Some of Indiana’s finest trotters and pacers will convene at Hoosier Park on Saturday, June 4 for Hoosier Champions Night, the first of five rounds of $75,000 Indiana Sires Stakes finals.

A total of 14 races have been carded, including four $75,000 finals for the three-year-old competitors.

The Indiana Sires Stakes program features five legs throughout the season, and from each leg, the top 20 horses return to compete in a final and consolation. The 2016 stakes season will culminate with the top 10 horses from each of the previous $75,000 finals returning to compete in a $200,000 Super Final on October 15 at Hoosier Park.

“Our Hoosier Champions Night has become a much-anticipated event among horsemen and racing fans alike,” noted Rick Moore, Hoosier Park’s Vice President and General Manager of Racing. “The Indiana Sires Stakes program continues to improve every year and we are excited to highlight another season of the best state-breds that Indiana has to offer.”

The three-year-old filly trotters will kick off the stakes action for the evening with their final slated as the eighth race on the program. Indiana’s reigning two-year-old trotting filly of the year, Just Jess, will start from the trailing post position 10 with trainer/driver Doug Rideout in the sulky. Just Jess will be looking to score her second consecutive victory of the season and has been entrusted as the 9-5 favourite. Owned by Alan White and Julie Rideout, the homebred daughter of Jailhouse Jesse-Glide Sally Glide has bankrolled $256,365 lifetime while winning eight of 17 career starts.

A field of 10 will be sent postward in the $75,000 Indiana Sires Stakes final for three-year-old trotting colts. Bridge To Jesses, Indiana’s two-year-old trotting colt of the year, has been handed post nine for driver John DeLong. A winner in last week’s elimination round, Bridge To Jesses will have his work cut out for him as Fly Jesse Fly puts a three-race win streak on the line from the coveted rail position for driver Trace Tetrick and trainer Ron Otto.

In the three-year-old pacing filly ranks, Seventimesavirgin will look to remain undefeated from two starts in 2016 starting from post four in the 11th race final for trainer/driver John DeLong. The daughter of Always A Virgin-Mrs Grant Seven scored her second consecutive victory at Hoosier Park in the elimination round of the stakes action last week in 1:52.2 by two lengths.

The $75,000 Indiana Sires Stakes final for three-year-old pacing colts is the 12th race on the program and will feature a talented field of 10. Matrix Of Luck has been tabbed as the 2-1 morning line choice and will look to score his second consecutive victory for the season after establishing a new lifetime-best of 1:50.3 in his elimination last week. The son of Rockin Image-My Taylors Maid will start from the rail position with Mike Peterson in the bike. Trained by Roger Cullipher, Matrix Of Luck has amassed $255,000 lifetime and won eight of 14 career outings for owners Brian Carsey, John McGill, and Debbie Cullipher.

Saturday’s 14-race card is set to get underway at 5:45 p.m. Hoosier Park’s ‘Family Fun Days’ will return this Saturday and continue each weekend throughout the entirety of the harness racing season. Activities will include a bounce house, face painting, live entertainment, games and winner’s circle giveaways. At the conclusion of live racing, Kandis Chambers will perform live on the Terrace Showroom stage.

(With files from Hoosier Park)