On an action-packed stakes night, Peter Wrenn was the driving star, winning half of the 14 races contested at Hoosier Park Racing & Casino on Saturday, May 31.
Driving in each and every race, the veteran reinsman found the winner’s circle in three of the first four races and two of the four divisions of the $20,000 Indiana Sires Stakes for three-year-old pacing colts and geldings.
Wrenn teamed up with trainer Joe Cirasuola to capture the early double with JDs Caleb Man, who rallied from off the pace in 1:52.1, and then used the same off-the-pace tactics in the next race with Its A Go scoring in a lifetime-best of 1:52.2.
Charlie Stewart’s Bazinga benefitted from a second over trip to score his sixth win of the season and third win of the night for Wrenn in 1:52. Unhurried off the gate, Bazinga settled along the rail in fourth before being asked to move down the backside. Using a :28 final panel, Bazinga cruised home to finish two lengths in front of the front-stepping Radar Warning and Mike Micallef.
It wasn’t until the second division of the Indiana Sires Stakes action for three-year-old pacing colts that Peter Wrenn found the winner’s circle once more as Next Thing Smoken used a sharp, front running effort to score in 1:51.4. The win was the first of the season for the son of Sand Shooter-Are Those Real and a lifetime-best effort. Trained, owned and bred by Roger Cullipher, Next Thing Smoken will be aimed at the $75,000 Indiana Sires Stakes final for three-year-old pacing colts slated for June 7 at Hoosier Park.
Win number five for Wrenn came in the $18,000 Four-Year-Old Open Pace with the Indiana Sires Stakes champion Night Pro. Opting for a trip off the pace in the field of seven, Night Pro was uninvolved in the early stages before unleashing a :26.1 final panel to score in 1:51. The win was the fifth from seven seasonal outings for the son of Pro Bono Best-Midnight Jewel, who is trained and owned by Dale Decker.
In the fourth and final division of $20,000 Indiana Sires Stakes action, it was Mister Truth in a 1:52.3 gate-to-wire effort to give Wrenn his sixth of the evening. The win was the third consecutive and first in a stakes event for the son of Total Truth-Miss AJ Ponda, who is trained by Ernie Gaskin.
Wrenn capped his seven-win night with the heavily favoured Lucky Jet. Using a well-timed rally late in the lane, Lucky Jet was able to wear down Audreys Dream to stop the clock in 1:51.1.
“It was a great night,” Wrenn noted after his final victory of the evening. “I had some really live horses and the trips worked out in my favour. It’s always nice to have nights like this every once in a while.”
As Hoosier Park Racing & Casino’s three-time leading driver, Wrenn is closing in on 10,000 career wins and more than $65 million in purse earnings in the bike. Along with the driving titles from all over the country, he has also posted four consecutive seasons with his purse earnings surpassing the $3 million mark. Wrenn is currently third on the leading driver standings at Hoosier Park Racing & Casino while Tyler Smith leads all drivers with 85 victories.
Live racing at Hoosier Park Racing & Casino will continue on Tuesday, June 3 with a daily post time of 5:15 p.m.
(Hoosier Park)