John De Long entered the Wednesday, April 23 card just three wins shy of a major career milestone. By the end of the evening, he had reached it in style. With a driving triple on the 14-race card at Harrah’s Hoosier Park Racing & Casino, De Long secured his 4,000th career victory in the finale with a thrilling win aboard Alvin Miller trainee Northern Rocks.
Sent off as the 6-5 favourite from the rail, De Long settled Northern Rocks into third in the early going while Latin Lover (Kyle Wilfong) posted a :28 opening quarter. De Long made his move up the backstretch, guiding Northern Rocks to the front and taking command by the half in :57. The top two began to separate themselves from the field heading to three-quarters in 1:25.3.
As they turned for home, Northern Rocks drifted off the rail, giving Latin Lover an opening to reclaim a narrow lead in mid-stretch. But under strong urging from De Long, Northern Rocks found more in the tank and surged back to win by a nose in 1:54.3. Swantanamo Bay (Atlee Bender) closed for third.
De Long's path to the milestone began earlier in the card with victories behind Buffy Lou for trainer Trent Stohler and Mystical Lane for Charlie Stewart.
A longtime force at Harrah’s Hoosier Park, De Long has been a staple among the track’s leading drivers for more than a decade since relocating to Indiana. Over the years, he’s piloted many of the state's most recognizable names, including Little Rocket Man, Bridge To Jesses, Seventimesavirgin, and Lets Go Endofaera.
De Long has finished second in the Hoosier Park driver standings each of the last four seasons, all of which were standout campaigns. He has eclipsed $4 million in seasonal earnings every year since 2020, and enjoyed a career-best $4.8 million in 2023. His highest win total came in 2016, when he visited the winner’s circle 375 times. To date, De Long’s drives have amassed more than $45.6 million in earnings.
The Wisconsin native also serves as President of the Indiana Standardbred Association, a position he has held since 2023.
Live racing will resume at Harrah’s Hoosier Park Racing & Casino on Thursday, April 24 with a 13-race card set to get underway at 6:15 p.m. The card will kick off with a $10,000 guaranteed Early Pick 5 (Races 1-5) which features a carryover of $2,914. There will also be $10,000 guarantees on the Late Pick 4 (Races 10-13) and Late Hoosier High 5 (Race 13).
(With files from Hoosier)