Driver Scott Zeron is hoping for better racing luck with Perciulum on Friday night than he received in last Saturday's (September 13) MGM Yonkers International Trot, as the pair eye the $200,000 Caesars Trotting Classic on a stakes-filled night of racing at Harrah's Hoosier Park. Periculum hopes to regain winning form following his first off-the-board finish in a race where he never had room to challenge in the homestretch. "We're back in six days because he really didn't have to do much in the International," Zeron said, reflecting on the journey. "We were locked in from the start and there wasn't much that we could do." On Friday, Periculum will get a chance to turn the tables on Lexus Kody, the International Trot champion and record-setting winner in the Maple Leaf Trot. Periculum finished second behind Lexus Kody in the Maple Leaf. "He raced exceptional in the Maple Leaf but ran into a wicked mile," said Zeron of Periculum's performance in the August 30 event at Woodbine Mohawk Park. "He's been very consistent throughout the year." Indeed, Periculum enters Friday's Caesars Trotting Classic with three wins and three seconds in his seven seasonal starts. Zeron hopes the improved draw (post three) will give him more chances to work out a favorable trip for the son of Muscle Hill that generally has done some of his best racing coming from off-the-pace. "I think the long stretch at Hoosier works well for him," said Zeron, who guided Periculum to a third-place finish in this event last year. Trainer Marcus Melander returns both Periculum and last year's second-place finisher Oh Well for the 2025 edition, with the latter landing post nine on the outside of the starting gate in the 10-horse field with one trailer. Lexus Kody has found another gear for trainer Ron Burke over the last month and his back-to-back victories in two of the sport's most prestigious races encouraged the trainer to enter the Caesars Trotting Classic in top form. Yannick Gingras will guide the 7-year-old by Archangel from post seven as he looks for his fourth consecutive victory. Hillexotic could be another major player in the Caesars Trotting Classic. The recent Charlie Hill Memorial winner at Scioto Downs (September 6) finished third in the Maple Leaf Trot behind Lexus Kody and Periculum. Austin Hanners will drive Hillexotic for trainer Todd Luther from post four. ► Sign up for our FREE DRF Harness Digest Newsletter Post position could be a problem for the recent Canadian Pacing Derby champion Maximus Miki, who Zeron will guide in the $179,5000 Hoosier Park Pacing Derby. The Tom Cancelliere-trained 6-year-old landed post eight in the field of 10. "A lot is going to depend on how well we get out of there," said Zeron of his chances with Maximus Miki, who rallied from eighth at the half to an upset in the Canadian Pacing Derby at Woodbine Mohawk Park on August 30. "He's capable of carrying his speed a long way." Maximus Miki won the biggest race of his career in the Canadian Pacing Derby, sweeping past a solid field in the final stride while pacing in 1:48 1/5. Zeron is aware of what time means in these contests. "All of these horses can go 1:47-1:48. It's just a matter of what position you're in," Zeron said with a clear understanding of the obstacle the draw puts on his charge. The Hoosier Park Pacing Derby drew a solid field, and the posts favor a pair from the inside, with Bythemissal (post one) and Ken Hanover (post two) having the inside track and the talent to tackle the field. Bythemissal, third to Little Rocket Man from post nine in last year's edition of the race, is likely to have more of a say in the early pace and the finish of the 2025 edition. Yannick Gingras guided Bythemissal to a 1:46 4/5 career-best performance in the Canadian Pacing Derby trials, but the Ron Burke-trained 6-year-old took too much air in the final and faded to seventh. With $2.5 million in career earnings, Bythemissal is the richest horse in the field. Ken Hanover has won six of his nine starts this year for trainer Roland Mallar and returns to action for the first time in a month following a brilliant 1:50 4/5 qualifying effort at Harrah's Philadelphia on September 9. A 5-year-old by Captaintreacherous, Ken Hanover owns victories in the Dave Brower Memorial and Sam McKee Memorial this year. Regular pilot Dave Miller handles Ken Hanover in the Hoosier Park Pacing Derby. Little Rocket Man (post four) will be looking for his 78th career victory if he's to capture his second straight Pacing Derby for trainer Ken Rucker. A 9-year-old by Rockin Image, Little Rocket Man is hoping to regain winning form following a pair of off-the-board finishes in stakes events at Scioto Downs. More accomplished on the big track, Little Rocket Man has Mike Oosting back in the sulky. Last year's Breeders Crown champion Coach Stefanos (post six) will be making his first start in four weeks for trainer Erv Miller. A 5-year-old by Indiana sire Tellitlikeitis, Coach Stefanos is hoping to regain the kind of form that saw him finish a solid second in the William Haughton Memorial at the Meadowlands on July 12. The 14-race Hoosier Park program begins at 5:30 PM (EDT).