Drink Up Drink Up, after a sixth-place finish last out, found another gear late to return to winning ways in the $30,137 Open Handicap Trot at Hoosier Park on Saturday, May 9.
Drink Up Drink Up found the rail in third early as Ponda Jet (Kyle Wilfong) beat out Cs Flying Co Pilot (Marcus Miller) to lead the field at the first quarter in :26.2. The field went single file through the halfway mark in :55.3, and there was little action to three-quarters in 1:25.1. Finite (Trace Tetrick) shifted out from fifth on the final turn, flushing out Drink Up Drink Up. Down the lane, Drink Up Drink Up glided past pocket-sitter Cs Flying Co Pilot, leaving only Ponda Jet in the way of a winner’s circle visit, and Drink Up Drink Up chugged along the outside to beat the favourite by three-quarters of a length in 1:53.1. Famous Father (Rick Plano) got up for third.
Drink Up Drink Up, a six-year-old son of Trixton-Homefortheholidays, is owned by Adam Friedland and Brian Carsey. The Walter Haynes Jr. trainee added his fifth win of the season in nine starts to increase his career earnings to $560,991. He is now 24-for-88 lifetime. The win price was $11.60.
Tarshish completed a top-level Open sweep for Haynes as she cruised to a 3-3/4-length win in the $30,137 Fillies and Mares Open 1-2 Handicap Pace.
Tarshish left quickly from post five and settled in second as Goo Goo Won (Kyle Wilfong) pushed to the lead in a :26.2 opening panel. Goo Goo Won cut a :55 half before favourite Angel Hill (Trace Tetrick) shifted out of seventh and gained ground uncovered on the outside, prompting Marcus Miller to pull Tarshish out of the pocket. Tarshish eclipsed Goo Goo Won at three-quarters in 1:23.2 and did not look back down the stretch, stopping the timer in 1:50.3. Goo Goo Won was well clear in second with Wild Rosa (Travis Seekman) third.
The four-year-old Tarshish recorded her first win of the season in seven tries for owner Joanne Samples. The daughter of Luck Be Withyou-The Partys Rockin boosted her lifetime earnings to $531,284 with her 12th career victory in 31 outings. She paid $7.80 to win.
Live racing at Hoosier returns on Wednesday with a 14-race card featuring a $15,000 guaranteed Late Pick 4 (Races 11-14) and the $10,000 guaranteed Late Hoosier High 5 (Race 14). Those wagers are offered in partnership with the USTA’s Strategic Wagering Program. First post is 5:30 p.m.
(With files from Hoosier Park)