Haughton, Doherty Memorial fields drawn

ANDERSON, Ind.—Sept. 10, 2024— Harrah’s Hoosier Park will play host to two of the premier harness racing stakes in North America for two-year-old trotters for the second straight year with the Peter Haughton and Jim Doherty Memorials on Friday, Sept. 13. Two full fields of 10 will go postward in each race, with a number of local competitors looking to protect the home-track advantage.

The $390,000 Peter Haughton Memorial for two-year-old trotting colts serves as the 10th race on the evening, headlined by the only once beaten Eugune The Genius (Helpisontheway-Muscle Baby Doll) from the Missy Essig barn. The Indiana Bred gelding enters off of a career best effort in his last outing, a 5-1/4 length romp in 1:54 to take leg five of Indiana Sire Stakes.

Leaving from post six with regular pilot Mike Oosting listed to drive, Euguene The Genius has won six of seven in his rookie campaign while banking $155,625 for owners Russ Beeman and Charles Weaver.

Eugene The Genius will hook up with Maryland who heads to Indiana fresh off a 17-1 romp in the $425,500 William Wellwood at Woodbine Mohawk Park in his last outing on Aug. 24. The two-time winning son of Chapter Seven-Crucial leaves from post eight for the red-hot Marcus Melander Barn with Dexter Dunn listed to drive the earner of $230,378.

The 10 hopefuls look to follow in the footsteps of T C I who won the 2023 Peter Haughton Memorial in the first year it was held at Harrah’s Hoosier Park. T C I took the 2023 edition in front-end fashion in 1:54.2 in a campaign which saw him bank over $1.2 million and take O’Brien Award honors.

The 2024 Peter Haughton Memorial field, in post-position order with trainer and listed driver below:

1. Tarzan (You Know You Do)                        Trainer: Erv Miller                  Driver: Mike Oosting
2. Bombay Tom (Bar Hopping)             Trainer: Norm Parker              Driver: Ronnie Wrenn Jr.
3. Mr Instigator (Pastor Stephen)              Trainer: Roger Welch             Driver: John De Long
4. High Speed Swan (Swan For All)      Trainer: Erv Miller                  Driver: Mike Oosting
5. Father TJ (Father Patrick)                    Trainer: Jeff Cullipher            Driver: Tyler Buter
6. Eugene The Genius (Helpisontheway)    Trainer: Missy Essig               Driver: Mike Oosting
7. Hidalgo (Muscle Hill)                      Trainer: Ron Burke                 Driver: Yannick Gingras
8. Maryland (Chapter Seven)                    Trainer: Marcus Melander      Driver: Dexter Dunn
9. Bellsforall (Swan For All)                   Trainer: Robert Taylor            Driver: Robert Taylor
10. Civilian Drone (Chapter Seven)           Trainer: Nancy Takter             Driver: Yannick Gingras

In the $305,000 Jim Doherty Memorial for trotting fillies, Ponda Fashion (Crescent Fashion-Ponda’s Lucky Lady) gives trainer Jay Hochstetler the opportunity to do one better than last year’s runner-up finish with Ponda Title to eventual Dan Patch Award winner, Soiree Hanover. A winner in her last outing, Ponda Fashion was victorious in leg five of Indiana Sire Stakes in a lifetime best of 1:55.1, getting by the heavily favored Miracle Maven to do so. Ponda Fashion has won half of her six outings on the year, each with driver Kyle Wilfong in the bike. She is a half-sister to Harrah’s Hoosier Park track record holder and fellow Hochstetler stable star, Ponda Jet. Ponda Fashion will leave from post three Friday night.

The Hoosier standout will have a pair of Sire Stakes champions from the northeast to deal with if she wants to get to the winner’s circle. New Jersey Sire Stakes champion, Champagne Problems, leaves from post seven from the Nancy Takter barn. A winner in three of six as well, the daughter of Tactical Landing-Miss Caviar has banked $175,004 on the year and enters the Doherty off of a fourth place finish in the $288,600 Peaceful Way Final at Mohawk.

New York Sire Stakes champion Royal Mission will have to overcome the far outside post nine on Friday. Trainer Marcus Melander sends the daughter of Chapter Seven-Swinging Royalty to Hoosier Park six days after claiming the $225,000 NYSS Final at Yonkers in the rain in 1:58.2. Already with a quarter-million dollars made, Royal Mission has won three times and hit the board in six of seven to begin her young career. Melander trainees will bookend the gate, with Goodgirl Bi IT leaving from the rail.

The Jim Doherty will serve as the 12^th race on the card.

The 2024 Jim Doherty field, in post-position order with trainer and listed driver below:

1. Goodgirl Bi IT (Greenshoe)           Trainer: Marcus Melander      Driver: Mattias Melander
2. Woodside Izz (Dover Dan)             Trainer: Susan Miller              Driver: LeWayne Miller
3. Ponda Fashion (Crescent Fashion)            Trainer: Jay Hochstetler         Driver: Kyle Wilfong
4. Pink Chou Chou (Chapter Seven)        Trainer: Nancy Takter             Driver: Todd McCarthy
5. Naughty Naughty (Swan For All)      Trainer: Jeff Edwards             Driver: Tim Tetrick
6. Sweetasmoni (Dover Dan)              Trainer: Ken Rucker               Driver: Kyle Wilfong
7. Champagne Problems (Tactical Landing) Trainer: Nancy Takter             Driver: Dexter Dunn
8. Delaney Hanover (Muscle Hill)        Trainer: Lucas Wallin             Driver: Todd McCarthy
9. Royal Mission (Chapter Seven)            Trainer: Marcus Melander      Driver: Scott Zeron
10. Swanfinerose (Swan For All)             Trainer: Erv Miller                  Driver: Trace Tetrick

Final driver selections/changes for the Friday card will be made Wednesday afternoon (Sept. 11).

With purses Friday night totaling $1.275 million on the 14-race card, the two trotting stakes will be joined by nine divisions of Indiana Sire Stakes on the night along with the $75,000 Hoosier Cup Final which will see 2024 Milstein Memorial winner, Sabonis, go for his 11^th consecutive victory of the season from the rail. First post on the Friday night card is 6:15 p.m.

For complete race entries, click here: US Trotting entries.

From Harrah’s Hoosier Park