Indiana Downs opens 80-day harness meet

Indiana Downs kicked off its 80-day harness meet Friday, July 23 with a 12-race opening night program. Peter Wrenn, fresh off successfully defending his driving title at Hoosier Park Racing & Casino, guided the Ron Otto-owned and trained Art Nation to victory in the evening’s first race. The Royal Art filly covered the mile in 1:58.

 

Wrenn may have taken the opener, but a quartet of drivers finished the night atop the early standings with driving doubles to their credit. Ricky Macomber, leading driver at Indiana Downs in 2009, struck first in the third race on the program, steering Heart’s Prince to a third seasonal win. The five-year-old pacer, trained by Charles Stewart, stopped the clock in 1:57. Macomber would return to the winner’s circle in the seventh race with Art’s Last Trick. The sophomore filly broke her maiden with a 2:00.2 performance.

 

The fastest times of the night were turned in by a pair of Grant Wilfong-trained pacers. Call Me Surely pulled away from the field with a speedy :28.4 last quarter to win the night’s eight race by nearly 10 lengths. Ed Hensley sat behind the Dontgetinmyway five year old en route to a 1:55.2 score. The driver would go on to capture the finale with Hi Ho Hi Ho, a horse he trains and owns.

 

Wilfong would collect his second victory on the program when K C Colt, driven by Rick Farrington, earned a 1:55.2 triumph. The Kilowatt sophomore equaled his lifetime mark in victory. The win also completed Farrington’s driving double, started earlier in the night with filly trotter Naughty Heiress. The Like A Prayer three year old wired the field in 2:00.3.

 

Kyle Ater joined the fray with a double of his own. The driver piloted Son Of Ben to a 1:57.1 score midway through the program, before leading favored Won Nite In Vegas to a narrow win over trainer Dirk Simpson and Boi in 1:59.1.