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Eyes Hopeful Too Wins Hoosier Park Classic

Eyes Hopeful Too and jockey Julie Veltman secured the victory in the 13th running of the $75,000 Hoosier Park Classic Saturday, Oct. 10. The race was one of three stakes for Quarter Horses on the card and kicked off Quarter Horse racing in the state of Indiana in 1997.

Starting from post seven, Eyes Hopeful Too jumped right out for the early advantage and got the call throughout the entire 400 yard distance. In the end, the four-year-old son of Mr. Eye Opener was the victor by one length in a time of :20.153. Burrs Tictac and Harold Collins finished second over Brimmerton Lane and Victor Olivo for third.

Owned by Dan Wasserbeck, Eyes Hopeful Too increased his career earnings to more than $120,000. The Indiana sired gelding is now eight for 25 lifetime with three of those wins coming at Hoosier Park.

“This horse (Eyes Hopeful Too) always breaks with his head down,” said trainer Dicky Wayne Benton. “If you don’t know about him, you’d think he was about to fall down, but that is just him. We bought him last year and he’s been real solid for us. This is the second horse we’ve had with Dan (Wasserbeck.) We’ve had horses together for the past three years.”

Last season at Hoosier Park, Eyes Hopeful Too finished second in the Hoosier Park Classic behind Scraw Barie Shake. Since connecting with Veltman, Wasserbeck, and Benton in 2009, he has won five of six starts. His victory in the 2009 Hoosier Park Classic was his first career stakes win.