Odds On Racing - Harness Racing

Hop Sings Wins The Dan Patch

        Hop Sing paces to a 1:51.3 victory at Hoosier Park

Saturday, April 29, 2006

Hop Sing and driver Tony Morgan rallied in the stretch to win the $200,000 Dan Patch Invitational Pace Saturday, April 29 at Hoosier Park. The duo covered the one-mile distance in a time of 1:51.3 over sloppy track conditions. A total of 3,908 people were in attendance for the 13th edition of the event.

Starting from post four, Morgan opted to stay off the early pace, allowing Tigerama and Robert Shepherd to cross by the quarter pole in a time of :26.2. Morgan moved the five-year-old son of The Panderosa to the outside heading to the halfway point, flushing Maltese Artist and Mike Wilder to the outside and obtaining a perfect trip for the second half of the race.

“I wanted to follow Maltese Artist,” said Morgan, who is currently leading the nation in wins this year with more than 360 victories. “I tried to follow him in last year’s race, but it didn’t work out as planned. The track was sloppy tonight, but it was just right. They told me this was a gutsy horse, and he handled the track and the trip perfectly.”

Maltese Artist scooted away from the field around the final turn and was on top by open lengths heading to the finish. Hop Sing got into gear and grinded his way to the lead, taking the title by one-half length over Mypanmar and Ricky Macomber Jr. Primetime Bobcat and Jody Jamieson joined the top two in a late rally to finish third.

Owned by Richard Annunziata of Mahopac, New York, Hop Sing won his seventh race in his 12th outing for 2006. He increased his career bankroll to more than $568,000 with the victory for trainer Ettore Annunziata.

$200,000 Dan Patch Invite Hoosier Park Results Saturday, April 29, 2006
Horse                          Driver
4 Hop Sing                   Tony Morgan
6 Mypanmar                 R Macomber Jr.
8 Primetime Bobcat      J Jamieson
3 Rebelman                  Joe Essig Jr.
1 Foxy Maneuver           Don Eash
5 Tigerama                   Robert Shepherd
10 Maltese Artist            Mike Wilder
7 Escape The Wind        R Mayotte
9 Spirit Of A Shark        W Haynes Jr.
2 Casimir Camotion       G Brennan
:26.2    :55.1    1:22.4   1:51.3