Eyes Got Hope Repeats in Hoosier Park Classic
Defending champ Eyes Got Hope and rider Harold Collins retained their title in the $100,000 Hoosier Park Classic Saturday, Oct. 8 at Hoosier Park. The race was part of an all-Quarter Horse racing day featuring 11 races on the program.
Starting
from post, heavily favored Eyes Got Hope never left any doubt as
the horse to catch. The striking grey son of Mr Eye Opener
rolled out of the gate with authority and never looked back,
surging under the wire as a three-quarter length winner.
Brimmerton Lane and Victor Olivo were placed up to second
followed by Fillemup Phil and Tom C. Johns, who were placed up
to third.
Eyes Got Hope beat his time recorded in the 2010, completing the four hundred yard dash in :20.141 seconds. The Indiana-bred gelding is owned and trained by Gene Cox and is now five for six lifetime at Hoosier Park. He increased his career earnings to more than $200,000 with his repeat win in the Hoosier Park Classic.
“I knew he (Eyes Got Hope) broke well and Harold (Collins) started riding good,” said Cox. “This win means a lot to me. We have a friend in the hospital recuperating from a serious injury (jockey Richard Gilliard) and this win is dedicated to him.”
Cox stepped up in a major way following the races at the QHRAI dinner in the Homestretch Restaurant. The Chester, South Carolina native donated $2,500 to the jockey pageant, in which three of Hoosier Park’s Quarter Horse jockeys dressed up and collected money in their jockey’s boot for votes to win the beauty pageant.
Aron Hunt, Harold Collins, and Tom C. Johns all worked the crowd
to pull in more than $3,000 for Gilliard, who is rehabilitating
from his injuries sustained earlier in the meet from a racing
incident. Hunt even sported pink fingernail and toe polish along
with a purse and high heels for his performance for Gilliard.
All three riders were declared the winner in the beauty
competition.
In addition to the jockey’s pageant, nine stick horses were sold at auction. Coordinated by Pat Barrett, silks room attendant, the stick horses will return for a race from the starting gate Saturday, Oct. 22. All bidders can name their horses and their jockeys for the event. In all, a total of $5,555 was raised for Gilliard during the evening’s activities.
The QHRAI dinner completed the first all-Quarter Horse racing day at Hoosier Park. The afternoon card brought in a large crowd of spectators for racing and Wild West activities, including a mechanical bull, strolling western entertainers, and face painting.
Photos by Linscott Photography