by Emily Gaskin, for Hoosier Park Racing and Casino

Anderson, IN — A field of ten will be sent postward in the $200,000 Dan Patch Invitational at Hoosier Park Racing & Casino on Saturday (May 25).

In what may be the most talented field ever assembled, the 20th installment of Hoosier Park’s signature Grand Circuit event will highlight the 14-race program that begins at 5:30 p.m. The race will be part of a special evening tagged as “Thrillyard 200” and will feature extreme entertainment, giveaways and racing. The evening will also be complimented by three divisions of the Indiana Gold Sire Stakes for 3-year-old pacing colts, sending the purse money to be distributed throughout the evening over the $450,000 mark.

The 2013 Dan Patch field boasts combined career purse earnings of more than $9 million and includes four millionaires, two previous Dan Patch winners, one Hall of Fame trainer and one Hall of Fame driver.

A Rocknroll Dance, Up The Credit, Bolt The Duer and Aracache Hanover will make their way to Indiana boasting career earnings over the $1 million mark.

Rockincam, who visited the Dan Patch winner’s circle in 2012, will start from post four while former Dan Patch winning trainer Ron Burke will send Fred And Ginger to the gate from post five. Fred And Ginger will ship to Indiana after finishing in the money in six of seven starts this season. With more than $918,000 in career earnings, the 6-year-old horse is this year’s fastest pacer, with a 1:48.1 win to his credit in a division of the TVG Free for All Series at the Meadowlands.

Harness racings’ all-time leading money winning driver and Hall of Famer, John Campbell, will make his way to Hoosier Park and has been enlisted to drive A Rocknroll Dance for trainer Jim Mulinix from post eight. After wins in the Meadowlands Pace and the Battle of the Brandywine in 2012, A Rocknroll Dance is the richest horse in the field with more than $1.9 million in career earnings.

Carl Jamieson, one of the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame’s most recent inductees, sends his North America Cup winning pacer Up The Credit to Hoosier Park after posting back-to-back wins on the Woodbine circuit. Starting from post nine, Hoosier Park’s leading driver, Trace Tetrick, will do the driving honors for Jamieson.

Also joining the stellar cast of entrants as a main contender for the 2013 Dan Patch title is Hurrikane Kingcole, with Brett Miller at the lines from post one. The John McDermott trainee has been tabbed as the 3-1 morning line favorite. A winner of more than $530,000 lifetime, the 4-year-old gelding sports the fastest lifetime mark in the field of ten with a 1:47.3 time set last year at the Meadowlands.

Paco Labrook will play the role of local favorite from post two for trainer/driver Brad Hanners. Paco Labrook enters Saturday’s race after posting two consecutive wins in the Invitational at Hoosier Park. The 5-year-old gelding has won four of 14 starts in 2013 and with more than $450,000 in career earnings, Paco Labrook is the only Indiana-sired horse in the field.

Slated as the 11th race on the card, estimated post time for Hoosier Park’s signature event is 9:30 p.m. Advanced wagering for the entire card will begin on Friday (May 24) at 12 p.m.

The 2012 Dan Patch field, in post position order with named drivers and trainers, is as follows:

Post-Horse-Trainer-Driver-Morning Line
1. Hurrikane Kingcole–John McDermott–Brett Miller–3-1
2. Paco Labrook–Brad Hanners–Brad Hanners–8-1
3. Versado–Nick Surick–TBA–15-1
4. Rockincam–Nifty Norman–Jason Dillander–7-2
5. Fred And Ginger–Ron Burke–Ricky Macomber, Jr.–5-1
6. Dancin Yankee–Gary Green–Ed Hensley–6-1
7. Bolt The Duer–Peter Foley–Mark MacDonald–4-1
8. A Rocknroll Dance–Jim Mulinix–John Campbell–9-2
9. Up The Credit–Carl Jamieson–Trace Tetrick–10-1
10. Aracache Hanover–Gregg McNair–Douglas McNair–10-1

Racing fans will have the opportunity to participate in two special wagers offered for the Dan Patch Invitational. A $25,000 guaranteed superfecta pool will be available as part of the special USTA Strategic Wagering Program. The wager will have a minimum bet of 10 cents, and is available through the cooperative efforts of the United States Trotting Association, Hoosier Park Racing & Casino and the Indiana Standardbred Association. A $10,000 guaranteed Pick-4 will also be made available to racing fans in races eight through 11.