Harrah's Hoosier Park: Little Rocket Man staves off rivals in Pacing Derby

Little Rocket Man continued his sensational 8-year-old season with a 1:48 1/5 triumph in Friday night's $165,000 Harrah's Hoosier Park Pacing Derby for free-for-allers. David Miller piloted Little Rocket Man for trainer Ken Rucker.

Horses who usually do their best work from off-the-pace - Coach Stefanos (Trace Tetrick) and Abuckabett Hanover (Dexter Dunn) - took turns on the lead to and past the 26 2/5 quarter, but Little Rocket Man, who won the Battle Of Lake Erie from off cover and the Ewart Memorial from first-up himself, pulled out of fourth in the backstretch and made his way around Abuckabett Hanover beyond the 54 2/5 half. While that was going on up front, Bythemissal (Yannick Gingras) had gotten parked in mid-pack from post nine but wound up second-over past the half after Backstreet Shadow (Andy McCarthy) elected to go three-wide around him to assume the first-over position.

"The first quarter wasn't really that hard. Dexter got there pretty easy and Yannick was at my wheel. I had to make a decision to either sit or move. I went ahead and moved him. The half wasn't that bad, so I felt pretty comfortable," Miller said post-race.

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Backstreet Shadow made some progress toward Little Rocket Man through three-quarters in 1:21 3/5 but began to tire in the lane as Little Rocket Man, Abuckabett Hanover and Bythemissal separated from the others. Abuckabett Hanover had a shot at the inside and Bythemissal, who wouldn't give up despite never seeing a pylon, was there on the outside, but Little Rocket Man wouldn't let either by and tallied by a quarter of a length. Abuckabett Hanover was second and Bythemissal got third. Dunkin' (Tim Tetrick), who won the Dan Patch at the oval earlier this year, finished with pace for fourth and Coach Stefanos wound up fifth.

"I was telling Kenny there, he felt pretty comfortable all the way through the lane," added Miller. "Those horses were coming to him. I was probably getting a little more nervous than he what was. He was like 'we got this man, don't worry.'"

Bred in Indiana by Victory Hill Farm, Little Rocket Man is a gelding by Rockin Image. Owned by Russell Beeman and Jack Freeman, this was Little Rocket Man's 65th career victory and he has now banked $1,544,799. He paid $3.40 to win as the favorite.