Haulin Laser visited the Open ranks once again and rallied home a winner to pull of the 16-1 upset in the $24,000 Open Trot at Hoosier Park Racing & Casino
on Wednesday (April 25).
Driven by Pete Wrenn, Haulin Laser sat fourth on the rail through an opening quarter of :28.2. Gale Warning was the tempo-setter in the opening splits of the mile while driver Joe Putnam had the heavy betting favourite, Abc Mercedes, out and firing early from post seven as they made their customary bid for the front around the first turn. Tetrick yielded the lead, but made the veteran trotter work for it as Abc Mercedes led through a soft second split of :58.3.
Solvent and Jason Dillander found themselves third with the public’s second choice, Proud Yankee, sat fifth. As the field of eight remained in single file line, Abc Mercedes led into the final turn reaching the three-quarter mile marker in 1:27.4.
Wrenn made a bold first over bid with Haulin Laser as he had the gelded son of Broadway Hall aimed at the leader around the final turn. Haulin Laser responded with a :27.4 final kick to overcome Abc Mercedes in the final steps of the mile. Haulin Laser stopped the clock in 1:55.3, eclipsing his two-year-old mark of 1:55.4. Abc Mercedes finished second as Proud Yankee was able to take advantage of a second-over trip to round out the well paying trifecta.
The homebred son of Broadway Hall-Lisas Laser, who scored his first win of his four-year-old campaign, has a lifetime record of 8-2-2 in 26 outings and has bankrolled over $120,000 for trainer Jim Mulinix and owners Dm Stables LLC and Denny Miller.
Haulin Laser returned $35.20 to his backers while the trifecta paid $579.60.
Freddyscooter executed his customary late charge to prevail in the final steps of the $24,000 Open Pace also on Wednesday's card.
Driven by Trace Tetrick, the duo rallied hard over a sloppy rated track to capture their first victory of the 2012 season by a neck in a final time of 1:52.1.
Starting from post seven in the eight-horse field, Tetrick opted out of leaving as Willy Mucha and Ed Hensley powered to the front from post six. Best Man Hanover maintained his rail position with a pocket trip as the field reached the first quarter in :27.2.
Firstclassallthway and Josh Sutton were not content to sit at the back of the pack as they made their move to the front just past the half-mile marker in :56.4. Firstclassallthway cleared to the front and opened up on the field by three lengths heading into the last turn, reaching the three-quarter pole in 1:24.3.
Pete Wrenn and Sectionline Barack were the first to commit as they pulled first up going into the final turn, but to no avail. In deep stretch, Freddyscooter found late speed to tip around the tiring field and defeat the slight betting favourite with a final quarter in :27.2. Firstclassallthway finished second while Washington Hanover overcame a difficult trip from post eight to finish third.
Owned by Steven Brannan and Frederick Shiery of Ohio and Michigan, respectively, Freddyscooter made his fourth start on the year a winning one. He now has 31 career wins and is approaching $650,000 in career earnings. Brannan trains the Indiana-sired gelding and also raised him at his farm in Bryan, Ohio.
(With files from Hoosier Park)