Hoponit and driver Peter Wrenn surprised a field of nine in the featured $24,000 Fillies & Mares Open Pace at Hoosier Park Friday, June 17
. The duo closed in quickly late in the race to win by three-quarters of a length in a time of 1:52.4, a new lifetime mark.
Wrenn had Hoponit in a slow gear at the start of the race, getting away in mid pack as race favourite Go On BB and Ricky Macomber rallied to the lead. Fractions of :27, :56 and 1:24.3 were placed on the board before Hoponit came up to Go On BB’s wheel and posed a threat for the front.
In the stretch, Hoponit kept digging in gamely and eventually took control of the race, only to find another fight brewing as last week’s winners, Sugar Nips and Mark Evers, inched closer to the leaders. In the end, Hoponit was able to hold off all challengers for the win over Sugar Nips. Ultimate Velocity and Trent Stohler used their usual late rush to move into third.
Owned by Don and Rosie Eash’s Eash Racing Stable of Greenfield, Indiana, Hoponit moved over the $200,000 mark in career earnings. The four-year-old daughter of Kingsbridge now has 13 career wins and three for the year under the conditioning of Don. Hoponit paid $31.00 to win.
Wrenn continues to have a strong hold atop the leader board for the third straight year at Hoosier Park. The two-time leading driver champ has 99 wins through the first 58 nights of racing in 2011. Trace Tetrick currently rests in second with 86 wins followed by Sam Widger in third with 79.
Charlie Stewart has led the trainer standings from the first part of the season. The Anderson, Indiana native currently has 33 wins over Ryan Bellamy, who has 24 wins. If Stewart continues on the path to the leading trainer title, he will become the youngest trainer at the age of 24 to ever win a training title at Hoosier Park for any breed.
(Hoosier Park)