Harrah’s Hoosier Park Racing & Casino brought its 29th season of live harness racing to a close on Saturday (Dec. 10). In addition to a 13-race card, the leading driver and leading trainer honours were awarded. Driver Trace Tetrick took home his 11th leading driver title and trainer Tyler George brought home his third consecutive leading trainer trophy.
Tetrick, the all-time leading driver at Harrah’s Hoosier Park, picked up right where he left off following a record-breaking season in 2021. Hopping in the bike 1,750 times this season, Tetrick visited the winner’s circle 387 times in 2022, the second highest win total in any season recorded by a driver at Harrah’s Hoosier Park behind only Tetrick’s 2021 total of 403 wins. As it has been in seasons past, the top three drivers consisted of Tetrick, John DeLong and Sam Widger. DeLong held the silver title with a record-breaking season of his own with 276 wins from 1,635 starts. Widger completed the podium, picking up 232 wins from 1,531 starts at Harrah’s Hoosier Park.
Taking home his ninth consecutive leading driver title, Tetrick currently resides once more in the top five nationally in driving wins, sitting fourth with 536 wins nationwide. Since picking up his first $1 million season in 2007, Tetrick has continually earned at least $2 million every season since, scoring his first $7 million season in 2022. Tetrick surged over the $75 million mark for his career in 2022 and rapidly approaches 7,000 career victories with 6,848 career trips to the winner’s circle thus far. With the Breeders Crown set to return to his home track in 2023, Tetrick won’t only be looking for his 12th driving title, but also to add to his Breeders Crown total, which currently stands at three with Crown victories coming with Freaky Feet Pete in 2015, as well as Blazin Britches and Fiftydallarbill in the Breeders Crown debut at Hoosier Park in 2017.
“I’m just very fortunate to get to drive a lot of great racehorses,” said Tetrick. “I’m so grateful to the trainers and owners that put me up on such great horses as well as the grooms and caretakers that do such an incredible job caring for these horses. I’m incredibly fortunate to get to drive great horses for great people.”
After winning his first Harrah’s Hoosier Park leading trainer title in 2020, Tyler George hasn’t relinquished the training title since, picking up his third consecutive title in 2022. George smashed the all-time single season wins record for a trainer, with his pupils scoring 126 wins in 2022, breaking the previous record of 119 shared by George’s 2021 season and Jeff Cullipher’s 2018 season, which originated the record. Across all tracks in 2022, it was also a record-breaking earnings year for the George stable with his first ever $2 million season in 2022 headlined by two Indiana Sire Stakes Super Final winners, Need To Breathe and Adamsville Road, as well as standout freshman pacing filly Rollin Rosie. George is no stranger to Indiana Sire Stakes success, having trained the likes of Indiana Sire Stakes champs Golden Paradise and Always A Prince, the latter of which garnered national attention with a romp in the $350,000 TVG Final in 2019 at The Meadowlands for George.
“It’s a really special accomplishment for our stable,” said George. “I couldn’t do it alone, I’m so thankful for Cassy and the great team of people we work with each and every day, wonderful owners and Trace Tetrick always does such a good job driving, it’s a total team effort.”
The Saturday night program wrapped up a historic and record-breaking season on a multitude of levels at Harrah’s Hoosier Park Racing & Casino, which would like to thank all of the fans, bettors and horsepeople who played a vital role in making the 2022 season an overwhelming success.
The highly anticipated 2023 season kicks off on Friday, March 24 at Harrah’s Hoosier Park Racing & Casino and will feature the 30th edition of the track’s signature race, The Dan Patch Stakes, as well as the long-awaited return of the Breeders Crown on Oct. 27-28.
(Harrah's Hoosier Park)