Wrenn Jr. - Norm Park
3. Mr Instigator - John De Long - Roger Welch
4. High Speed Swan - Mike Oosting - Erv Miller
5. Father TJ - Tyler Buter - Jeff Cullipher 
6. Eugene The Genius - Mike Oosting - Missy Essig
7. Hidalgo - Yannick Gingras - Ron Burke
8. Maryland - Dexter Dunn - Marcus Melander
9. Bellsforall - Robert Taylor - Robert Taylor 
10. Civilian Drone - Yannick Gingras - Nancy Takter

In the $305,000 USD Jim Doherty Memorial for trotting fillies, Ponda Fashion gives trainer Jay Hochstetler the opportunity to do one better than last year’s runner-up finish with Ponda Title to eventual Dan Patch Award winner, Soiree Hanover. A winner in her last outing, Ponda Fashion was victorious in leg five of Indiana Sire Stakes in a lifetime best of 1:55.1, getting by the heavily favoured Miracle Maven to do so. Ponda Fashion has won half of her six outings on the year, each with driver Kyle Wilfong in the bike. The daughter of Crescent Fashion-Pondas Lucky Lady is a half-sister to Hoosier Park track record holder and fellow Hochstetler stable star, Ponda Jet. Ponda Fashion will leave from post three on Friday night.

The Hoosier standout will have a pair of Sire Stakes champions from the northeast to deal with if she wants to get to the winner’s circle. New Jersey Sire Stakes champion Champagne Problems will leave from post seven from the Nancy Takter barn. A winner in three of six as well, the daughter of Tactical Landing-Miss Caviar has banked $241,631 on the year and enters the Doherty off of a fourth-place finish in the $390,000 Peaceful Way Stakes at Mohawk.

New York Sire Stakes champion Royal Mission will have to overcome the far outside post nine on Friday. Trainer Marcus Melander sends the daughter of Chapter Seven-Swinging Royalty to Hoosier Park six days after claiming the $304,054 New York Sire Stakes final at Yonkers Raceway in the rain in 1:58.2. Already with $345,580 made, Royal Mission has won three times and hit the board in six of seven to begin her young career. Melander trainees will bookend the gate, with Goodgirl Bi IT leaving from the rail.

The Jim Doherty will serve as the 12th race on the card. The field is available below.

$305,000 USD Jim Doherty Memorial
Post - Horse - Listed Driver - Trainer
1. Goodgirl Bi IT - Mattias Melander - Marcus Melander
2. Woodside Izz - LeWayne Miller - Susan Miller
3. Ponda Fashion - Kyle Wilfong - Jay Hochstetler
4. Pink Chou Chou - Todd McCarthy - Nancy Takter
5. Naughty Naughty - Tim Tetrick - Jeff Edwards
6. Sweetasmoni - Kyle Wilfong - Ken Rucker 
7. Champagne Problems - Dexter Dunn - Nancy Takter
8. Delaney Hanover - Todd McCarthy - Lucas Wallin
9. Royal Mission - Scott Zeron - Marcus Melander
10. Swanfinerose - Trace Tetrick - Erv Miller

Final driver selections/changes for the Friday card will be made on Wednesday afternoon, Sept. 11.

With purses Friday night totalling $1.275 million USD on the 14-race card, the two trotting stakes will be joined by nine divisions of Indiana Sire Stakes on the night along with the $75,000 USD Hoosier Cup final, which will have 2024 Milstein Memorial winner Sabonis going for his 11th consecutive victory of the season from the rail. First post on the Friday night card is 6:15 p.m.

(Hoosier Park)