The fields were drawn Tuesday (Sept. 16) for two of Harrah’s Hoosier Park’s signature events – the $179,500 Harrah’s Hoosier Park Pacing Derby and $200,000 Caesars Trotting Classic presented by Kountry Lane Standardbreds – on Friday, Sept. 19. Two full fields of 10 will go postward, with the red-hot Lexus Kody headlining Friday night’s trotting feature.
Fresh off his Canadian Record 1:49 1/5 victory in the $459,000 Maple Leaf Trot at Mohawk and wire-to-wire victory in the $1 million International Trot at Yonkers, Lexus Kody makes his return to Hoosier Park as North America’s second leading money-earner on the year. A winner in seven of 16 starts in 2025, the Ron Burke trainee has racked up $879,472 on the year for owners Burke Racing, Weaver Bruscemi, and Phillip Collura. The 7-year-old gelded son of Archangel-Lexus Helios is a career earner of $1.4 million and will leave the Caesars Trotting Classic from post seven with regular pilot Yannick Gingras slated to drive.
Lexus Kody will be joined by 2025 Cutler and Cashman champion Periculum, who also exits out of the International Trot with a traffic-troubled seventh-place effort. The Marcus Melander trainee will leave from post three and has put up a record of 7-3-3-0 in 2025, good for earnings of $466,458. Brixton Medical and Holly Lane Stead East own the 6-year-old Muscle Hill-Heiress stallion who has earned $1.7 million in his career and has Scott Zeron listed to drive on Friday.
Indiana bred Ponda Jet headlines a strong Hoosier trio, having won three-in-a-row against Hoosier Park open company entering the Caesars Trotting Classic. Jay Hochstetler trains the 5-year-old gelded son of Dover Dan-Ponda’s Lucky Lady who has hit the board in all 18 starts this year, winning 11 of them all against Open company. Ponda Jet leaves from post six and is joined by Indiana-breds Flagman and Helpfirstedition in the field.
The 2025 Caesars Trotting Classic presented by Kountry Lane Standardbreds field slated to go as Race 13, in post-position order with trainer and listed driver below:
1-Chapercraz Trainer: Ron Burke Driver: Ronnie Wrenn Jr.
2-Flagman Trainer: Rick Plano Driver: Rick Plano
3-Periculum Trainer: Marcus Melander Driver: Scott Zeron
4-Hillexotic Trainer: Todd Luther Driver: Austin Hanners
5-Helpfirstedition Trainer: Missy Essig Driver: Dexter Dunn
6-Ponda Jet Trainer: Jay Hochstetler Driver: Kyle Wilfong
7-Lexus Kody Trainer: Ron Burke Driver: Yannick Gingras
8-Highland Kismet Trainer: Nancy Takter Driver: Tim Tetrick
9-Oh Well Trainer: Marcus Melander Driver: Dexter Dunn
10-French Wine Trainer: Julie Miller Driver: Dexter Dunn
The $179,500 Harrah’s Hoosier Park Pacing Derby will go as Race 11 on the evening, where defending champion Little Rocket Man will leave from post four seeking to defend his title. Mike Oosting will have the call on the career earner of $1.84 million who has won nine of 14 in his 9-year-old campaign for trainer Ken Rucker.
The hometown hero will have his hands full with $2.5 million earner Bythemissal, 2025 Brower and McKee Champion Ken Hanover, and 2025 Canadian Pacing Derby champion Maximus Miki.
The 2025 Harrah’s Hoosier Park Pacing Derby field slated to go as Race 11, in post-position order with trainer and listed driver below:
1-Bythemissal Trainer: Ron Burke Driver: Yannick Gingras
2-Ken Hanover Trainer: Roland Mallar Driver: David Miller
3-Rocknroll Runa A Trainer: Larry Stalbaum Driver: Larry Stalbaum
4-Little Rocket Man Trainer: Ken Rucker Driver: Mike Oosting
5-Captain Luke Trainer: Andrew Harris Driver: Jason Bartlett
6-Coach Stefanos Trainer: Erv Miller Driver: Marcus Miller
7-Ruthless Hanover Trainer: Thomas Cancelliere Driver: Andrew McCarthy
8-Maximus Miki Trainer: Thomas Cancelliere Driver: Scott Zeron
9-Muskateer Hanover Trainer: Wayne Oke Driver: Tony Hall
10-Buzzsaw Russ Trainer: Missy Essig Driver: Dexter Dunn
Final driver selections/changes for the Friday card will be made Wednesday afternoon (Sept. 17).
The 15-race Caesars Trotting Classic card gets underway with a first post time of 5:30 p.m. The card will also air live on Fox Sports 2 from 8-9 p.m. before switching to Fox Sports 1 from 9-11 p.m. with hosts Gabe Prewitt and Jessica Otten live on site.
Those on track can participate in the $10,000 Caesars Trotting Classic Pick Em’ promotion, where one lucky guest will go home with $10,000 in cash if they correctly select the winner of the Caesars Trotting Classic. The promotion begins on the Kiosk beginning at 4:30 pm, with the drawing taking place immediately following the Caesars Trotting Classic.
For more information on the upcoming entertainment or live racing schedule at Harrah’s Hoosier Park, please visit www.harrahshoosierpark.com.
-edited release (Harrah's Hoosier Park)