After capturing the $220,000 Monument Circle for three-year-old pacing colts and geldings last week, Bulldog Hanover continued his winning ways at Harrah’s Hoosier Park Racing & Casino in the $60,000 Star Destroyer Stakes on Thursday, Nov. 18.
With his Indiana pilot John DeLong in the bike, Bulldog Hanover stopped the clock in 1:50.3 to record his third straight win in the Hoosier state.
Three divisions of the Star Destroyer Stakes were featured on the evenings 14-race card — one division each for the three-year-old colt trotters and pacers, and one division for the three-year-old filly trotters.
Sent off as the heavy 1-5 favourite, Bulldog Hanover coasted away from the gate while Betterrock and Brandon Bates blasted to the front through the opening quarter in :26.1. Unable to find a suitable spot along the rail, Bulldog Hanover was forced to press on toward the front from first-over. Goldies Legacy and Trace Tetrick quickly grabbed the cover and were well placed second-over passing the half in :55.
As the field reached the third station in 1:23.4, Bulldog Hanover had put away the pacesetting Big Gulp and Sam Widger. Just as Bulldog Hanover struck the front, Goldies Legacy tipped off his back with a full head of steam. Using a :27 closing quarter, Bulldog Hanover fought off Goldies Legacy to get the win by a head. Betterrock and Brandon Bates finished third.
As the heavy betting favourite, Bulldog Hanover returned $2.40 at the betting windows.
"He's a fighter, I think he proved that," DeLong noted after the victory. "He's a great horse and great horses find a way to win even when the trip doesn't work out."
Trained by Jack Darling, Bulldog Hanover has now won nine of 14 seasonal starts and extended his Hoosier Park win streak to three. The son of Shadow Play—BJs Squall is owned in partnership by Jack Darling Stables Ltd. of Cambridge, Ont., and Bradley Grant of Milton, Ont. Bulldog Hanover was bred by Hanover Shoe Farms.
In the three-year-old trotting filly ranks, Pub Crawl and Peter Wrenn extended a win streak of their own, this time in the $50,000 Star Destroyer Stakes.
Overcoming the outside post nine, Pub Crawl turned in a decisive gate-to-wire effort to win by three lengths in 1:55.2 over Dewtifuls Grace and Michael Oosting.
Pub Crawl was also victorious last week in the $105,000 Crossroads of America Stakes at Harrah’s Hoosier Park.
Trained by Julie Miller, the daughter of Bar Hopping—Myth recorded her seventh win of the season from 20 trips behind the gate. Pub Crawl is owned in partnership by Marvin And Lynn Katz of Toronto, Ont., Al Libfeld of Pickering, Ont., and Sam Goldband of Toronto. She was bred by Fair Winds Farm and Steve Jones.
The biggest upset of the evening was produced by Street Gossip and Sam Widger, who pulled the 24-1 upset in the $53,000 Star Destroyer Stakes for three-year-old trotting colts and geldings.
Employing a :26.4 closing quarter, Street Gossip was able to track down the heavily favoured Swingforthefences and Peter Wrenn to get the win by a head in 1:55.1.
Trained by Virgil Morgan Jr., Street Gossip is owned in partnership by Carl Howard of Powell, Ohio and Jesmeral Stable of Scarsdale, New York. The gelded son of Cash Hall—The Young Princess recorded his 10th win of the season from 24 starts. Street Gossip was bred by Morrisville Col Fdn Inc.
Live harness racing will continue at Harrah’s Hoosier Park Racing & Casino on Friday, Nov. 19. The evening’s 14-race card will feature a $20,000 guaranteed Pick-5 pool after the sequence went unsolved on Thursday and produced a carryover of $5,932.88. The evening will also feature a $10,000 guaranteed Hoosier High-5 in the last race of the program.
(With files from Hoosier Park)
Bulldog's most likely final
Bulldog's most likely final race of 2021 will be on Thurs. night in The Thanksgiving Classic, also held at Hoosier Park.