by Emily Gaskin, for Hoosier Park Racing and Casino

Anderson, IND — Hoosier Park Racing and Casino will highlight the early stages of the 2016 harness racing season on Saturday (June 4) with some of Indiana’s finest trotters and pacers convening on Hoosier Park’s seven-eighths mile oval for Hoosier Champions Night, the first of five rounds of $75,000 Indiana Sires Stakes finals. A total of 14 races have been carded and will feature four $75,000 finals for 3-year-old competitors.

The Indiana Sires Stakes program features five legs throughout the season, and from each leg, the top 20 horses return to compete in a final and consolation. The 2016 stakes season will culminate with the top ten horses from each of the previous $75,000 finals returning to compete in a $200,000 Super Final on October 15 at Hoosier Park.

“Our Hoosier Champions Night has become a much-anticipated event among horsemen and racing fans alike,” Hoosier Park’s Vice President and General Manager of Racing, Rick Moore noted. “The Indiana Sires Stakes program continues to improve every year and we are excited to highlight another season of the best state-breds that Indiana has to offer.”

Jess Just seeks to defend her Indiana championship in 2016 Sire Stakes action.

The 3-year-old filly trotters will kick-off the stakes action for the evening and have been slated as the eighth race on the 14-race program. Indiana’s reigning 2-year-old trotting filly of the year, Just Jess, will start from the trailing post position ten with trainer/driver Doug Rideout in the sulky. Just Jess will be looking to score her second consecutive victory of the season and has been entrusted as the 9-5 favorite. Owned by Alan White and Julie Rideout, the homebred daughter of Jailhouse Jesse-Glide Sally Glide has bankrolled $256,365 lifetime while winning eight of 17 career starts.

A field of ten will be sent postward in the $75,000 Indiana Sires Stakes final for 3-year-old trotting colts. Bridge To Jesse’s, Indiana’s two-year-old trotting colt of the year, has been handed post nine for driver John DeLong. A winner in last week’s elimination round, Bridge To Jesse’s will have has his work cut out for him as Fly Jesse Fly puts a three-race win streak on the line from the coveted rail position for driver Trace Tetrick and trainer Ron Otto.

In the 3-year-old pacing filly ranks, Seventimesavirgin will look to remain undefeated from two starts in 2016 and will start from post four for trainer/driver John DeLong. The daughter of Always A Virgin-Mrs Grant Seven scored her second consecutive victory at Hoosier Park in the elimination round of the stakes action last week in 1:52.2 by two lengths.

Images courtesy of Linscott Photography

Matrix Of Luck is the 2-1 morning line favorite in a well-matched field in his Indiana Sire Stakes contest.

The $75,000 Indiana Sires Stakes final for 3-year-old pacing colts is the 12th race on the program and will feature a talented field of ten. Matrix Of Luck has been tabbed as the 2-1 morning line choice and will look to score his second consecutive victory for the season after establishing a new lifetime best of 1:50.3 in his elimination last week. The son of Rockin Image-My Taylor’s Maid will start from the rail position with Mike Peterson in the bike. Trained by Roger Cullipher, Matrix Of Luck has amassed $255,000 lifetime and won 8 of 14 career outings for owners Brian Carsey, John McGill, and Debbie Cullipher.

Saturday’s (June 4) 14-race card is set to get underway at 5:45 p.m.

Hoosier Park’s ‘Family Fun Days’ will return this Saturday and continue each weekend throughout the entirety of the harness racing season. Activities will include a bounce house, face painting, live entertainment, games and winner’s circle giveaways. At the conclusion of live racing, Kandis Chambers will perform live on the Terrace Showroom stage.

Live racing at Hoosier Park Racing and Casino will follow a Tuesday through Saturday schedule with a daily post time of 5:45 p.m. The 160-day harness racing season will be conducted through November 12. For more information on the upcoming entertainment and live racing schedule, please visit www.hoosierpark.com.