BEST BET: SYLVIA HANOVER (10th) SPOT PLAY: ELEKTRA A (7th) Race 1: $30,000 Perfect Sting Open 3 Pace - $15K GTD Pick 5 The three morning-line favorites stick out in here. (5) RIP WHEELER has a very strong record over this track and now returns to Indiana from Pennsylvania in the top barn. (7) BILLY CLYDE was used very hard and deserves some kudos for hanging in there late in the mile. (6) TELLMEABOUTIT owns 13 wins at this track the last few years and has paced a number of miles that would beat this field. [DRF BETS: Wager on tonight's Hoosier Park card at DRF Bets.com!] Race 2: $22,500 Summa Cum Laude Non-winners 4 or $55,000 life (10) MUSKATEER HANOVER comes to town off a pair of nice victories and perhaps he is gearing up for races like the Star Destroyer in November at this oval. The second tier isn't an ideal spot but it may not matter if he brings his best game. (4) FOX VALLEY LANDEN is the Illinois champion coming in from Hawthorne where he has been doing major damage. That Dunn picks up the drive only adds to the intrigue. (2) FLIRTIN JK made the Indiana Super Final but couldn’t get a check. Maybe Gingras wakes him up. Race 3: $60,000 Pegasus Trot (10) JOHN DUTTON was wide into the first turn and parked almost half-a-mile on his way to the front last week yet somehow only lost by about two lengths. Here's another one starting from the second tier - which only wins at just over seven percent - but has a shot with a reasonable trip. (4) JET HILL missed four weeks and still put up a sharp win last time. (1) POINT OF PERFECT is getting major class relief tonight and almost has to awaken a bit. (5) PONDA JET rarely misses the board. Race 4: $25,000 Stay Hungry Non-winners $6,001 in last 4 or $1,850 p.s. in 2023 (2) BET MINE picked up a win out of town and now returns at a reduced level while picking up a Hall of Fame driver. (4) DEAN B HANOVER is another dropping down and getting a positive driver switch, though his odds will be shorter and this guy has failed in this class before. (10) ROCKIE GOT FRAMED was a winner when last at this condition. If Dunn can work out a trip from the second tier, watch out! Race 5: $60,000 Pegasus Pace (1) WHY NOT NOW has battled with and come out ahead of Breeders Crown contender Coach Stefanos on many occasions. It is hard to imagine him falling short against a group filled with horses that couldn’t qualify for the final. (6) ACT FAST has hinted at big ability a few times but never seems to get on a roll. (3) ANTS MARCHING could certainly get aggressive in this spot but he'll need a lifetime best to have any chance of winning. Race 6: $50,000 #Senditin Claiming Challenge - Pick 5 Here is a race in honor of the late Dave Brower and boy is it fitting because this race is a handicapping puzzle for sure that he would be proud of. It is worth noting that these horses are racing for 2x to 3x of a normal purse for them so the incentive to win is huge. I'll take a stab with (7) GENERAL DOLAN, who is coming off a win for the top trainer at the track (35% win rate). The post presents some issues but the small field negates those easily enough. (3) JK VICTORY didn't respond in his first try with Lasix, though it could've been the tougher competition he faced; using. (1) ILKEMEBETTOR A is technically dropping in class going from the top Open to more of an Open 2/3. Race 7: $60,000 Joe DeFrank Memorial (8) ELEKTRA A looks to be like the outside speed in a race that seems to lack a ton of early speedsters. New driver Todd McCarthy should have her in position to win for the Cullipher barn. (5) WESTERN SIERRA and (4) SKYWAY BRITTNEY are the other two who seemed like potential pace players. The former reunites with Tim Tetrick and he raced her aggressively at The Red Mile on Sept. 29. (1) LOVE ME HILL had a bad post last time and was uncovered the start two back. Maybe she is worth a look here with Dunn back in the bike. Race 8: $400,000 Breeders Crown Mare Trot - $10K GTD Pick 8 (1) JIGGY JOG S uncorked a 25 2/5 final quarter to blow away her elimination competition like they were standing still. She's the closest thing to a lock from the eight Crown races. (3) M-M'S DREAM hasn't seemed quite as sharp lately as she was earlier in the year. With that said, she's still clearly second best assuming the race doesn't turn into a stretch print again. (9) RAISED BY LINDY has been handled conservatively lately but should be put in play here and can get involved at a big number. (4) REFINED has a chance to be on the board but will certainly be an underlay in the exotics. Race 9: $600,000 Breeders Crown 3YO Filly Trot While (2) BOND is my top pick, if the 3-5 morning-line is correct I'll quickly jump ship for (1) SPECIAL WAY. After a bit of a dull period leading up to the Hambletonian Oaks, Bond has righted the ship and seems comfortable racing from almost any position. Special Way certainly turned the corner in last week's elimination and maybe that was a sign that she's back to herself. Still, it was only a 1:55 mile so I'm not exactly sold yet. (4) ROSE RUN YOLANDA has been a victim of circumstance in her last couple of starts. I'd look for Gingras to put her in play here. (7) HEAVEN HANOVER is certainly capable of racing from on or off the pace. I wouldn't sleep on her as a longshot if the top ones don't show up. Race 10: $600,000 Breeders Crown 3YO Filly Pace Trip and circumstance often play a role in the outcome of races and that was certainly the case with (5) SYLVIA HANOVER getting beaten at 2-5 last weekend. I've never thought of her as a great sprinter but more of a grinder who was relentless late. Asking her to gain into a 25 4/5 final quarter was simply too much. While she won't be on the lead, the pace should be closer to 55 than 57 3/5 this week and that will be plenty to set her up. (7) TWIN B JOE FRESH is another who played the "sprint home" game and came up on the short end of the stick, albeit as the one setting the fractions. She'll go faster on the front this time and make it others work harder to stay with her. (1) STRONG POISON is in an interesting spot from this post. She can be very competitive with the right trip. (6) CHARLESTON has missed the board twice in 24 career starts; consider her at big odds in the exotics. Race 11: $672,000 Breeders Crown 3YO Colt Trot - Pick 5 (6) AIR POWER came home as fast as or faster than his competition in the elimination round in a race that perhaps he needed after breaking in his prior start. Melander trainee will offer plenty of value on the toteboard and has as much pure ability as any in here. (10) TACTICAL APPROACH is certainly the horse to beat and while I hate the second tier most of the time, this horse is very versatile and lucks-out that the horses in front of him on the gate are all high-quality sorts. For those that believe history repeats itself, (1) CELEBRITY BAMBINO could be in trouble. He had things his own way from post five in a winning Hambletonian elimination mile then came back with a failed aggressive try from post one in the final. I respect his chances but would want a price I won't get to bet him. (5) HELPFIRSTEDITION took care of business nicely in his elimination and deserves some respect if the price is double digits. Race 12: $400,000 Breeders Crown Mare Pace - $40K GTD Pick 4 The decision was clearly made before the start of (8) GRACE HILL's elimination that the goal was simply to make the final rather than win since she only needed to beat two foes to do so. Racing from off the pace rather than near the lead as usual, she accomplished the task and paced home very willingly. New tactics are coming this week and I'm hoping for even money. (10) MIKALA had missed a few weeks before her elimination effort and was perhaps used hard to get her in race-shape for the final. I'll use her on a Pick 4 ticket or two along with (2) SILVER LABEL, who could offer very nice value and falls into the same boat of having missed a few weeks prior to the elim. (1) MAX CONTRACT is going to attract some attention at the windows but it is worth noting that the field she faces on Saturday is worlds better than her previous starts. Race 13: $600,000 Breeders Crown 3YO Colt Pace Think about this for a second. (4) CONFEDERATE has won his last two races despite a laceration on his knee and countless consecutive winning miles of 1:49 or faster over a long season. His 'A' game blows these away and his 'B' game likely still sees him win a closer race. (3) EL REY raced very well taking some late air on the trainer change to Harris, though his Tattersalls start for Alagna was very good as well. It's possible this guy is getting sharp at the right moment. (5) COACH STEFANOS came home in 24 2/5 to win his elimination. That’s not a typo - 24 2/5!!! That said, I still think he needs to prove himself with this group as a whole and the price is unlikely to be right. (2) STOCKADE SEELSTER was aired out a bit and deserves some credit for being able to battle with Confederate a bit in the stretch. There is talent here but Doc Moore needs to send him out with a very top effort to threaten for the win. [DRF HARNESS: Sign up for our FREE DRF Harness Digest Newsletter] Race 14: $600,000 Breeders Crown Open Trot - $25K GTD Superfecta For me there are a bunch of good horses in this field, one very good horse (It's Academic) and a borderline elite horse in top pick (9) ALRAJAH ONE IT. The 7-year-old seems likely to push away here and has no problem taking air on the rim. Plus Svanstedt is a master at having horses ready off the bench. (3) SOUTHWIND TYRION should fire to the front and sit second behind Logan Park unless another horse goes hard early. So far this year he's been a great follower but not so good at sealing the deal. (10) RATTLE MY CAGE was used last time and tired and now he comes back with Lasix, a medication Svanstedt rarely uses with his horses, so it is meaningful. Five-year-old has some ability and could be a surprise package (2) IT'S ACADEMIC has seen some big moments this year but his recent form isn't quite as sharp. He certainly has a shot if Burke has him firing on all cylinders. Race 15: $600,000 Breeders Crown Open Pace - $25K GTD Hi-5 (10) ALLYWAG HANOVER is great off a trip, so that he took a bit of air and battled gamely last week was impressive. Brett Pelling trainee has done well over this track and should offer a fair price in the hopes of a smooth journey. (2) BYTHEMISSAL seems to be back on track now following back to back wins, including the fastest mile of the night at Hoosier last Saturday. His two losses to (3) TATTOO ARTIST can be explained by a bad post and setting fractions that were too fast. The latter has been unbeatable of late but will likely have to work harder than he's had to in some time to win here with his main contenders drawn reasonably well. (4) PONDA WARRIOR needs the right pace setup but can certainly fly late.