Quest for the Governor’s Cup heads to Frankfort

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. (July 12, 2023) – The Clinton County Fair plays host to the eighth round of the Indiana fair circuit’s “Quest for the Governor’s Cup” Thursday, July 13 and Friday, July 14, with racing beginning at 6 p.m. each day. A total of 23 divisions will be contested at Frankfort over the two cards, with Thursday’s harness racing program featuring 10 races and 13 slated for Friday.

Fly Delta (Pilot Discretion), currently second in the freshman trotting filly division, highlights a pair of $3,800 splits that kick off Thursday’s card. Trained and driven by Doug Rideout, the filly has finished first or second in five of six seasonal starts. She is from the first crop of Pilot Discretion, and has drawn the rail in the second race on the program. Regardless of her placing, Fly Delta will become eligible for the Governor’s Cup Championship when she makes her seventh fair start of the season. Rideout will also send out three-time winner Woodside Hank (Swan For All-Silvia) in the second of three $3,800 divisions for freshman trotting colts. He also ranks second in his category, and will line up in post two in the day’s fourth race.

Attaboy Lloyd (Check Six) and Coaches Corner (Always A Virgin), the leading sophomore pacing colts on the Indiana fair circuit, will each become championship eligible Thursday when they compete at Frankfort. A winner in five of six attempts, Attaboy Lloyd currently leads the division in points. Trained by Scott Linville, he will start from post two in the day’s final event. Coaches Corner has set two new speed records this season on the fair circuit, and looks to add his sixth win in fair action Thursday. Byron Hooley trains the sophomore, guided by Derek Hooley from the second tier in the finale.

Linville sends out two of the leading freshman pacing fillies Friday evening with points leader Chocolate Espresso (Always A Virgin) headlining the first race and Classic Amy (Riggins), currently third in points, competing in Race 3. Don Cincebox will steer both fillies, drawing the second tier with Chocolate Espresso, and starting from post two with Classic Amy. Both fillies will be championship eligible after starting Friday.

A quartet of three-time winning freshman colt pacers will attempt to add to their totals Friday at Frankfort. Hereisthedesire (Real Desire), second in divisional points, will start from the rail in Race 7. He will be driven by Carson Conrad. They will square off against Notorious Luck (Luck Be Withyou), who will line up in post two. Trained by Kevin High, the two year old is fifth in points and will be guided by Clint Coy. The Linville-trained Check Six colt, Two Twenty, has drawn the second tier in the day’s fifth race. He ranks third in points after seven rounds. He’s Lost In Time (Lost In Time) also starts from off the gate in Race 6. Now fourth in points, he will be steered by Zyler Maxwell for trainer Pravi Maxwell.

The final two events Friday spotlight sophomore trotting colts, with three of the top four point earners set to battle in the day’s penultimate contest. Mr Knowitall (You Know You Did), the points leader, is assigned post six for Rideout, and will start from the second tier. Cantab Superstar (Mr Cantab) and Yankee Garland (Abc Garland), currently tied for third in the standings, have also drawn into Race 12. Gerald Miller will pilot Cantab Superstar from post three and Brad Ferguson steers Yankee Garland from post seven.

Rideout continues to lead the driver and trainer standings, with 25 victories in the bike and 23 as conditioner. Cincebox piloted five winners July 8 at Kendallville to move into second in the standings with 20 victories this season. James Yoder is third with 16 driving wins. Linville occupies the second spot in the trainer standings with 19 trips to the winner’s circle. Yoder is third after sending out 15 winners.

Listed below are the top eight point earners in each division, including ties, to date. Points are tabulated by the Indiana Horse Racing Commission. Horses earn a point for each start made on the fair circuit, with race winners awarded 50 points. A second-place finish merits 25 points, a third-place effort yields 12 points, eight points are awarded for fourth place and five points for fifth place. The top eight point earners in each division that have also made the prerequisite seven fair starts will compete in the $25,000 Governor’s Cup Championships to be held August 16 at the Indiana State Fair. All horses that have made seven or more starts are designated below with an asterisk.

Two-Year-Old Filly Pace

Chocolate Espresso 231; Rockinwithdave 204; Classic Amy 197; Shipps Revenge 186; Eq’s Lady Desire 167; Vel Quick Daisy 142; Northern Lucky Lei 128; Lickcreek Molly 115

Two-Year-Old Colt Pace

Chocluck Chip 230; Hereisthedesire 201; Two Twenty 198; He’s Lost In Time 192; Notorious Luck 179; Take Back America 163; Where’s Drogon 153; Mister Hercules 128

Two-Year-Old Filly Trot

Swan So Fine 218; Fly Delta 211; Black Gold 153; Misty Mills 128; Full Coverage 115; Betsy Crickets 106; Agent Of Fortune 103; Lady By A Nose 101

Two-Year-Old Colt Trot

Dashing Danny 306; Woodside Hank 159; Uncle Archie, Pilot Heir 154; Lynnly’s Lucky Al 137; Swanouttaseven 117; Dover In Action 116; Easter Jack 110

Three-Year-Old Filly Pace

Mystic Melissa 162; Shake Me Loose 154; Kruisin Kristen 138; Vel What A Dream 136; Here We Go BB 135; Fleeting Flivver* 128; Vel Straight Out 123; Incredible Luck 122

Three-Year-Old Colt Pace

Attaboy Lloyd 281; Coaches Corner 264; Always A Way 154; Checkerswthgrandpa 143; Lil Joe IV* 135; Brooklyns Carmine 130; Nimble Ned 121; Starlit Rockstar 78

Three-Year-Old Filly Trot

Sure Do 255; Sea Surfer 162; Jailhouse Garland* 161; Wanda’s Wonder 154; Tucky Girl 143;  Night Speed 121; Swartz Bros Donna 117; Bucks Princetonian* 94

Three-Year-Old Colt Trot

Mr Knowitall* 193; Prince Henry* 187; Cantab Superstar*, Jailhouse Yankee 172; Help Dust* 168; Woodside Genius 167; Asliveroffashion 138; Dover Glide, Closed Deal 106

Racing fans are encouraged to follow along and participate this season using #RaceLikeAHoosier on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

2023 Quest for the Governor’s Cup Locations and Dates

Complete – Round 1: Converse, Ind. – June 1 & 2

Complete – Round 2: Converse, Ind. – June 7 & 8

Complete – Round 3: Corydon, Ind. – June 15 & 16

Complete – Round 4: Harrah’s Hoosier Park, Anderson, Ind. – June 21, 22 & 23

Complete – Round 5: Shelbyville, Ind. – June 27 & 28

Complete – Round 6: Portland, Ind. – July 3

Complete – Round 7: Kendallville, Ind. – July 8

Round 8: Frankfort, Ind. – July 13 & 14

Round 9: Kentland, Ind. – July 18

Round 10: Goshen, Ind. – July 22 & 25

Round 11: Connersville, Ind. – July 31 & August 1

Round 12: Portland, Ind. – August 5

Round 13: Frankfort, Ind. – August 10 & 11

Governor’s Cup Championships: Indianapolis, Ind. – August 16

Horses earn a point for each start made on the fair circuit, with race winners awarded 50 points. A second-place finish merits 25 points, a third-place effort yields 12 points, eight points are awarded for fourth place and five points for fifth place. The top eight point earners in each division that have also made the prerequisite seven fair starts will compete in the $25,000 Governor’s Cup Championships.

Indiana fair races will be available via livestream this season through a partnership between the Indiana Standardbred Association and Indiana Standardbred Breed Development. Fans can watch fair racing by visiting the ISA website, indianaharness.com, on race days. Races will be archived on the website. Fans can also download fair programs throughout the season by visiting here.

For complete Thursday Frankfort entries, click here.

For complete Friday Frankfort entries, click here.

From the Indiana Chapter USHWA