Favourites delivered in the main events of Harrah’s Hoosier Park’s Caesars Trotting Classic card, presented by Kountry Lane Standardbreds, on Friday, Sept. 20. Winners Bet steamrolled in a stakes record-equalling time of 1:50.3 in the seventh edition of the $270,270 Trotting Classic, while Little Rocket Man emerged atop a thriller in the $222,973 Harrah’s Hoosier Park Pacing Derby.
Leaving from post six as the even-money favourite, Winners Bet and driver Dexter Dunn were forwardly placed early, pressing to the outside of Ponda Jet (Kyle Wilfong) on the way to the first quarter in :27. Winners Bet took command on the backstretch, rolling along on the front unchallenged to the half in :55.1. With pocket-sitter Ponda Jet beginning to gap slightly entering the final turn, Dunn turned Winners Bet loose on the engine, opening up by five lengths at three-quarters in 1:23.1 while Oh Well (Todd McCarthy) led the charge first-over into third.
Winners Bet strode home confidently, powering away by 5-1/2 lengths midway through the lane in front of Oh Well, who moved into the place spot. Geared down at the edge of the toteboard, Winners Bet coasted to the wire in 2-3/4 lengths clear in 1:50.3. Oh Well fended off his Marcus Melander stablemate, Periculum, for the place spot.
“He’s in great form right now,” said Dunn. “He does it so easy, once we got to the front and got a breather on the backstretch, I felt like I had an opportunity to get some separation on the turn and he felt great turning for home.”
Trained by Nancy Takter, the four-year-old son of Walner-Side Bet Hanover has won six of nine races on the season. With the victory, Winners Bet moved his career earnings to $1,287,358 owners Lindy Farms and Robert Rudolph.
“He’s really bounced back after some unfortunate circumstances in a few races this summer,” said Takter. “He was great through the Graduate and had some tough luck since, but has really shown how good of a horse he is the last couple of starts.”
Takter noted that while not yet certain, the Breeders Crown at The Meadowlands in October is likely the next stop for the Caesars Trotting Classic champion.
The win was one of four on the evening for driver Dunn while the 1:50.3 clocking matched the stakes record established by Its Academic in the 2023 edition of the Caesars Trotting Classic.
A race prior, Little Rocket Man rewarded his backers at the betting windows while also providing a thrill to the hometown fans as he won a mad scramble to the wire in the $222,973 Harrah’s Hoosier Park Pacing Derby.
With Dave Miller back in the bike for a second straight start, Little Rocket Man got away in good order fourth while Coach Stefanos (Trace Tetrick) diverted from his usual late-closing tactics to bring the field to the quarter in :26.2. Abuckabett Hanover (Dunn) took command briefly on the backstretch before Miller’s hand was forced, with a parked out Bythemissal (Yannick Gingras) flushing the favourite who went on to assume command at the half in :54.2. Little Rocket Man sped into the far turn, under pressure from Backstreet Shadow (Matt Kakaley), who moved three-wide around Bythemissal on the backstretch to apply pressure to the leader at three-quarters in 1:21.3.
Backstreet Shadow’s bid began to falter at the top of the lane, setting the scene for a three-horse battle in the stretch with Little Rocket Man between Abuckabett Hanover and Bythemissal. Little Rocket Man dug in gamely in deep stretch, fending off Abuckabett Hanover by a quarter of a length on the line in 1:48.1. Bythemissal finished third, beaten only a half length after never seeing the pylons throughout the mile.
“I think I was more nervous in the lane than [Little Rocket Man] was,” Miller joked in the winner’s circle. “The fractions really weren’t too bad on the front. He felt good all the way through the lane; he knows where the wire is.”
Ken Rucker trains the eight-year-old son of Rockin Image-GT Miss Royal for owners Russ Beeman and Boomer Freeman. Little Rocket Man earned his third stakes victory of the season, with wins already in the Battle of Lake Erie and Jim Ewart Memorial. A winner in 11 of 14 races on the season, the 65-time career winner sports a career bankroll of $1,703,444.
The $135,135 Madison County Trot for freshman colts and geldings was won by Operator ($25.40) in 1:54.3 by a neck. The You Know You Do-Crazyasclassic gelding was driven by Kyle Wilfong for trainer Jay Hochstetler and owners Connie Hochstetler, Homer Hochstetler, Robert Buddig and Allen Schwartz.
Avanti ($6.40) was driven to a quarter-length victory in 1:51.1 in the $135,135 Elevation for freshman male pacers by John De Long for trainer Melissa Essig and owners Rocco Ruffalo and Fac Racing LLC.
Sammy Jo Hanover ($12.60) and Tim Tetrick scored a mild upset in the $250,000 Kentuckiana Stallion Management Pace for two-year-old fillies, winning by 2-1/2 lengths in 1:51.2. Scott Di Domenico trains the Captaintreacherous-Sammys Magic Girl filly for Oompa's Farm Inc. and Joseph Barbera.
The second Kentuckiana Stallion Management Pace for freshman fillies, worth $300,000, was won in a dead heat by Voguish (Todd McCarthy) and Kendra (Dexter Dunn). Andrew Harris co-owns and trains Voguish (Gimpanzee-Jolene Jolene) for William Pollock and Bruce Areman. Kendra (Walner-Danish Girl) is owned by Black Horse Racing and Eric Good. The fillies hit the wire together in 1:54.3.
French Kronos ($4.20) and Dexter Dunn won the $135,135 Phil Langley Memorial Trot for sophomore colts and geldings in 1:53 for trainer Marcus Melander and owners Heights Stable, Mantorp LLC, Rtl Racing Inc., and Holly Lane Stud East LTD.
The $155,405 Jennas Beach Boy for sophomore colt and gelding pacers was won by Sabonis ($2.40) and Joey Putnam in 1:50.1. Aaron Stutzman trains the Tellitlikeitis-Gypsy Bellevue horse for Pat Miller.
The week of racing concludes at Harrah’s Hoosier Park on Saturday, Sept. 21 with a 12-race card set to get underway at 7 p.m.
(With files from Hoosier Park)