Anderson, IN — The fields were drawn Tuesday (Sept. 16) for two of Harrah’s Hoosier Park’s signature events — the $179,500 Harrah’s Hoosier Park Pacing Derby and the $200,000 Caesars Trotting Classic presented by Kountry Lane Standardbreds — which will take place Friday (Sept. 19). Two full fields of 10 will go postward, with the red-hot Lexus Kody headlining Friday night’s trotting feature.
Fresh off his Canadian record 1:49.1 victory in the $459,000 Maple Leaf Trot at Woodbine Mohawk Park and wire-to-wire victory in the $1 million MGM Yonkers International Trot, Lexus Kody makes his return to Hoosier Park as North America’s second-leading money earner on the year. A winner in seven of his 16 starts this year, the Ron Burke trainee has racked up $879,472 in seasonal earnings for owners Burke Racing, Weaver Bruscemi and Phillip Collura. The 7-year-old gelded son of Archangel-Lexus Helios is a career earner of $1.4 million and will leave the Caesars Trotting Classic from post seven with regular pilot Yannick Gingras slated to drive.
Lexus Kody will be joined by 2025 Cutler and Cashman champion Periculum, who exits the International Trot after a traffic-troubled seventh-place effort. The Marcus Melander trainee will leave from post three and has put up a record of 7-3-3-0 in 2025, good for earnings of $466,458. Brixton Medical and Holly Lane Stead East own the 6-year-old Muscle Hill-Heiress stallion, who has earned $1.7 million in his career and has Scott Zeron listed to drive on Friday.
Indiana-bred Ponda Jet headlines a strong Hoosier trio, having won three in a row against Hoosier Park Open company entering the Caesars Trotting Classic. Jay Hochstetler trains the 5-year-old gelded son of Dover Dan-Ponda’s Lucky Lady, who has hit the board in all 18 of his starts this year and won 11 of them against Open company. Ponda Jet leaves from post six and is joined in the field by Indiana-breds Flagman and Helpfirstedition.
The 2025 Caesars Trotting Classic presented by Kountry Lane Standardbreds is carded as race 13. The field, in post-position order with listed drivers and trainers, is below:
- Chapercraz (Ronnie Wrenn Jr./Ron Burke)
- Flagman (Rick Plano/Rick Plano)
- Periculum (Scott Zeron/Marcus Melander)
- Hillexotic (Austin Hanners/Todd Luther)
- Helpfirstedition (Dexter Dunn/Missy Essig)
- Ponda Jet (Kyle Wilfong/Jay Hochstetler)
- Lexus Kody (Yannick Gingras/Ron Burke)
- Highland Kismet (Tim Tetrick/Nancy Takter)
- Oh Well (Dexter Dunn/Marcus Melander)
- French Wine (Dexter Dunn/Julie Miller)
The $179,500 Harrah’s Hoosier Park Pacing Derby will go as race 11, and defending champion Little Rocket Man will leave from post four seeking to defend his title. Mike Oosting will have the call on the career earner of $1.84 million who has won nine of 14 starts in his 9-year-old campaign for trainer Ken Rucker.
The hometown hero will have his hands full with $2.5 million earner Bythemissal, 2025 Brower and McKee champion Ken Hanover, and 2025 Canadian Pacing Derby champion Maximus Miki.
The field, in post-position order with listed drivers and trainers, is below:
- Bythemissal (Yannick Gingras/Ron Burke)
- Ken Hanover (David Miller/Roland Mallar)
- Rocknroll Runa A (Larry Stalbaum/Larry Stalbaum)
- Little Rocket Man (Mike Oosting/Ken Rucker)
- Captain Luke (Jason Bartlett/Andrew Harris)
- Coach Stefanos (Marcus Miller/Erv Miller)
- Ruthless Hanover (Andy McCarthy/Tom Cancelliere)
- Maximus Miki (Scott Zeron/Tom Cancelliere)
- Muskateer Hanover (Tony Hall/Wayne Oke)
- Buzzsaw Russ (Dexter Dunn/Missy Essig)
Final driver selections and changes for the Friday card will be made Wednesday afternoon (Sept. 17).
The 15-race Caesars Trotting Classic card gets underway with a first post time of 5:30 p.m. The card will also air live on Fox Sports 2 from 8-9 p.m. before switching to Fox Sports 1 from 9-11 p.m. with hosts Gabe Prewitt and Jessica Otten live on site.
Those on track can participate in the $10,000 Caesars Trotting Classic Pick ‘Em promotion, where one lucky guest will go home with $10,000 in cash if they correctly select the winner of the Caesars Trotting Classic. The promotion begins at 4:30 p.m., with the drawing taking place immediately following the Caesars Trotting Classic.
Guests can also enjoy a free Wipe Out Zone kids’ obstacle course on the track apron beginning at 5 p.m. in addition to the Mo’s Eats and Treats food truck.
For more information on the upcoming entertainment or live racing schedule at Harrah’s Hoosier Park, visit www.harrahshoosierpark.com.