Two stellar fields of ten 2-year-old trotters have been assembled for the $368,950 Peter Haughton Memorial for colts/geldings and $464,400 Jim Doherty Memorial for fillies. The Grade 1 affairs headline a 15-race stakes-filled card on Friday, Sept. 12 at Harrah's Hoosier Park which gets underway with a first post of 5:30 p.m. (EDT). The Peter Haughton Memorial will go as race 11 on the evening, where Apex has been tabbed as the even-money morning-line favorite as driver Dexter Dunn looks to repeat in this event with trainer Marcus Melander after the pair teamed up with Maryland en route to victory a year ago. The royally-bred son of two World Champions and award-winning parents, Walner and Mission Brief, Apex comes to the Midwest following a career best score of 1:52 2/5 in the $250,000 New Jersey Classic at the Meadowlands in his last start. Having banked $272,100 on the season, Apex has won four of six on the year and is yet to miss the board for owners Jeffrey Snyder, S R F Stable and Steve Stewart. Magic Punk has been enlisted as the 5-2 second choice on the morning line for trainer/driver Ake Svanstedt. The son of Wishing Stone-I D Entity has won three of five of the season and comes to Hoosier Park after a runner-up effort in the $349,200 William Wellwood at Woodbine Mohawk Park in his last try on Aug. 23. Owned by Magic Punk Inc., the colt sports a bankroll of $109,270 on the season. In addition to the out-of-town horses, five local Indiana-sired horses will attempt to protect their home track: Hawt Yoga, Swan Bi Bi, Power N Steam, Mcmikenmike and Dan D Man Can. Moving to Harrah's Hoosier Park in 2023, the 2025 champion will join T C I (2023) and Maryland (2024) to win this race over the Anderson, Indiana, oval. The 2025 Peter Haughton Memorial field, in post position order with trainer, listed driver and morning-line odds below: 1-Hawt Yoga-Ricky Macomber Jr.-Ricky Macomber Jr. 20-1 2-Apex-Marcus Melander-Dexter Dunn 1-1 3-Swan Bi Bi-Henry Graber Jr.-Scott Zeron 20-1 4-Hamlet Hall-Norm Parker-Peter Wrenn 20-1 5-Power N Steam-Ken Rucker-Mike Oosting 20-1 6-Mcmikenmike-Erv Miller-Marcus Miller 20-1 7-Magic Punk-Ake Svanstedt-Ake Svanstedt 5-2 8-Mr Big Spender-Norm Parker-Mike Wilder 7-1 9-Dan D Man Can-Erv Miller-Atlee Bender 20-1 10-Who's Eyes Blues-Ron Burke-Ronnie Wrenn Jr. 12-1 ► Sign up for our FREE DRF Harness Digest Newsletter The $464,400 Jim Doherty Memorial for fillies will go as race nine on the card, where the Ron Burke trained Atlantic Summer is the 2-1 morning-line favorite from the outside post nine. Regular pilot Ronnie Wrenn Jr. will be in to drive the daughter of Captain Corey-Perfect Summer K who has hit the board in four of five this year and enters off a third-place effort in the $300,000 Pennsylvania Sire Stakes final at Harrah's Philly on Sept. 5. Owned by Burke Racing Stable, James Simpson, Larry Karr and Weaver Bruscemi, Atlantic Summer has earned $76,197 on the season and took a mark of 1:56 at The Meadows in her lone victory in her career debut. Trainer Marcus Melander sends out a fierce duo with Creator, the 7-2 second choice, and Lainey W, 7-1 on the morning line, leaving from posts four and two, respectively. Creator enters off a maiden-breaking score of 1:54 at The Red Mile against Commonwealth company in her last and the daughter of Walner-Hanna Bourbon has yet to finish worse than second through four starts. Lainey W has also been a force in the Bluegrass State, winning three straight against the Commonwealth bunch, taking a mark of 1:53 4/5 in the last of those wins before jumping it off in her last. The two editions of the Jim Doherty Memorial at Harrah's Hoosier Park have been won by Dan Patch Award winners Soiree Hanover (2023) and Champagne Problems (2024). The 2025 Jim Doherty field, in post position order with trainer, driver and morning-line odds below: 1-R Zee-John Butenschoen-Marcus Miller 12-1 2-Lainey W-Marcus Melander-Scott Zeron 7-1 3-Miss Ann Reed-Philip Scott Sonsteby-Ake Svanstedt 20-1 4-Creator-Marcus Melander-Dexter Dunn 7-2 5-Clear And Cool-Henry Graber Jr.-Jordan Ross 20-1 6-Westwinds Yahtzee-LeWayne Miller-Kyle Wilfong 5-1 7-Madam Cheval-Nancy Takter-Jimmy Takter 12-1 8-Swan Gracelyn-LeWayne Miller-LeWayne Miller 20-1 9-Atlantic Summer-Ron Burke-Ronnie Wrenn Jr. 2-1 10-R Candy-Linda Toscano-David Miller 9-2 Beyond the rich purses on the line in both Grade 1 events, those already eligible to the Breeders Crown finals this October at Woodbine Mohawk Park are also competing for a automatic slot into the $600,000 final as part of the "win and you're in" series. With purses Friday night totaling just shy of $1.5 million, the two trotting features are joined by the $84,750 Hoosier Cup final for Indiana-sired 3-year-old pacing colts/geldings and seven divisions of Indiana Sire Stakes. Horses featured on the undercard include North America's second co-fastest 2-year-old of the year, Odds On Mr Mamba, On To Norway, who is in search of his 14th consecutive victory, and Rock Shines Again, who looks to remain undefeated through 11-starts this year.  --press release (Harrah's Hoosier Park)--