Harrah's Hoosier Park: Venerate turns in track record mile in Breeders Crown elim

Venerate lowered the track record for a rookie trotter of either sex with a dazzling 1:52 2/5 performance in the second of two $25,000 Breeders Crown 2-Year-Old Colt Trot eliminations on Friday night at Harrah's Hoosier Park. In Range was the winner of the other elimination.

Driven by Andy Miller, Venerate went to the front from post four and stuffed Captain Corey (Ake Svanstedt) in the pocket prior to the 27 1/5 opening quarter. Venerate was unchallenged through a 56 second half and a 1:25 1/5 three-quarters, then powered home in 27 1/5 to defeat Captain Corey, who lost a boot in the stretch, by 2 1/4 lengths. Take All Comers (David Miller) closed well to finish third, followed by Muscle Dynasty (Scott Zeron) and Zenith Stride (Brian Sears).

The time of 1:52 2/5 was quicker than filly May Baby's overall 2-year-old track record of 1:53 2/5 and lowered Fourth Dimension's previous mark for a rookie trotting colt of 1:54 taken in his Breeders Crown elimination in 2017.

Julie Miller trains Venerate, a Love You colt, for owners Pinske Stables and Andy Miller Stable Inc. Venerate has a record of 5-0-2 from nine efforts, and he has stashed away $703,114. Venerate, who was bred by Steve Stewart and Kemppi Stable, was hammered down for $90,000 at the 2019 Lexington Selected Yearling Sale. He's the first foal out of the Muscle Hill mare Peaceful Kemp (2:02 4/5, $3,356), a full sister to Trixton (1:50 3/5, $947,057) and a half-sister to Impressive Kemp (Credit Winner, 1:54 3/5, $501,074). Venerate was the 5-2 second choice and paid $7.00 to win.

Back in the first elimination, Cuatro De Julio (Louis Baudron) put up fractions of 26 3/5, 56 2/5, and 1:26 4/5 and looked like he was going to win in mid-stretch, but then disaster struck as he made an ill-timed break in stride. That threw the race wide-open, with Brookview Bolt (David Miller) coming through in the passing lane and In Range (Tim Tetrick) angling out off the cover of Delayed Hanover (Yannick Gingras). At the wire it was In Range getting the nod by a neck in 1:54 1/5, with Brookview Bolt second, Delayed Hanover third, and On A Streak (Bob McClure) fourth. Cuatro De Julio crossed the wire in fifth but was placed seventh for violating breaking rules, handing the last spot in the final to Cricket Fashion (Dexter Dunn).

"I just wanted to push him off the gate a little bit, try to get him in play a little bit. He's kind of a laid-back horse. He's raced well all year," said Tetrick. "I'm pretty happy with him, and he raced good to get up there today.

"They were going pretty decent to the half, and then going into the bottom turn they really kind of started shutting it down. I got away fourth and then came in the middle of the last turn. I flushed Yannick out and got to follow him all the way down the lane. We got up on the outside there to win."

From the first crop of Bar Hopping and trained by Marcus Melander, In Range has five wins and three seconds from nine trips behind the gate, and he has now pocketed $276,003. A $185,000 yearling acquisition at the 2019 Standardbred Horse Sale, In Range was bred by Windsong Stable and is owned by Amg Stable Inc., Kenneth Kjellgren, Tomas Asell, and Rick Wahlstedt. In Range is out of the Windsong's Legacy mare Ilia (1:56, $46,020), which makes him a half-brother to Tight Lines (Yankee Glide, 1:51 2/5, $596,376) and a three-quarter brother to Long Tom (Muscle Hill, 1:52 1/5, $410,513). In Range was a 6-1 shot and returned $14.00 to win.

Here is how the field will line up behind the gate for next Friday night's $600,000 final:

1-Take All Comers
2-Cricket Fashion
3-In Range
4-On A Streak
5-Venerate
6-Muscle Dynasty
7-Captain Corey
8-Zenith Stride
9-Delayed Hanover
10-Brookview Bolt
AE1-Moonstone
AE2-Capstone