The fields were drawn on Tuesday, Sept. 16 for two of Harrah’s Hoosier Park’s signature events: the $179,500 USD Hoosier Park Pacing Derby and $200,000 USD Caesars Trotting Classic, presented by Kountry Lane Standardbreds. 

Two full fields of 10 will go postward on Friday, Sept. 19, with the red-hot Lexus Kody headlining the trotting feature.

Fresh off his Canadian-record 1:49.1 victory in the $630,000 Maple Leaf Trot at Woodbine Mohawk Park and wire-to-wire win in the $1,388,889 International Trot at Yonkers Raceway, Lexus Kody makes his return to Hoosier Park as North America’s second-leading money earner on the year. A winner in seven of 16 on the year, the Ron Burke trainee has racked up $1,216,633 this season for owners Burke Racing Stable LLC, Weaver Bruscemi LLC, and Phillip Collura. The seven-year-old gelded son of Archangel-Lexus Helios is a career earner of $1.9 million and will start the Caesars Trotting Classic from post seven with regular pilot Yannick Gingras slated to drive.

Lexus Kody will be joined by 2025 Cutler and Cashman Memorial champion Periculum, who also exits out of the International Trot after a traffic-troubled seventh-place effort. The Marcus Melander trainee will leave from post three with Scott Zeron listed to drive. He has put up a record of 7-3-3-0 in 2025, good for earnings of $643,250. Brixton Medical Inc. and Holly Lane Stud East Ltd. own the six-year-old Muscle Hill-Amour Heiress stallion who has earned $2.2 million in his career with 14 victories in 57 appearances.

Indiana-bred Ponda Jet headlines a strong Hoosier trio, having won three in a row against Hoosier Park open company entering the Caesars Trotting Classic. Jay Hochstetler trains the five-year-old gelded son of Dover Dan-Pondas Lucky Lady who has hit the board in all 18 starts this year, winning 11 of them all against open competition. Ponda Jet leaves from post six and is joined by Indiana-breds Flagman and Helpfirstedition in the field.

The 2025 Caesars Trotting Classic is slated to go as Race 13. The field is below.

$200,000 USD Caesars Trotting Classic
Post - Horse - Driver - Trainer
1. Chapercraz - Ronnie Wrenn Jr. - Ron Burke
2. Flagman - Rick Plano - Rick Plano
3. Periculum - Scott Zeron - Marcus Melander
4. Hillexotic - Austin Hanners - Todd Luther
5. Helpfirstedition - Dexter Dunn* - Missy Essig
6. Ponda Jet - Kyle Wilfong - Jay Hochstetler
7. Lexus Kody - Yannick Gingras - Ron Burke
8. Highland Kismet - Tim Tetrick - Nancy Takter
9. Oh Well - Dexter Dunn* - Marcus Melander
10. French Wine - Jason Bartlett - Nancy Takter
AE1. Dp Freedoms Chrome - Todd McCarthy* - Wayne Oke
AE2. Drink Up Drink Up - Marcus Miller - Walter Haynes Jr.

The Hoosier Park Pacing Derby will go as Race 11 on the evening, where defending champion Little Rocket Man will leave from post four seeking to retain his title. Mike Oosting will have the call on the career earner of $2.1 million, who has won nine of 14 starts in his nine-year-old campaign for trainer Ken Rucker.

The hometown hero will have his hands full with $2.7-million earner Bythemissal, 2025 Brower and McKee champion Ken Hanover, and 2025 Canadian Pacing Derby winner Maximus Miki.

The Hoosier Park Pacing Derby field is listed below.

$179,500 Hoosier Park Pacing Derby
Post - Horse - Driver - Trainer
1. Bythemissal - Yannick Gingras - Ron Burke
2. Ken Hanover - David Miller - Rollie Mallar
3. Rocknroll Runa A - Larry Stalbaum - Larry Stalbaum
4. Little Rocket Man - Mike Oosting - Ken Rucker
5. Captain Luke - Jason Bartlett* - Andrew Harris
6. Coach Stefanos - Marcus Miller - Erv Miller
7. Ruthless Hanover - Andrew McCarthy - Tom Cancelliere
8. Maximus Miki - Scott Zeron - Tom Cancelliere
9. Muskateer Hanover - Tony Hall* - Wayne Oke
10. Buzzsaw Russ - Dexter Dunn* - Missy Essig
AE1. Oakwood Ardan Ir - Jordan Stratton - Robert Cleary
AE2. Funtime Bayama - Dexter Dunn* - Andrew Harris

Final driver selections/changes for the Friday card will be made Wednesday afternoon.

The 14-race Caesars Trotting Classic card gets underway at 5:30 p.m. The card will also air live on Fox Sports 2 from 8-9 p.m. before switching to Fox Sports 1 from 9-11 p.m. with hosts Gabe Prewitt and Jessica Otten live on site.

Those on track can participate in the $10,000 USD Caesars Trotting Classic Pick 'Em promotion, where one lucky guest will go home with $10,000 USD in cash if they correctly select the winner of the Caesars Trotting Classic. The promotion begins at the Kiosk beginning at 4:30 pm, with the drawing taking place immediately following the Caesars Trotting Classic.

Guests can also enjoy a free Wipe Out Zone kid’s obstacle course on the track apron beginning at 5 p.m. in addition to the Mo’s Eats And Treats Food Truck.

(Hoosier Park; photo of Lexus Kody winning the Maple Leaf Trot on Aug. 30, 2025)