Shark Gesture wins Dan Patch by 10 1/2!!!

Shark Gesture made his third trip in the $200,000 Dan Patch Invitational Pace a memorable one, setting a new track record of 1:48.1. Accompanied by driver George Brennan, the seven-year-old veteran rallied gate to wire, winning by 10 1/2 lengths, the biggest margin in the 17-year history of the race.

 

Starting from post five, Shark Gesture made his presence known early. Several horses had the lead in their sights, including Won The West and Ricky Macomber Jr. along with Lisagain and Hoosier Park’s leading driver Peter Wrenn. However, they were no match for Shark Gesture, who powered to the top spot, posting the quarter-mile time in :25.2.

 

“I looked over and Ricky (Macomber) was leaving (with Won The West) and Peter (Wrenn) was leaving also,” said Brennan. “Peter’s horse (Lisagain) got a little rough and he grabbed up. I just sent “Shark” onto the lead.”

 

Shark Gesture continued his dominance through the remaining fractional times of :53.1 and 1:21.3. Won The West sat right on his back the entire way and Brennan knew they would be ready to attack in the stretch. However, no other horse in the field even had a shot of unseating Shark Gesture as the leader. The son of Cam’s Card Shark kicked into an explosive gear rarely seen at Hoosier Park.

 

Shark Gesture opened up on the field with every stride, and only the clock was in his sights at the finish. A final quarter of :26.3 put him in the winner’s circle as Hoosier Park’s fastest Standardbred ever. Won The West held his ground to finish second over Hypnotic Blue Chip and Mike LaChance, who rallied from the back to close in for third.

 

“We got a decent third quarter and when I called on him down the lane, he responded,” said Brennan. “He’s just a nice horse to drive.”

 

Shark Gesture is owned by Norman and Gerald Smiley along with Tom and Louis Pontone’s TLP Stable. Larry Remmen trains the powerhouse horse, who increased his career earnings to more than $2.2 million. The win in the Dan Patch Invitational was his 24th career victory in 71 career starts.

 

“He (Shark Gesture) makes it easy,” said Remmen. “He’s very laid back and relaxed and such a nice horse to deal with. He does what we ask, and he’s never been better than he was tonight. I’m not sure where we’ll go after this. It will be up to Mr. Smiley.”

 

Shark Gesture now owns Hoosier Park’s track record after tipping the timer a tick early with his 1:48.1 win. The previous mark was set by Pacific Fella and Cat Manzi during the 2008 edition of the Dan Patch Invitational, a record that has gone untouched for more than a decade. The time also equaled his career win time. He was a winner in 1:48.1 last year at Mohawk Racetrack.

 

In addition to the Dan Patch Invitational, several divisions of Indiana Sires Stakes were contested during an evening tagged as Thrillyard 200, sponsored by the membership of the Indiana Standardbred Association. Various activities took place trackside, including a paintball course, bungee trampoline, live entertainment, and a BBQ contest judged by the Fab Five Drivers. Also, an extreme motorsport drawing was held immediately following the races, including a choice of a sports bike, Sea Doo jet ski, or $10,000 in cash. Michael Stohler of Anderson, Ind. was the winner, and was present to accept his prize. He was joined by drivers Wrenn, Macomber, Trace Tetrick, and Jason Dillander for the presentation. (Hoosier Park)