by Ken Weingartner, Harness Racing Communications
Freehold, NJ — Trainer George Teague, Jr. is sending four horses to Saturday’s (June 25) $500,000 Hoosier Cup at Hoosier Park, where his quartet will see beaten North America Cup favorite Big Bad John and four other rivals.
The Teague group features Max Hempt Memorial winner Custard The Dragon as well as multiple-stakes-winner Feel Like A Fool and Wink N Atcha and Wind Me Up. The Hoosier Cup is race No. 12 on the card, with an estimated post time of 9:10 p.m.
![](http://ustrottingnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/43156-Teaguesm.jpg)
USTA photo
George Teague, Jr. will send four horses to the Hoosier Cup.
“I keep them eligible for a reason, and you just hope a couple of them are good enough to go there,” Teague said. “These guys seemed like they were all right, so I’d take a stab at it. It is $500,000; it’s good money.”
Custard The Dragon is coming off a third-place finish in the $102,000 North America Cup Consolation. Starting from post eight, he led through fractions of :26.4, :54.4 and 1:22 before giving way to winner Bestofbest Hanover and Mystician.
“He raced a big mile last time,” Teague said. “He was rolling through there pretty good, but got caught at the end. He didn’t get beat for second by much (one-quarter length). I was happy with the way he raced.”
Wink N Atcha, last year’s Pennsylvania Sire Stakes champion, was fourth in the Cup Consolation. He was eighth, more than 16 lengths behind the leader at the halfway point, and closed with a :25.4 final quarter-mile to miss by 2-1/2 lengths.
“He’s been good,” Teague said. “Last week he paced a humongous (last) quarter. He fired all the way through the lane. He had a ton of pace, but didn’t have a chance to get into it.”
Feel Like A Fool was second in this year’s Empire Breeders Classic. Last season, he won $568,786 thanks to triumphs in the Matron, International Stallion and Bluegrass stakes, as well as a second-place finish in the Metro Pace. He was idle last week after finishing sixth in his North America Cup elimination race.
“He’s trained well,” Teague said. “I think he’s all right.”
Wind Me Up has won four of eight lifetime races, including a division of the Tompkins-Geers and a Metro elimination last season. He is 1-for-2 this year and is coming off a second-place finish against older horses at Harrah’s Chester.
“I’ve always been impressed with him,” Teague said.
Big Bad John is coming off his first setback of the season, in five races. He finished fifth in the $1.53 million North America Cup after leading much of the way. He has won 11 of 14 career starts, including International Stallion and Bluegrass stakes divisions last year.
Following is the field in post position order for Saturday’s $500,000 Hoosier Cup, with listed drivers and trainers: 1. Townslight Hanover, Trace Tetrick, Aaron Lambert; 2. Samandar, Peter Wrenn, Larry Rathbone; 3. Custard The Dragon, Montrell Teague, George Teague, Jr.; 4. Alsace Hanover, Scott Zeron, Tony O’Sullivan; 5. Feel Like A Fool, Wrenn, Teague; 6. Big Bad John, Brett Miller, Ron Potter; 7. Major Male, Dave Magee, Robert Taylor; 8. Wink N Atcha, Yannick Gingras, Teague; 9. Wind Me Up, Sam Widger, Teague.
- Big Bad John leads a field of nine in the Hoosier Cup (Wednesday, June 22, 2011)
A field of nine will assemble for the final $500,000 (est.) Hoosier Cup at Hoosier Park Racing and Casino on Saturday, June 25.