Hoosier: JK Endofanera goes for five straight in $275K Monument Circle

The three-year-old pacing colt division has been looking for clarity since the season began. On Friday night at Hoosier Park, J K Endofanera looks for a significant win in the $275,000 Monument Circle. A victory might give the Art Major-sired colt all the momentum he needs to earn the division title.

J K Endofanera enters the Monument Circle riding a four race winning streak. The Ron Burke-trained homebred of the 3 Brothers Stable captured a division of the Tattersalls at Lexington’s famed Red Mile earlier this month. Always B Miki captured the other Tattersalls division and on Saturday the two will be paired in a race that could prove a definitive event.

“He was powerful when I drove him in the American-National,” said Ron Pierce, who will drive J K Endofanera from post two on Friday night. “Looking at him on the track he’s not that flashy. But when I sat behind him he was very smooth and very powerful.”

[DRF HARNESS: Watch the best 3-year-olds & Foiled Again at Hoosier on Friday--LIVE on DRF!]

Always B Miki has been the top three-year-old in Indiana all year long. The son of Always A Virgin has been unstoppable on the Sire Stakes circuit having captured the final two weeks ago. Yet when Always B Miki meet J K Endofanera on September 20 at Hoosier, he couldn’t hold off the North America Cup champion in a 1:49 mile. David Miller returns to drive Always B Miki from post four for trainer Joe Holloway.

The Monument Circle will most definitely not be a match race between the aforementioned colts. Little Brown Jug champion Limelight Beach landed the pole position in the race that goes as number 12 of 14 carded on Friday. Also trained by Ron Burke, Limelight Beach broke as the public choice in the American-National but did recover in a solid manner to earn a check. The altered son of Somebeachsomewhere has but four victories this season, but all have come since mid-September.

Windy City Pace winner Big Boy Dreams was solid in his first trip for driver Tim Tetrick. The If I Can Dream-sired colt, a $9,000 yearling, captured the Windy City at Maywood impressively going wire-to-wire in a 1:51 clocking. Big Boy Dreams drew post nine in the field of 10.

The Jimmy Takter-trained Somewhere In L A has been knocking on the door all season long without a major victory. Though he faltered after showing early speed in the Windy City, there’s no reason to believe he couldn’t bounce back in a big way with a return to a larger oval. Brett Miller has the driving assignment from post seven.

Pierce will also be piloting Sweet Lou in the $211,500 Hoosier Park Pacing Derby (race 11) and he’s optimistic that the five-year-old is ready for a bounce back mile. “He’s been fighting some issues,” said Pierce, “Ron (Burke) said he trained very good the other day.”

After a brilliant summer Sweet Lou has missed the board in his last three starts. He’ll meet an incredibly talented field that includes Foiled Again, Clear Vision and recent American-National upset winner Thinking Out Loud.

The Friday Hoosier card kicks off at 5:15 p.m. and also features the Nadia Lobell and Moni Maker for three-year-old fillies on each gait, and the Carl Erskine for sophomore trotting colts.