Velocity Standardbreds has double shot at Hoosier Cup
June 29, 2007,By Ryan Hubbard
Velocity Standardbreds of Lebanon, Ohio will take a double crack at winning the 2007 $500,000-est. Hoosier Cup Saturday, June 30 with two Hoosier Park locals. Along with the team of driver Mark Evers and trainer Jack Franklin, they have entered Next Adventure and Tufsun Beach in the Hoosier Cup. The Hoosier Cup final will be the first for both Evers and Franklin.
The Franklin-trained entry has earned their way into the Hoosier Cup by performing exceptionally well at the Anderson, Ind. track. Starting from post position six will be Next Adventure, who will be driven by Evers. The Real Artist colt began his sophomore campaign with three consecutive victories at Hoosier Park, setting a lifetime mark of 1:52.4 June 9.
Next Adventure earned his first career win in his 3-year-old debut May 17. Evers has been in the bike every start so far this season. Next Adventure will be one of the fastest closing competitors entered in the Hoosier Cup.
Next Adventure has knowledge of the long Hoosier Park stretch. Last week in a tune-up during his first race against open competition, Next Adventure bolted home in :26.3 to a fourth place finish. He has never closed slower than :27.4 over the seven-eighths mile oval. His first ever win was a gate-to-wire effort, closing in :26.0.
“I’m thinking that we are definitely shooting for the Hoosier Cup after the way he performed in open competition,” said Evers after last Saturday’s race. “He (Next Adventure) closed really strong. He felt great in the last quarter.”
Franklin will drive Tufsun Beach from the ninth post position in the Hoosier Cup. The 3-year-old by 1996 Dan Patch Invitational winner Jenna’s Beach Boy was also a winner in his Hoosier Park debut May 16. This will be the first time Franklin has driven Tufsun Beach in 2007 as Evers has had the call this season.
Tufsun Beach is three for five this year, winning two Hoosier Park starts and a Memorial Day outing at The Red Mile. He earned his career best of 1:53.2 when he captured his last win. Tufsun Beach’s last two races, also at Hoosier Park, saw him finish third.
The $500,000-est. Hoosier Cup is slated as the 11th event on the 17-race card worth over $1 million in purses. The evening also includes six Indiana Sires Stakes finals.