Harrah's Hoosier Park: Hot Mess Express, Bulldog Hanover give De Long a power pair

Driver John De Long has been on quite a roll this year with the elite sophomore filly pacer Hot Mess Express. The Tony Alagna-trained lass meets what could be the toughest field of her career on Friday night in the $120,000 USS Indianapolis Memorial at Harrah's Hoosier Park, one of four six-figure events on the card.

Hot Mess Express landed post four in the field of 10, and De Long is more than aware of the competition as Hot Mess Express looks for her 14th win of the season.

"That's a pretty good group of fillies coming from out east," said De Long. "They are racing on short rest."

Breeders Crown runner-up Scarlett Hanover (post eight) and fourth-place finisher Blue Diamond Eyes (post three) add to an elite field that will force Hot Mess Express to pick up her game a notch.

"She was very good last week," said De Long of his filly, who waltzed to victory in the Circle City on October 29 at Hoosier. "We're not going to be able to get to the half in 57 this week."

Hot Mess Express cruised to a 1:51 1/5 victory last week after the soft opening-half, but the filly has proven to be able to deal with fast fractions just as well. Blue Diamond Eyes raced parked without cover for a large part of the Breeders Crown and was beaten just over a length at the wire. Scarlett Hanover, the Jugette winner, charged home from well off-the-pace for her second-place finish in the Crown. Both fillies are trained by Ron Burke.

In Friday's contest, not only will Hot Mess Express race against two Crown finalists, but a pair of fillies that enter the race in great form. Notably, Oakwoodanabella, an Irish import that has been tearing it up in Ohio and most recently at the Meadowlands, where the Brian Brown-trained filly defeated older foes over an off track in a sharp 1:51 3/5 mile. Oakwoodanabella finished second to Breeders Crown champion Test Of Faith in the Courageous Lady at Northfield Park on October 16.

Always B Laughin changed stables in October and has since won consecutive races in sub 1:50 miles over five-eighths- mile surfaces. The Always B Miki-sired filly is in the stable of Christi Noble and enters the USS Indianapolis following a 1:48 4/5 victory in the Simpson at Harrah's Philadelphia on October 21. Always B Laughin starts from post 10 in the second tier with Trace Tetrick in the bike.

Given the strength of the field, De Long was asked if Hot Mess Express, a filly generally seen on or near the lead, could race any other way.

"When Andy [McCarthy] drove her earlier this year in the Nadia Lobell, he had her first-over and she raced great," De Long said.

► Sign up for our FREE DRF Harness Digest Newsletter

The USS Indianapolis is slated as race 11 on the Hoosier program, and De Long figures to be in another good spot a race later behind Bulldog Hanover in the $220,000 Monument Circle for 3-year-old colt and gelding pacers.

"He was vicious," said De Long, describing Bulldog Hanover's 1:48 blowout victory in last Friday's [October 29] Circle City at Hoosier. "It took me a half-a-mile to pull him up afterwards."

Bulldog Hanover drew post seven in the Monument Circle for trainer Jack Darling and is the likely choice in the field of nine that also drew two from last week's Breeders Crown finals at the Meadowlands.

"He got down to the three-quarters last week in 1:21 4/5, but it didn't feel that fast he was doing it so easily," said De Long, obviously impressed by explosive speed of Bulldog Hanover.

A winner seven times in a dozen starts this year, Bulldog Hanover meets a solid group that includes Heart Of Chewbacca (post six), Southwind Gendry (post eight), and Whichwaytothebeach (post two).

Southwind Gendry was a distant fifth in his Crown final to Perfect Sting, but the Ron Burke trainee was coming off some solid miles prior, including a 1:50 victory in the Bluegrass at The Red Mile on October 3. Heart Of Chewbacca has been first or second in 17 of his 24 career starts.

Whichwaytothebeach has won half of his 16 starts this year and finished third in this year's North America Cup, one of his biggest paydays for trainer Brett Pelling.

Post time is 6:30 p.m. for Harrah's Hoosier Park's 14-race Friday program, which also includes the $165,000 Carl Erskine for 3-year-old male trotters and $105,000 Crossroads of America for 3-year-old trotting fillies.