Harrah's Hoosier Park: T C I keeping his dance card full as he trots into Friday's Carl Erskine Memorial

T C I put in one of the better Breeders Crown performances of the dozen that were contested at the Meadowlands last weekend and returns just six days later, moving to the Midwest for trainer Ron Burke in the $175,000 Carl Erskine Memorial on Friday night at Harrah's Hoosier Park. A nose behind Sig Sauer in the Crown, Burke is hopeful that T C I will regain winning form because he has more plans for his sophomore trotter.

"I thought he raced great in the Breeders Crown," said Burke of T C I. "He had to fight off multiple challenges and was still digging in on the wire."

A Mohawk Million champion and a winner of over $1.2 million as a freshman, T C I's sophomore campaign has had its ups and downs, and Burke finally believes he's gotten to the bottom of issues that had T C I performing at less than optimal conditions.

"He had been bleeding but nothing major," said Burke. "That race in the Bluegrass (September 28) was the worst race he's ever had, and he scoped bad, so we decided to put him on Lasix."

While the drug was not permitted in the Kentucky Futurity, Burke shipped T C I north and worked on his conditioning in preparation for the Breeders Crown.

"The first time we trained him with Lasix he was good," said Burke. "The second time we trained him he was vicious."

So, it was no shock to see the old T C I back in a sharp Crown trial victory on October 19 at the Meadowlands, and then, under less-than-ideal conditions a week later, he raced hard the entire mile and got nipped by the shortest nose in a wicked 1:50 4/5 clocking.

On Friday, Burke expects to see T C I perform at a high level. He drew post three and will be right between a pair of serious contenders, with Indiana Sires Stakes Super Final champion Gruesome Twosome (post one) to his inside and Ontario Sires Stakes Gold Super Final champion Paquet to his outside in the Erskine that goes as race seven on the Hoosier program.

Gruesome Twosome has won 15 of his 22 lifetime starts for trainer-driver and co-owner Daryl Bontrager. A son of You Know You Do, Gruestome Twosome is riding a four-race win streak into the Erskine.

Paquet (post six) could be the sleeper in the field given the progress he's made in just seven career starts. The son of Muscle Mass's inexperience showed in the Canadian Trotting Classic where he got away ninth despite starting from the pole position. He rebounded nicely with a front-end score in an Ontario Sires Stakes Gold Series event on September 30 at Woodbine Mohawk Park and then was a crushing open-lengths winner in the Super Final on October 12.

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Burke has a host of talent entered in the four Grand Circuit events on the Hoosier card, with 3-year-old trotting fillies Iam Independent and Sister Mary Maude starting side-by-side from posts five and six, respectively, in the $110,000 Crossroads Of America (race five).

"Sister Mary Maude is a nice, consistent horse, and I think she can go with Open company," said Burke. "Iam Independent has been getting a lot better lately."

Burke's duo will face Indiana Sires Stakes star Danger, a winner in nine of her 12 career starts who looks to rebound after some rough racing luck. Danger drew the pole in the field of seven.

Burke has ultimate confidence in 3-year-old filly pacer Seaside Diva, who landed post seven in the $100,000 U.S.S. Indianapolis Memorial, race nine on the card.

"She's as good a filly as there is," said Burke of the daughter of Downbytheseaside that followed up an Ohio Sires Stakes final victory on October 10 with an easy win in the Pegasus at Hoosier on October 18.

Seaside Diva drew post seven with stablemate Pass Line landing post five.

"Pass Line is really good now too," said Burke. "She had road trouble in the Breeders Crown elimination."

Burke's stable has a pair entered in the $180,000 Monument Circle (race 10) for 3-year-old colt and gelding pacers that are positioned to get money but perhaps not the first-place check. Nijinsky (6-5 morning line), a solid second in the Breeders Crown on October 26 at the Meadowlands, landed post three and figures to be a heavy favorite. The North America Cup champion has regular pilot Louis Roy venturing down from Ontario for the assignment as he looks for his 11th win this season.

Burke's pair of Solid Character (post one) and Noblesville (post two) have drawn well, and along with Clever Cody, who starts in the second tier, appear the main threats to Nijinsky.

Burke is hoping that T C I races well on Friday, as he would like to put him right back in the box for a stakes race on Thursday (November 7).

"If all goes well, he'll go next week in the Matron," said Burke. "I've got the trip planned that he won't be in the trailer more than four-to-five hours at a time before stopping."

If T C I does enter the Matron at Dover Downs, it will be the second time in two weeks he's racing on six days rest.

As for T C I returning as a 4-year-old, with his contemporaries Karl and Sig Sauer already confirmed 2025 stallions, Burke has an inclination that T C I may also join the stallion brigade.

"I think the owners are leaning in that direction right now," said Burke. "I look at T C I's season the same way I looked at Sweet Lou's 4-year-old year. I know he's a better horse than he showed this year."

Perhaps if T C I can capture the last few stakes races this year it would justify a return to the racetrack in 2025.