Veteran Stop Hammertime goes for repeat in Harrison Handicap
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Trainer Tianna Richardville is still is seeking her first victory after 48 starters at this Horseshoe Indianapolis race meet. She just might get it with Stop Hammertime, who has made 48 career starts and tries to repeat Wednesday in the $100,000 William Henry Harrison Handicap.
Seven-year-old Stop Hammertime finished fourth in the 2020 and 2021 renewals of the Harrison before breaking through with a victory in the 2022 edition. His form continued improving through the remainder of his 2022 campaign and Stop Hammertime could be ready to step forward with a peak performance after two moderate showings this season.
The Harrison is one of two six-furlong dirt races for horses by Indiana sires on the Wednesday card at Horseshoe Indianapolis. It goes as race 9, immediately following the $100,000 Shelby County Handicap for Indiana-sired fillies and mares.
Stop Hammertime is one of four horses carrying top weight of 127 pounds in the Harrison, which was run as a stakes race, not a handicap, before this year. The odd weight assignments range from 121 pounds up to 127. In races on April 19 and May 6 Stop Hammertime ran like a horse still shaking off rust following a five-month layoff. The gelding, who has made 46 starts over this racing surface, has the right style for the Harrison, which appears top heavy with pace players.
One of the front-runners, Mr Chaos, probably will be favored. Four-year-old Mr Chaos races for the first time since Oct. 29 and did his very best work last season in two-turn races. He also carries 127 pounds and has been posting very fast local workouts for trainer Rob Dobbs.
Hungarian Princess gives 10 rivals between two and seven pounds as the 127-pound highweight in the Shelby County, which she won in 2022 after finishing second by a nose in the 2021 renewal. Though there’s little doubt this mare would win on her best day, there’s reason to doubt she’ll have her best day Wednesday.
Hungarian Princess makes her first start since September and just her second start since last June, and she now runs for her fourth different trainer in her last five outings. Kim Hammond trained Hungarian Princess her first 14 races, through the end of her 2021 season. The mare made two starts, including her Shelby County win, last June for trainer Marv Johnson, who in July was suspended one year after his veterinarian was observed treating a horse the day it was to race. In September, Hungarian Princess raced once for trainer Dawn Fontenot, and on Wednesday she runs for Anthony Cunningham, mainly a Quarter Horse trainer.
The upset selection is No Trust, who was campaigned last year mainly as a route horse and might best be suited to making one run in a sprint race like Wednesday’s.
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