A total of 14 races are set for the 30th season opener on Friday, March 24 at Harrah’s Hoosier Park. The card features all pacing events, including the featured $22,000 Open slated as the eighth race on the card.
Headlining the first Open Pace of 2023 is local favourite Little Rocket Man, who is being conditioned out of the Ken Rucker Stable while the Missy and Jody Essig Stable has been south for the winter prepping their stable. The seven-year-old son of Rockin Image comes back to Indiana with two starts already this season at Miami Valley, earning one win in 1:51. Owned by Russ Beeman and Jack Freeman of Anderson, Indiana, Little Rocket Man has 38 career wins in 73 career starts and has only missed hitting the board 16 times in his career. His career-best time is 1:47.2 taken as a four-year-old and at the time, tied the track record, which was broken last fall by superstar Bulldog Hanover. Little Rocket Man will look to add to his career bankroll of nearly $700,000 from post six with John DeLong in the bike.
Joining Little Rocket Man in the Open is the return of Goldies Legacy from the Jeff Cullipher Stable. Also a veteran pacer, the five-year-old son of Always A Virgin will make his 2023 debut in the race off a qualifying win in 1:53.1. Goldies Legacy begins his five-year-old season with 19 wins in 60 starts and more than $532,000 on his card. His career-best time of 1:48.1 was taken last year at Harrah’s Hoosier Park. Tyler Smith gets the call behind Goldies Legacy from post eight for Cullipher and Pollack Racing LLC.
The field, in post position order with named driver at the time of the draw, includes: Just A Start (Tyler Smith), This Kit Rocks (Joey Putnam), Crooked Smile (John DeLong), Primary Colors (Sam Widger), Crusher Q (Brandon Bates), Little Rocket Man (John DeLong), True Blue Lindy (Tyler Smith) and Goldies Legacy (Tyler Smith).
On the other end of the spectrum, a $12,500 Indiana-sired event is set for horses just getting started in their career in the ninth race. The non-winners of one features 10 horses with only one having a start already in 2023. A few of the starters competed on the Indiana Sired Fair Circuit last year, including Isitlikeitell from the Leander Schwartz barn. Brandon Bates will guide the Tellitlikeitis three-year-old gelding from post eight.
Also included in the race is the first-time starter Starlit Beachboy, a three-year-old son of Luck Be Withyou. Trained by Mark P’Pool, the gelding will make his racing debut from post four with Brandon Bates in the bike. Starlit Beachboy has two qualifiers to prep him for his first start under the lights for owners Frank Baldachino and P’Pool.
The final round of pre-meet qualifiers are set for Wednesday, March 22 with a 5 p.m. post. The annual set of qualifiers serve as a “dress rehearsal” for the meet to prepare for the season opener. The season opener begins at 6:15 p.m. and will include several ancillary promotions along with the action on the track. Opening weekend will also include a card on Saturday, March 25.
The 160-day season will be the most lucrative stakes program in the track’s history culminated by the return of the prestigious Breeders Crown events on Oct. 27 and 28.
“What an exciting week on the 2023 calendar, the start of spring and the start of a new racing season at Harrah’s Hoosier Park,” noted Rick Moore, Vice President and General Manager of Racing. “In my mind they both speak to the rebirth of a wonderful new year. And, what a special year it should be with the return of the Breeders Crown to Harrah’s Hoosier Park.
“With 14 races carded for each of the first two nights of the meet, the positive momentum has already been established and, hopefully, will continue on,” continued Moore. “We can’t wait for the curtain to be lifted and racing action to commence this coming Friday.”
Hoosier Park will welcome fans back to the track with the annual Fan Appreciation Days – a variety of promotions, contests, food specials, guaranteed wagers and giveaways geared toward the racing customer. Racing fans will have the opportunity to win up to $500 with a mystery voucher giveaway starting at 5 p.m. on Friday. The activities will continue with a free Harrah’s Hoosier Park quarter zip giveaway while supplies last. Dining and drink specials will be featured throughout the property, including dollar days on Friday, and fans can play along with a free handicapping contest both Friday and Saturday night. First post is 6:15 p.m.
All of Harrah’s Hoosier Park’s familiar betting options are back for 2023, including the Hoosier High-5 with an industry low takeout of 12 per cent and a minimum wager of 20 cents. The Hoosier High-5, which requires a bettor to select the first five finishers in a race in exact order, will be offered on the last race each night, provided there are at least seven entrants. If there are no winning tickets sold, the net money wagered that day will be carried over to the next day’s Hoosier High-5 pool. On opening night, the Hoosier High-5 pool will be guaranteed at $15,000.
In partnership with the United States Trotting Association Strategic Wagering program and the Indiana Standardbred Association, Hoosier Park will also feature a $10,000 Guaranteed Pick-4 pool on Thursday nights in races 11-14.
Harrah’s Hoosier Park will offer a free handicapping contest each night of the week for on-track customers. In addition, racing fans will receive double Reward Credits for wagering on live races at both Horseshoe Indianapolis and Harrah’s Hoosier Park when they wager using their Caesars Rewards card, which can be used for complementary offers throughout the season. There will be fun and excitement for both the casual and serious racing fans. Harrah’s Hoosier Park will offer a free, live racing program online every live racing night and also feature several handicapping tools for those that are new to the sport of harness racing.
Live harness racing at Harrah’s Hoosier Park Racing & Casino will follow a Friday, Saturday schedule the opening week, a Friday, Saturday schedule the second week and then commence a Wednesday through Saturday schedule before adding Tuesdays beginning on June 27. On April 8, post time on Saturdays will transition to 7 p.m. throughout the remainder of the season. Live racing will be conducted through Dec. 9 this season.
(Indiana Standardbred Association / Hoosier Park)