The stage is set for one of Harrah's Hoosier Park's signature nights on Friday, Sept. 25, with more than $1.35 million USD in purses on the line. The card is headlined by the $200,000 USD Grade 2 Caesars Trotting Classic, presented by Kountry Lane Standardbreds, in which North America's fastest trotter ever, On To Norway, will look to hold serve on his home track.
The 15-race card gets underway at 5:30 p.m., with eight of North America's best free-for-all trotters set to line up in the 12th-race feature. On To Norway has been established as the 2-1 morning-line choice from post three with John De Long slated to drive for trainer Ron Burke.
After a rare defeat in a runner-up effort at Scioto Downs in the Charlie Hill Memorial on Sept. 12, On To Norway returns home to the Hoosier State, where he has won each of his last 29 starts. He took 28 of those victories at Hoosier Park, with the additional win coming last August at the Indiana State Fairgrounds. After winning his final 23 starts in Indiana at age three, the gelded son of Muscle Massive-One Class Act has taken the national scene by storm at age four. He grabbed headlines with his 1:48.3 world-record victory in the $328,571 Grade 2 Graduate Series final at The Meadowlands before coming right back with a win in the $598,592 Grade 1 Hambletonian Maturity at the 1-1/8-mile distance over Super Chapter. Owned by Burke Racing Stable LLC, Frank Baldachino, Michael Rosenthal and Black and White Stable, On To Norway enters the Caesars Trotting Classic with $1,602,596 in career earnings and a record of 44-36-6-0.
On To Norway is one of three from the Burke Brigade, joined by Antognoni S (PP4, Yannick Gingras, 9-2) and co-defending champion Lexus Kody (PP7, Ronnie Wrenn Jr., 6-1), who each enter out of the $1.38 million Yonkers International Trot.
Leaving next to On To Norway from post two is last year's Breeders Crown champion, French Wine. Last year's U.S. Driver of the Year, Jason Bartlett, will pilot the six-year-old intact son of Bar Hopping-Creamy Mimi for trainer Nancy Takter and owners Daniel and Jean-Christophe Plouffe of Bromont, Que. and One Legend Stable Inc. of Laval Que. The career earner of $2,056,132 enters off a runner-up effort to the sport's top ranked horse, Super Chapter, in the $620,000 Grade 1 Maple Leaf Trot at Woodbine Mohawk Park. French Wine, sporting a 54-17-12-13 record, has been tabbed as the 5-1 third choice on the morning line.
The 2026 Caesars Trotting Classic field, in post-position order with trainers and listed drivers, is below.
$200,000 USD Caesars Trotting Classic (G2)
Post - Horse - Listed Driver - Trainer - Morning Line
1. Ponda Jet - Kyle Wilfong - Jay Hochstetler - 15-1
2. French Wine - Jason Bartlett - Nancy Takter - 5-1
3. On To Norway - John De Long - Ron Burke - 2-1
4. Antognoni S - Yannick Gingras - Ron Burke - 9-2
5. R Dutchess - Tim Tetrick - John Butenschoen - 6-1
6. Aetos Kronos S - Dexter Dunn - Marcus Melander - 6-1
7. Lexus Kody - Ronnie Wrenn Jr. - Ron Burke - 6-1
8. Gimpanzee Dancer - David Miller - Chris Beaver - 15-1
The next race on the card will be the $175,000 USD Grade 2 Hoosier Park Pacing Derby, with a field of 10 millionaire free-for-all pacers. Included in the field is the 2026 Dan Patch Stakes champion, Dandy Ideal (PP1, Jason Bartlett, 4-1), last year's Hoosier Park Pacing Derby winner Maximus Miki (PP3, Scott Zeron, 20-1), Jim Ewart Memorial champion Ken Hanover (PP4, Tim Tetrick, 5-2) and triple millionaire Bythemissal (PP10, Chris Page, 6-1).
The 2026 Hoosier Park Pacing Derby field, in post-position order with trainers and listed drivers, is below.
$175,000 USD Hoosier Park Pacing Derby (G2)
Post - Horse - Listed Driver - Trainer - Morning Line
1. Dandy Ideal - Jason Bartlett - Hunter Oakes - 4-1
2. Swingtown - Yannick Gingras - Ron Burke - 10-1
3. Maximus Miki - Scott Zeron - Tom Cancelliere - 20-1
4. Ken Hanover - Tim Tetrick - Roland Mallar - 5-2
5. Clever Cody - Luke Ebersole - Francois Lecomte - 10-1
6. Fallout - Ronnie Wrenn Jr. - Ron Burke - 8-1
7. Coach Stefanos - Marcus Miller - Erv Miller - 12-1
8. Women Layer - David Miller - Virgil Morgan Jr. - 7-1
9. Huntinthelastdolar - Dexter Dunn - Petter Engblom - 9-1
10. Bythemissal - Chris Page - Ron Burke - 6-1
AE1. Harrisburg Heist - Yannick Gingras - Ron Burke
AE2. Muskateer Hanover - Tim Tetrick - Wayne Oke
In total, eight graded stakes races will be contested on the Friday program. With stakes action throughout, the wagering action will also be hot and heavy from the jump, with $90,000 in guaranteed wagers offered in partnership with the USTA's Strategic Wagering Program. The featured bets include the guaranteed Early Pick 5 ($10,000, Races 1-5), Early Pick 4 ($10,000, Races 2-5), Mid-Card Pick 4 ($15,000, Races 6-9), Late Pick 5 ($10,000, Races 8-12), Late Pick 4 ($30,000, Races 12-15) and Late High 5 ($15,000, Race 15). Free online programs are available on the Hoosier Park website for the Caesars Trotting Classic card.
For those attending in-person, there will be plenty to do on the track apron with promotions and family-fun entertainment. From 6-10 p.m., guests may enjoy live music, food trucks, bounce houses, inflatable games and the Vendor Market located in The Yard, as well as free yard games available in the Hoosier Outdoor Patio.
Additionally, guests 18 years of age and older are encouraged to get involved in the free-to-enter door prize drawings located near the winner's circle, beginning at 5:30 p.m. Prizes include a Nintendo Switch, MacBook Air, Weber Smoke and Ooni Pizza Oven. Guests will have until the start of the sixth race to enter, with prizes being drawn after each of races seven through 10.
Guests may also enter the $20,000 Friday Night Fling on the track apron beginning at 5:30 p.m. Guests will receive their duck at the registration table to toss into the ISA vehicle on track after the sixth race. Each duck thrown into the vehicle on Fridays will count as an entry into the $20,000 cash drawing on Hoosier Champions night on Friday, Oct. 9.
(Hoosier Park)