Three Indiana Sires Stakes eliminations for the aged pacing divisions will highlight the 14-race card slated for Saturday, October 3 at Hoosier Park Racing & Casino.
The elimination for the aged pacing mares division drew a field of 12 while 19 entered in the aged stallions and geldings elimination and will be contested through two divisions.
Making his 2015 pari-mutuel debut and headlining the list of entrants in the aged stallions and geldings division is pacing sensation Always B Miki. With trainer Jimmy Takter listed to drive, Always B Miki will start from post nine and has been selected as the 4-5 morning line choice. He will face nine other rivals in the 10th race of the program.
Always B Miki will make his return to Hoosier Park fresh off a world record equalling qualifying victory at The Red Mile last week. He cruised to a 10-1/2 length victory, scoring in 1:48.2, with Takter in the sulky. The time of the mile equalled the fastest qualifying mile in the history of harness racing, which was recorded by Shark Gesture over the Meadowlands Racetrack in June of 2010.
Always B Miki was a winner of 12 of 19 starts at three with seasonal earnings in excess of $794,000 for Bluewood Stable and Roll The Dice Stable. In 2014, Always B Miki’s victories included the $200,000 Indiana Sires Stakes final for three-year-old pacing colts and geldings and the $275,000 Monument Circle at Hoosier Park, and he had not finished worse than second in his last 12 starts.
The son of Always A Virgin-Artstopper was the morning line favourite in the 2014 Breeders Crown final before being a late scratch due to a left hind pastern fracture and required surgery. As he was making his 2015 comeback for Takter, he fractured a right hind pastern in May and required another surgery.
“He’s just a lovely horse,” said Takter. “I’m very happy with him. He’s come back extremely well. Right now, we are taking it one week at a time with him, but he seems really good and really sharp. He’s an extremely fast horse, just a great horse to have in the barn.”
“The owners wanted me to drive,” Takter continued. “I want to make sure everything is okay with him. We’re pointing him to the Breeders Crown and we needed a couple of starts to prepare him for that. This should be a good race for him.”
The 2015 Indiana Sires Stakes program will culminate at Hoosier Park on Saturday, October 10 with the $200,000 Indiana Sires Stakes Super Finals; the four finals for the aged competitors will compliment the 14-race card, each carrying a purse of $50,000. The top five finishers from the two eliminations in the aged male pace will return for the final while the top 10 finishers from the aged mares elimination will make up their final. The aged trotting divisions did not require eliminations.
(With files from Hoosier Park)