by Emily Gaskin, for Hoosier Park

Anderson, IN — Hoosier Park Racing & Casino kicked off the 2017 live harness racing season in front of a packed house on Saturday (April 1). An enthusiastic crowd welcomed the 24th season of harness racing back to the seven-eighths mile oval on a beautiful spring evening in Indiana.

Linscott Photography

Trained by Jeff Cullipher, White Metro has now won two of five seasonal starts and 21 of 71 lifetime.

On the racing front, White Metro and Tyler Smith returned to their winning ways as they captured the featured event of the evening, a $17,500 Open for fillies and mares. Staging a big rally late in the lane, the 5-year-old mare bested her rivals with a final time of 1:52.1.

“She’s a very nice mare,” Smith noted after the victory. “She tries hard every week and raced really strong tonight—that was a nice group of mares she beat tonight.”

Trained by Jeff Cullipher, White Metro has now won two of five seasonal starts and 21 of 71 lifetime. The daughter of Metropolitan-Bye Bye Peachy Pie has earned $272,622 for owners Thomas Pollack and Jeff Cullipher. The victory was one of three training wins on the evening for Cullipher and four wins on the evening for driver Tyler Smith. Smith returns to Indiana with a lot of momentum after a solid winter season racing in his home state of Ohio.

Saturday’s 14-race card was also a success for Hoosier Park’s 2016 leading driver Trace Tetrick who scored a driving grand slam on the evening. Tetrick, who is now the all-time leading driver in Hoosier Park history, earned his fifth leading driver title and third consecutive title at Hoosier Park in 2016.

Live racing will return to Hoosier Park on Thursday (April 6). Next week, Hoosier Park will host an abbreviated racing schedule with racing taking place Thursday, Friday and Saturday before resuming a Tuesday through Saturday schedule throughout the end of the season on Nov. 17, 2017. For more information on the upcoming entertainment or live racing schedule, please visit www.hoosierpark.com.

About Hoosier Park Racing & Casino: Hoosier Park Racing & Casino holds multiple awards from industry publications for customer service, entertainment, gaming and dining. Hoosier Park Racing & Casino, a fully-integrated gaming and racing facility, features 2,000 of the latest slots and electronic table games and a 7/8 mile oval horse track offering live harness racing each year. Simulcast wagering is offered year-round at Hoosier Park Racing & Casino, the Winner’s Circle Pub, Grille & OTB in Indianapolis and Winner’s Circle OTB & VooDoo BBQ & Grill in New Haven/Fort Wayne, Ind. For more information, please visit www.hoosierpark.com.