Wrenn wins four once again at Hoosier Park

Anderson, IN — Peter Wrenn, winner of more than 7,800 career races, has emerged onto Hoosier Park’s playing field in the zone. The 46-year-old reinsman from Swartz Creek, Mich. leads the early driver standings with back-to-back four-win evenings in the first three nights of action for the 80-day Standardbred meet.

Wrenn, who competed at Hoosier Park during the 2007 season, is ranked fourth in North America for wins in 2009. Through Thursday, Wrenn has 148 victories in 565 starts. Wrenn ventured to Indiana from Northville Downs, where he is always among the track’s top drivers and has earned numerous titles at nearly all the harness tracks in the Wolverine State. Wrenn now has eight wins in 27 starts at Hoosier to lead the early race for leading driver.

One of the victories for Wrenn on the Thursday racing program was behind Boiler Bob The QB in the first leg of the Jerry Landess Series. Wrenn had little interest in getting Boiler Bob The QB into the early mix, opting for a spot near the back of the 10-horse field as race favorites React Ingoodway and Don Eash led the way through fractions of :26.2, :56.2, and 1:26.4. At that point, the leaders began to feel pressure from the field, including the strong stride of Boiler Bob The QB, who was on the move.

In the stretch, Boiler Bob The QB took over and posted a 3-1/2 length victory for the win in a time of 1:56. In Theory and Jason Dillander used good positioning to maintain second over React Ingoodway, who held gamely for third.

Boiler Bob The QB was making his first career start after one qualifying effort. The 3-year-old son of Kentucky Spur is owned and bred by Richard Kallenbach. Grant Wilfong trains Boiler Bob The QB, who returned $16.20, $8.20, and $5.60 across the board.

The second division of the Landess Series brought out the best in another first time starter. Master Punch and Don Eash sat patiently behind One Ten and Trace Tetrick throughout the entire mile before moving to the outside in the stretch and driving home as the winner. Master Punch scored the win in a time of 1:57.1, one length ahead of One Ten. Master Regan and Mark O’Mara rounded out the trifecta.

The Jerry Landess Series is for Indiana-sired 3- and 4-year-old conditioned pacers. Horses will return Thursday, April 2, for the final preliminary round before the $17,000 final set for Thursday, April 9.

— Tammy Knox

Tacos Du Ruisseau wins Dover feature

Dover, DE — Tacos Du Ruisseau, one of four winners for driver Corey Callahan, captured the Thursday feature over a “sloppy” track at Dover Downs.

Fotowon photo

Tacos Du Ruisseau was a 1:53.2 winner in the Thursday feature at Dover.

In a $14,000 male pace, Callahan and Tacos Du Ruisseau were strongest in the stretch, streaking to a 1:53.2 victory, his third of the year. Charles Bonuccelli, Arthur Feeney and trainer Nick Callahan own the winner, a Cam’s Card Shark-Western Jeans 6-year-old. Real Magician (Brandon Givens) was runner-up. Arid N (Jim Morand) finished third.

A pair of longshots collaborated for a $778.60 daily double payoff when Bob Kinsey, Jr. drove My Happiness, a Political Briefing-Bayviews Lightning homebred 4-year-old to a 2:01.3 victory for Barbara and Bill Kinsey in an $8,500 trot for young horses. In the second race, veteran Sammy Belote drove Im A Yankee Doodle, at 22-1, to score a 1:56.1 win in an $8,500 event for young pacers. Darwin Kates owns the Yankee Cruiser-Getting Physical gelding.

In addition to Corey Callahan’s four winners, Jim Morand had a driving double.

— Marv Bachrad

Trainer Johnson captures pair at Saratoga

Saratoga Springs, NY — Last year’s Trainer of the Year at Saratoga, Colin Johnson, has picked up right where he left off. Starting out the year atop the trainer standings, Johnson has been dominant since coming to town midway through last season. On Thursday night, Johnson had a training double as Chasing Hope and Charismatic each scored victories on the 13-race card.

Dave Oxford photo

Charismatic went wire-to-wire in 1:58.2.

Chasing Hope paid dividends right away for Johnson, who claimed the trotting mare last week, as she parlayed her pocket trip to a win in the night’s seventh race.

Charismatic, whom Johnson co-owns with Robert Harrison, went wire-to-wire in 1:58.2 and highlighted his win with the evening’s fastest final quarter. Denis St. Pierre, who piloted both winners on the card for Johnson, stepped on the gas heading for home and Charismatic completed a final half of :57.2 with a :28 final panel to record his second win in three local starts this season.

— Mike Sardella

Tawny has just enough left in reserve at Cal-Expo

Sacramento, CA — Conditioned distaffers, racing for a $4,000 purse, were featured at Cal-Expo on Thursday night, in which Tawny Reserve provided her trainer with a special win.

Getting the lead a sixteenth of a mile past the start from post two in the field of eight, Tawny Reserve and driver Steve Wiseman would reach the quarter pole in a deliberate :30 flat. Pacing a :30.2 second quarter against a moderate headwind, the 8-year-old would get away with a very soft 1:00.2 first half.

“She felt good at the half and I figured I had a good shot from there because of the easy first half — which helped her a lot,” said Wiseman.

Continuing to pace comfortably on the final turn, Wiseman would choose to pop the earplugs midway through the turn, then would ask his charge past that point.

“She went on when I popped the earplugs and asked her, but I thought she’d go on a little more. She, however, is kind of a lazy mare and you have to get after her a little bit, so I wasn’t really concerned.”

Reaching the three-quarter marker, timed in 1:29.2, Wiseman would soon get the response he wanted, but with a scare involved.

“As soon as we straightened out she started pacing on pretty good. But then at the sixteenth pole, I actually thought Wooski (Rich Wojcio) was by me for a second, but my horse dug in late and came back on.”

Coming back to win ($6.40) by a nose, the Gretchen Smith owned and trained lass would stop the timer at 1:57.1, thus recording her 23rd career victory. Wooski was a pocket-sitting second and Little Bit Country (Steve Hyman) rallied nicely to be just three-quarters of a length farther back in third.

“It was a good race for a nice mare. It was also great that Gretchen got her first training win ever and I congratulate her on that,” finished Wiseman.

The victory for trainer Smith was extra special, as this was her first training start ever as well.

— Scott Ehrlich