Hoosier Park will highlight the 2013 Standardbred season on Wednesday, September 11 with Indiana’s finest trotters and pacers convening on Hoosier Park’s seven-eighths mile oval for the annual Hoosier Champions Night, an evening with purse totals topping the $1.8 million mark.

A total of 14 races have been established and after the dust settles, eight new Indiana Sires Stakes champions will be crowned. The first race will line up behind the starting gate at 5:30 p.m.

All two and three-year-old Indiana Gold Sires Stakes finals will go for purses of $200,000 while the aged pace and aged trot will race for $50,000, respectively. Also, four $40,000 Indiana Silver Sire Stakes finals will be contested on the evening.

The Verlin Yoder-trained trotting duo of Lady Blitz and Natural Herbie head the list of entrants in the $200,000 finals for three-year-old trotters. Lady Blitz, a Hoosier Park track record holder for three-year-old fillies on the trot, has scored three wins from the four Indiana Gold Sire Stakes preliminary legs. She will start from post six with Verlin Yoder in the sulky in the $200,000 final for three-year-old filly trotters. Natural Herbie, also a winner in three of the four preliminary legs, will look to score his eighth win of the season in the $200,000 final for three-year-old colt and gelding trotters. The son of Here Comes Herbie will start from post seven in the ten-horse field with Verlin Yoder at the lines.

Sophomore standout Night Pro will look to sweep the Indiana Gold Sire Stakes final in the three-year-old colt pacing division. The Pro Bono Best—Midnight Jewel colt has dominated the three-year-old pacing colt ranks, winning the first $200,000 final at Hoosier Park and reeling off 14 wins for trainer Dale Decker while bankrolling over $200,000. Owned by Dale Decker, Night Pro has drawn post two in the seven-horse field and will be guided by Pete Wrenn.

Always About Katey will look to score back-to-back wins in the $200,000 final for three-year-old pacing fillies. An Indiana Sire Stakes champion at two, Always About Katey posted an impressive 1:52.2 score in the fourth preliminary leg at Hoosier Park. Always About Katey, trained by Roger Welch, has drawn post four and will be driven by Ed Hensley.

(Hoosier Park)