Breeders Crown winner Freaky Feet Pete, who has not participated in a pari-mutuel contest since the fall of 2017, is on his way back to the races.
The world record-holding son of Rockin Image last raced in a pari-mutuel contest on October 13, 2017, but he has been on the comeback trail as of late.
The career winner of over $1.6 million in purses recently qualified (Aug. 25) over Hoosier Park in 1:55.1, a clocking that was good enough for a four and a quarter-length win for driver Trace Tetrick and trainer Marty Rheinheimer.
The connections were at it again today (Wednesday, Sept. 5) at Hoosier, as Tetrick and his world-class charge lined up in Post 5 during another qualifier over the seven-eighths-mile Indiana oval.
Freaky Feet Pete was quickest off of the starting gate, as he sprinted off the wings and down to the quarter pole in :28.4 over the ‘fast’ track.
The winner of 31 of his 51 career races maintained his speed through the second quarter, as he went on to click off the opening half-mile timer in :57.2.
Tetrick and Freaky Feet Pete kept the tempo relatively the same through the third panel, as the duo made their way down to the three-quarters station in 1:25.3.
Maintaining a two-length lead while on the engine, Freaky Feet Pete picked things up a bit for his journey home. Tetrick asked the bay horse for a tad more and Freaky Feet Pete responded with a :27.2 final quarter.
Freaky Feet Pete’s win time was 1:53 and he held on for a half-length win over the pocket-riding Tyd Theglyde, who was steered by Joey Putnam.
Mary Jo Rheinheimer (of La Grange, Ind.) and Marty Rheinheimer (Howe, Ind.) own Freaky Feet Pete, who etched his name into the world record books in 2016 courtesy of a 1:47.1 win, which still stands as the fastest time for a four-year-old horse on a five-eighths-mile track.
Freaky Feet Pete sustained a serious injury in the fall of 2016 (for more, click here). He would go on to race just nine times in 2017.