Hop Sing Scores in 1:51.3

Hop Sing, with the nation’s leading dash-winning driver, Tony Morgan, at the lines, overtook Maltese Artist in deep stretch and held off Mypanmar and Primetime Bobcat to win the $200,000 Dan Patch Invitational in 1:51.3 at Hoosier Park Saturday night.

Hop Sing never found the pylons as he got away near the back of the field from post position four while Escape The Wind and Roger Mayotte took the field past the opening quarter in :26.2. Hop Sing’s advance up the outside flushed defending Dan Patch champion Maltese Artist and Mike Wilder into the first-over position. When Escape The Wind got rough gaited just past the :55.1 half, Maltese Artist shot into an immediate three-length lead and swept around the final turn and past the three-quarters in 1:22.4.

But the long Hoosier Park stretch took its toll on Maltese Artist as Morgan went to work on Hop Sing and wore down the leader. Mypanmar and Ricky Macomber Jr. rallied on the outside and in the final strides of the race Jody Jameson tried to wedge Primetime Bobcat between the top two horses, but fell a head short at the wire to finish third.

Trained by Ettore Annunziata for owner Richard Annunziata, Hop Sing, a 5-year-old gelding by The Panderosa, scored his seventh victory of the year in 12 starts and increased his earnings for 2006 to $353,400 and $568,544 lifetime.

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