Anderson, IN —On a weather shortened Fourth of July program, Ponda Jet driven by Kyle Wilfong for trainer Jay Hochstetler soared to the winner’s circle claiming the $22,000 Open Trot at Hoosier Park on Saturday (July 4).
Slotted into post seven, Ponda Jet faced a host of challengers out of the gate fighting three wide along the outside. Finite (Marcus Miller) beat out the field to turn in :26.2 leaving Ponda Jet with extra work along the outside of him and Drink Up Drink Up (Brandon Bates). Ponda Jet gained ground along the outside to find the lead and clear to the halfway mark in :56.0. Staying comfortable in the lead, Ponda Jet showed the field the way to the three-quarter turn in 1:25.1. Down the stretch, Finite was fended off by Ponda Jet as Drink Up Drink Up charged along the outside. Ponda Jet took down both challenges taking off to the wire in 1:52.4 by a quarter-length. Drink Up Drink Up rallied for second, while Finite held on for third.
Ponda Jet is owned by Connie Hochstetler, Robert Buddig and Allen Schwartz. The six-year-old Dover Dan gelding boosted his lifetime earnings to $848,472 for his fourth win of the season.
Kyle Wilfong took each of the Saturday features, as a race before he teamed up with Goo Goo Won for trainer Ron Burke to score in the $22,000 Filly & Mare Open 2 Pace.
Out of the gate swiftly, Goo Goo Won wasted no time beating out the field to the first turn in :26.0. Wild Rosa (Brandon Bates) was the closest to the leader as Goo Go Won continued to control the tempo to the halfway point in :54.2. The single file field closed in before Anna Love N (Trace Tetrick) moved first-over on the leader on the final turn. Goo Goo Won hit three-quarters in 1:23.0 with a hot Anna Love N on her heels. Slugging it out down the stretch with Anna Love N, Goo Goo Won held on firing to the wire in 1:49.4 by a quarter-length. Anna Love N fought for second, while Can’ttouchthese (John De Long) rallied for third.
The seven-year-old Goo Goo Won is owned by Judith Taylor. Goo Goo Won increased her lifetime earnings to $490,490 for her sixth win of the year at Hoosier.
The remainder of the 11-race card was cancelled after the fifth race of the card. Live Racing will return to Hoosier Park on Tuesday (July 7) with a 14-race card featuring the first round of Indiana Sire Stakes for two-year-old trotting fillies with a first post of 5:30 p.m.