Eleven of the sport’s top older pacers are set to do battle at Harrah’s Hoosier Park in the Grade 2 $300,000 USD Dan Patch Stakes presented by Indiana Standardbred Development. The 32nd edition of Hoosier Park’s signature event will serve as the 13th race on the 15-race program on Friday, Aug. 8, which gets underway at 5:30 p.m.
Hometown hero Little Rocket Man will leave from post two in search of his first Dan Patch title in his fourth attempt. Trained by Ken Rucker, the nine-year-old has seemingly been aging in reverse, having won eight of 10 starts this year, and he rides a four-race win streak into the Dan Patch. Little Rocket Man missed the Dan Patch in 2024 in what would still prove to be a banner year for the son of Rockin Image-GT Miss Royal, with wins in the Battle of Lake Erie, Jim Ewart Memorial and Hoosier Park Pacing Derby. Regular pilot Mike Oosting is slated to be in the bike behind Little Rocket Man for owners Russell Beeman and Jack Freeman.
Little Rocket Man will be joined by 2024 Breeders Crown champion Coach Stefanos and 2025 Graduate Series winner Sabonis in attempting to become just the third Indiana-sired horse to win the Dan Patch Stakes. Wiggle It Jiggleit in 2016 and Ponda Warrior in 2023 were the first two to do so. Coach Stefanos, a son of Tellitlikeitis-Watch N Be Watched, is back in the Dan Patch after finishing in a dead heat for second behind Dunkin in the 2024 edition. The five-year-old is two-for-eight this year for owners Ken Duffy, D&M Trading II LLC and John Stefanos. Marcus Miller is listed to drive the career earner of $1.5 million for trainer Erv Miller from post six.
Sabonis returns to Hoosier Park for the first time in 2025 after he ransacked Indiana Sire Stakes a year ago. He won 16 of 18 starts in that three-year-old campaign, including victories in the Jennas Beach Boy, Hoosier Cup and seven legs of Indiana Sire Stakes. At age four, Sabonis is thriving in the barn of trainer Brett Pelling for owners Diamond Creek Racing and Pelling Racing. The son of Tellitlikeitis-Gypsy Bellevue has one victory in seven tries this season but has hit the board five other times, including third-place efforts in both the William R. Haughton and Sam McKee Memorials at The Meadowlands.
The all-star lineup also features Captain Luke, fresh off a score in the McKee Memorial on Hambletonian day, to go along with Buckeye double millionaires Bythemissal and Charlie May. Also in the field are Seven Colors, Desperate Man, I Did It Myway, Rocknroll Runa A and Huntinthelastdolar. In all, the 2025 Dan Patch field has combined earnings of more than $17.7 million.
The field, in post position order with named drivers and trainers, is below.
$300,000 USD Dan Patch Stakes (Grade 2)
Post - Horse - Driver - Trainer
1. Seven Colors - Tim Tetrick - Andrew Harris
2. Little Rocket Man - Mike Oosting - Ken Rucker
3. Desperate Man - Matt Kakaley - Travis Alexander
4. I Did It Myway - Tim Tetrick - Travis Alexander
5. Rocknroll Runa A - Larry Stalbaum - Larry Stalbaum
6. Coach Stefanos - Marcus Miller - Erv Miller
7. Captain Luke - Todd McCarthy - Andrew Harris
8. Bythemissal - Chris Page - Ron Burke
9. Charlie May - Brett Miller - Terry Di Cicco
10. Sabonis - Dexter Dunn - Brett Pelling
11. Huntinthelastdolar - Andrew McCarthy - Per Engblom
AE. Ervin Hanover - Tim Tetrick - Dave Menary
Final driver selections will be made on Wednesday, Aug. 6.
Bettors will have plenty of action to take aim at over the course of the Dan Patch card with a quartet of guaranteed pools. There will be $10,000 guarantees in the Early Pick 5 (Races 1-5), Early Pick 4 (Races 3-6) and Late Hoosier High 5 (Race 15) to go along with a $30,000 guarantee in the Late Pick 4 (Races 12-15). With the 11-horse field in the Dan Patch Stakes, there will also be an additional High-5 wager tacked on to the race to bring a total of five 12 per cent takeout wagers on the evening. Free online programs for the Dan Patch card will be posted on the Hoosier Park website on Wednesday afternoon.
On track, race fans can win big with their Dan Patch selections with the $10,000 Dan Patch Pick 'Em promo. Beginning at 4:30 p.m., guests may make their selection for the Dan Patch on a trackside promotional kiosk before depositing their selection in the drum located at Trackside Promotions and Events. Immediately following the Dan Patch Stakes, one lucky winner will be drawn from those who selected to winner and go home with $10,000 USD.
Hoosier Park will also have a Dan Patch hat giveaway, beginning at 5 p.m. at Trackside Promotions and Events. The first 150 guests to provide their Caesars Rewards card and proof of a $5 on-track wager at Hoosier Park will go home with Dan Patch hats.
For those who can’t attend in person, the Dan Patch Stakes card will air live on Fox Sports from 8-11 p.m. on Friday night. Gabe Prewitt and Jessica Otten will be on track to provide commentary, going back and forth with Horseshoe Indianapolis from 8-9:30 p.m. on Fox Sports 2 before shifting to Fox Sports 1 from 9:30-11 p.m.
The on-track simulcast will be handled by Hoosier Park analysts Jacob Rheinheimer and Emily Gaskin in the Dan Patch Studio, with U.S. Hall of Fame broadcaster Bob ‘Hollywood’ Heyden providing paddock and winner’s circle interviews.
The Dan Patch Stakes has become a tradition that is close to the hearts of Hoosiers. It not only highlights some of the best athletes in the sport of harness racing, but is deeply rooted throughout Indiana history. The Dan Patch Stakes was established at Hoosier Park in 1994 with Ready To Rumble and driver Trevor Ritchie winning the inaugural edition 31 years ago. The list of all-star horses that have made their way to Hoosier Park over the years includes Jennas Beach Boy, Sweet Lou and world record-holder Bulldog Hanover.
(With files from Hoosier Park)