ANDERSON, Ind.—Sept. 20, 2024 – Favorites delivered in the main harness racing events of Harrah’s Hoosier Park’s Caesars Trotting Classic card presented by Kountry Lane Standardbreds on Friday, Sept. 20. Winner’s Bet (Walner) steamrolled in stakes record equaling time of 1:50.3 in the seventh edition of the Trotting Classic, while Little Rocket Man (Rockin Image) emerged atop a thriller in the $165,000 Harrah’s Hoosier Park Pacing Derby.
Leaving from post six as the even-money favorite, Winner’s Bet and driver Dexter Dunn were forwardly placed early, pressing to the outside of Ponda Jet (driven by Kyle Wilfong) on the way to the first quarter in :27.
Winner’s 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 Winner’s Bet loose on the engine, opening up by five at three-quarters in 1:23.1 while Oh Well (Todd McCarthy) led the charge first-over into third.
Winner’s Bet strode home confidently, powering away by 5-1/2 midway through the lane in front of Oh Well who moved into the place spot. Geared down at the edge of the toteboard, Winner’s Bet coasted to the wire in 2-3/4 length’s 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 winning driver Dexter 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 on the season. With the victory, Winner’s Bet went over the $1 million mark for his career, banking $1,000,471 for owners Lindy Farms and Robert Rudolph.
WINNER’S BET REPLAY
“He’s really bounced back after some unfortunate circumstances in a few races this summer,” said Nancy 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 Dexter Dunn while the 1:50.3 clocking matched the stakes record established by It’s 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 $165,000 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 favorite 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 length on the line in 1:48.1. Bythemissal finished third, beaten only a half length after never seeing the pylons throughout the mile.
LITTLE ROCKET MAN
“I think I was more nervous in the lane than he (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 on the season, the 65-time career winner sports a career bankroll of $1,544,799.
The week of racing concludes at Harrah’s Hoosier Park on Saturday, Sept. 21 with a 12-race card set to get underway at 7:00 p.m.
For more information on the 2024 live racing season, guests are encouraged to visit www.harrahshoosierpark.com.
For complete race results, click here: US Trotting results.
by Jacob Rheinheimer, for Harrah’s Hoosier Park