Nijinsky headlines Monument Circle night Friday at Hoosier

A quartet of six-figure Grand Circuit events are set for Friday (Nov. 1) at Harrah’s Hoosier Park Racing & Casino, headlined by the North America Cup champion, Nijinsky, making the trek to Anderson just six days after a runner-up finish to the razer-sharp Mirage Hanover in the $600,000 Breeders Crown Final at the Meadowlands.

Getting the nod as the 6-5 morning-line choice in the $180,000 Monument Circle for sophomore pacing colts, Nijinsky returns to Harrah’s Hoosier Park for the first time in over a year since a fourth-place effort in the Breeders Crown elim as a rookie. Since then, Nijinsky blossomed into one of the sport’s biggest stars at age three, with wins in Grand Circuit events such as the Pepsi North America Cup, Simcoe Stakes, as well as claiming the title in the Ontario Sire Stakes Super Final. A winner in 10 of 14 this season with just over $1 million made, Nijinsky looks for his first victory since that Ontario Sire Stakes title on Oct. 12, with a pair of second-place efforts at The Meadowlands in the Breeders Crown elim and final. Regular pilot Louis Roy will be in to drive the son of Bettor’s Delight-Pirouette Hanover for trainer Anthony Beaton who will leave from post three.

Nine other sophomore pacers with substantial resumes of their own will take on Nijinsky in the Monument Circle, headlined by Ohio Sire Stakes Champion Clever Cody, Indiana Sire Stakes champion Noblesville, along with Hoosier State standout Tellmeitmatters who leaves from post seven as the 4-1 second choice on the morning line. The Monument Circle is slated for race 10 on Friday night and has an illustrious list of champions that includes superstars such as Bulldog Hanover, Always B Miki and Bythemissal along with Indiana standouts such as Freaky Feet Pete, Always A Prince, and last year’s champion, Coach Stefanos.

Race seven on the card features a short but stout field of six in the $175,000 Carl Erskine for three-year-old trotting colts. Millionaire T C I headlines after narrowly missing in the Breeders Crown final to Sig Sauer and is no stranger to success at Harrah’s Hoosier Park, winning the Peter Haughton Memorial in 2023 over the oval along with a runner-up to Karl in last year’s Breeders Crown two-year-old colt trot. The 2023 O’Brien Award winner has won half of his 12 outings this season, including victories in the Pennsylvania Sire Stakes Championship and Breeders Crown elimination in two of his last four starts. Hall of Fame driver Dave Miller retains the drive on the 1-5 morning-line favorite for Ron Burke from post three.

T C I will meet Indiana Sire Stakes Champion Gruesome Twosome who is undefeated in nine starts at Harrah’s Hoosier Park this season, with his lone four defeats coming against Grand Circuit company out of state. Daryl Bontrager co-owns, trains and drives the son of You Know You Do-All Set Lets Go who has banked $344,978 on the season, while riding a four-race win streak into the Erskine. Gruesome Twosome will leave from the rail as the 7-2 second-choice.

On the far outside in the field of six is Ontario Sire Stakes champion, Paquet. The lightly raced three-year-old rookie son of Muscle Mass-Darjeeling makes his first start since winning the Ontario Sire Stakes Super Final on Oct. 12 at Mohawk. Jody Jamieson will make the trip south of the border to drive for father, Carl, enlisted as the 9-2 third choice on the morning line.

The 13-race Friday night card also features the $110,000 Crossroads of America for three-year-old filly trotters which will serve as the fifth race, along with the $100,000 USS Indianapolis Memorial for three-year-old pacing fillies slated for race nine. First post for the Monument Circle card is 6:15 p.m.