The best in the sport of harness racing will take to the racetrack at Hoosier Park Racing & Casino on Friday evening for the 23rd edition of the $325,000 Dan Patch Stakes.

As part of a special weekend tagged as “Dan Patch Festival Weekend”, Hoosier Park will showcase some of the most notable names in harness racing alongside specialty wagers, free t-shirts, giveaways, and interactive, family-friendly entertainment.

In what is undoubtedly the most talented field ever assembled, the 23rd installment of Hoosier Park’s signature event will highlight the 14-race program that is set to begin at 5:45 p.m. Boasting an increased purse of $325,000 for 2016, The Dan Patch stakes will serve as Indiana’s richest harness race of the season and mark the biggest purse offering in the 23-year history of the race.

With combined career purse earnings over $12 million, the talented field of nine includes six World Champions and six millionaires. Fellow Indiana sired world champions Freaky Feet Pete, Wiggle It Jiggleit, and Always B Miki have made up the “Big Three” in the aged pacing ranks this season and will lead the list of Dan Patch entrants. Slated as the twelfth race on the card, estimated post time for Hoosier Park’s signature event is 10:07 p.m. Advanced wagering for the entire card began on Thursday, August 11.

Also complimenting the program will be several finals of the Dan Patch overnight series along with the $30,000 Gregg Haston Memorial Invitational. Haston was the leading driver at Hoosier Park for the first two racing seasons before he was tragically killed in an automobile accident. Each year during Dan Patch Night, the Hoosier Park Racing & Casino family remembers Gregg Haston with a special memorial race.

Racing fans will have the opportunity to participate in two special wagers offered for the Dan Patch card. A $20,000 Guaranteed Dan Patch Superfecta pool will be available along with a $15,000 Guaranteed Hoosier-High Five pool on the last race of the program as part of the Strategic Wagering Program. Each wager has a minimum bet of 10 cents and is available through the cooperative efforts of the United States Trotting Association, Hoosier Park Racing & Casino and the Indiana Standardbred Association.

Starting at 3:00 p.m., the first 1,000 racing fans to visit Club Centaur will receive a free Hoosier Park racing t-shirt. Five lucky racing fans will also have the opportunity to place a $1,000 win bet on the horse of their choice in the Dan Patch Stakes beginning at Club Centaur 2:00 p.m.

As an added bonus, Hoosier Park has invited two local charities, New Vocations Racehorse Adoption and The Animal Protection League, to place a $1,000 win bet on the horse of their choice in the Dan Patch Stakes. Each charity will collect any winnings from the bet however, should a winning bet not be placed, Hoosier Park Racing & Casino will guarantee a $1,000 donation to each of their deserving causes.

The popular harness racing podcast ‘Post Time with Mike and Mike’ will join in the Dan Patch festivities as they host their first live remote of the season at Hoosier Park on Friday. Those tuning into the Mike and Mike program will hear live interviews, racing coverage, Dan Patch trivia, and more.

The festivities will continue on Saturday with an action packed 13-race card that is set to kick-off at 4:30 p.m. Beginning at 4:00 p.m., racing fans can enjoy the ultimate in entertainment, intense flavours of fiery BBQ, and energizing drinks as part of Hoosier Park’s annual “Thrillyard 200” event located in The Yard.

At the conclusion of live racing on Saturday, country music legends Asleep At The Wheel will perform a free show in the Outdoor Music Center as Hoosier Park continues its’ summer concert series line-up. A free fireworks presentation will culminate the entire evening and will follow the concert starting at approximately 10:30 p.m.

(Hoosier Park)