Anderson, IN --- A field of nine will be sent postward on Saturday, June 2, in the $200,000 Dan Patch Invitational for older pacers at Hoosier Park Racing & Casino.
In what may be the most competitive field ever assembled, the 19th installment of Hoosier Park’s featured event will highlight the night’s race program that begins at 5:30 p.m.
The race will be part of a special evening tagged as “Thrillyard 200”.
The evening will also be complimented by three divisions of the Indiana Gold Sire Stakes for 3-year-old pacing colts and fillies with over $430,000 in purse money distributed throughout the evening’s 14-race card.
Headlining the list of entrants is the top rated older pacer Golden Receiver, who has drawn post five. With wins in the Graduate, Spring Pacing Championship and Presidential finals this season, Dave Palone is enlisted to drive the 7-year-old son of Village Jove.
Golden Receiver debuted at No. 1 in the first Hambletonian Society/Breeders Crown Top 10 poll for 2012 and remained on top for the second week in a row. Trained by Mark Harder, the veteran pacer has bankrolled over $340,000 this season and over a $1 million is his illustrious race career.
The 2012 Dan Patch field, in post-position order with named driver and trainer includes:
PP-Horse-Driver-Trainer
1. OK Commander- Greg McNair - Pete Wrenn,
2. Drop Red - Robert Horowitz - Ed Hensley
3. Freddyscooter - Steve Brannan - Trace Tetrick
4. Ideal Choice - Brooke Nickells - Pete Wrenn
5. Golden Receiver - Mark Harder- Dave Palone
6. Nob Hill High - Bruce Saunders - Aaron Merriman
7. Special T Rocks - Daryl Bier - Daryl Bier
8. Atochia - Ron Burke - Ricky Macomber Jr.
9. Rockincam - Nifty Norman - Pete Wrenn
Joining Golden Receiver as a main contender for the 2012 Dan Patch title is Nifty Norman’s Rockincam. The 5-year-old Cambest horse has won three of five outings this year and ended Golden Receiver’s five race win streak in the Graduate elimination, pacing in a lifetime best effort of 1:48.1. Rockincam heads to Indiana after pacing under the 1:50 mark in all three of his last performances.
Ideal Choice and Freddyscooter will play the role of local favorites in the field of nine. Ideal Choice, who ships to Indiana after posting back-to-back wins in the Open ranks at Woodbine, is trained by Brooke Nickells, a resident of Anderson, IN. Freddyscooter has numerous Hoosier Park Open titles to his credit and is trained by Steve Brannan, who also trains a stable of 10 horses on Hoosier Park’s backside.
Estimated post time for Hoosier Park’s signature Standardbred event is set for 9:10 p.m. It will be carded as the 12th race on the 14-race program. Wrenn, Hoosier Park’s three time leading driver, has been listed on three horses for the race.
The 16th annual Gregg Haston Memorial will also be conducted on the evening’s card and is slated as the eleventh race. The race is held each year on Dan Patch Night to honor Haston, who was Hoosier Park’s inaugural leading driver and trainer. Haston was tragically killed in an automobile accident in 1996.
Racing fans will have the opportunity, once again, to participate in a special wager offered for the Dan Patch Invitational.
A $25,000 guaranteed Superfecta pool will be available as part of the Strategic Wagering Program. The wager will have a minimum bet of 10 cents, and is available through the cooperative efforts of the United States Trotting Association, Hoosier Park, and the Indiana Standardbred Association.