Canadian campaigned three-year-old pacing colt Bulldog Hanover took his show on the road and stole the spotlight in the Circle City Stakes featured Friday night (Oct. 29) at Hoosier Park.
Trained by Jack Darling, Bulldog Hanover lowered his lifetime mark to 1:48, defeating Virgo and Rogers Image over a sloppy track.
John De Long picked up the catch-drive on the Shadow Play-BJs Squall colt and sent him from third to first after a :26 opener. Bulldog Hanover cleared just past the half-mile mark in :54.1 then fought off Virgo past three-quarters in 1:21.4 as he sprinted home in :26.1 to win by 3-1/4 lengths.
The Ontario Sires Stakes star notched his seventh win from 12 sophomore starts while boosting his seasonal earnings over the half-million dollar mark for Jack Darling Stables of Cambridge, Ont. and Brad Grant of Milton, Ont.
Sent postward as the heavy 1-9 favourite, he paid $2.20 to win.
The other $34,000 division of the Circle City for three-year-old pacing colts and geldings was won by Big Gulp in 1:49.4 for trainer/driver Jay Cross.
De Long also won a Circle City division with the Tony Alagna-trained three-year-old pacing filly Hot Mess Express in 1:51.1.
Empressive Hill and trainer/driver Rick Plano took the three-year-old filly trot in 1:52.3.
The winners of the three-year-old male trot divisions were Swingforthefences and driver Peter Wrenn in 1:53.3 for trainer Melanie Wrenn and Brookview Bolt in 1:54 with Trace Tetrick driving for Ron Burke.