Hoosier Park: Richest son of Bettor’s Delight takes on brethren in Dan Patch

Perhaps for All Bets Off the fourth time will prove the charm. The $3 million winner tries for his first Dan Patch victory on Friday night at Hoosier Park after three in-the-money performances over the last three years. One of three sons of Bettor’s Delight in the star-studded field for the $325,000 Dan Patch, All Bets Off is the lone to be foaled in North America.

“I was happy with his race in the McKee,” said Matt Kakaley, who has guided the fortunes primarily for trainer Ron Burke throughout the racing career of All Bets Off. “He’s never been that good with the extra eighth of a mile. Miso Fast came at him and we had to race.”

The extra eighth put All Bets Off in fifth at the end of that distance and Kakaley is hopeful the move to Hoosier Park will give his horse back the edge he will need.

[DRF HARNESS LIVE: Join Garnet Barnsdale as he provides real-time updates and insight on the Dan Patch card.]

“He’s definitely been good over this track,” said Kakaley. “He won the Hoosier Park Pacing Derby here last year and we finished second behind Check Six in the Dan Patch.”

Two years back, All Bets Off finished third behind Wiggle It Jiggleit and Always B Miki in a memorable edition.

“I thought after the Ben Franklin elimination he was back to the old All Bets Off,” said Kakaley, “but then he wasn’t as good in the final.”

The Dan Patch finds All Bets Off sandwiched between two other impressive sons of Bettor’s Delight. Bit Of A Legend N arrives from Yonkers following an impressive last-to-first conquest in an Open Handicap. The rugged import has been impressive on smaller tracks and will get tested over the seven-eighths configuration at Hoosier Park. Bit Of A Legend N landed post five for driver Jordan Stratton.

To All Bets Off’s outside behind the gate will be another New Zealand bred of legendary regard in the presence of Lazurus N. Perhaps no horse in recent memory has arrived on these shores with such high expectations, but the 6-year-old Lazurus N may prove more than capable of living up to the hype.

“I watched his qualifier for the first time yesterday (Tuesday),” said Kakaley, “It was impressive.”

Nevertheless Kakaley recognized that there’s a big difference between a sharp qualifier and the activity within a purse race. Jimmy Takter trains Lazurus N and Yannick Gingras will be in the bike in his first North American stakes event from post nine.

The Dan Patch is deep in talent and perhaps it will be McWicked that emerges in the stretch run for trainer Casie Coleman. The 7-year-old is on the verge of surpassing $3 million in career earnings and comes off a second-place finish in the McKee. With six wins in nine starts this season, McWicked already has victories in the Ben Franklin and William Haughton Memorial to his credit.

Trainer Ron Burke also sends out Rockin Ron (post 4) and the Indiana-bred has already earned $437,875 on the season, second in the field behind McWicked.

First post time is 6:30 p.m. for Hoosier Park’s 14-race program with the feature going as race 11.