The 2022 racing season came to a close at Harrah’s Hoosier Park Saturday, Dec. 10. Several drivers and trainers had multiple wins on the card, including the Wilfong Stable, who connected for three trips to the winner’s circle. All three wins were with trotters.
Muscular Babe was one of three wins on the final night of racing at Harrah’s Hoosier Park Saturday, Dec. 10 for the Wilfong Stable. Driver Kyle Wilfong scored four wins overall. Photo by Dean Gillette
Muscular Babe completed the training triple for Brett Wilfong with a win in conditioned trotting action in the 10th race on the night. The veteran trotting mare, driven by Kyle Wilfong, got away near the back of the pack as Rose Run Vincent and Atlee Bender got the early advantage out of the gate to set early fractions of :27.3 and :57.0. Around the final turn, Muscular Babe began her move to take over the leader and was first over and in perfect striking position for the stretch drive.
Wilfong guided Muscular Babe to a final quarter of :28.1 to score the win by a neck over Classy Guy and Pat Melloy Jr., who traveled in the two hole for the majority of the mile. Rose Run Vincent finished third in the mile recorded in 1:56.2.
Muscular Babe paid $9.80 for the win. The Guccio mare is owned by Brett Wilfong, Joseph Baron and Kyle Wilfong. Ben Schmucker and Black Creek Farm bred the seven-year-old, who picked up her fourth win of the year and her 27th overall. She is closing in on $200,00 in earnings for her career with her best time recorded as a four-year-old at Harrah’s Hoosier Park in 1:53.2.
The one-time Indiana Sires Stakes contender, Muscular Babe transferred over to the Wilfong Stable as a three-year-old. She is a half sister to the standout trotting gelding Winding Hill, a son of Here Comes Herbie who has a mark of 1:53.2 and more than $343,000 and is still racing.
Muscular Babe was part of the first crop by Guccio. She sold for $27,000 as a yearling and was one of 75 that sold at public auction that season.
Other winners on the final night of racing for the Wilfong Stable included Latin Lover in the $14,000 Les Carter Memorial Final and Late Night Hawk in conditioned trotting action. Latin Lover was a near gate to wire winner in 1:54.4 for owner Lynn Wilfong while Late Night Hawk, owned by Brett Wilfong and Goose Island Stable, came from off the tempo of the race for the win by three-quarters of a length in 1:55.2. Latin Lover is a New York bred four-year-old son of E L Titan while Late Night Hawk is a three-year-old son of Dover Dan.
Kyle Wilfong completed his night with a catch drive win behind Sly Little Fox in the evening’s featured $22,000 Open Trot. The Swan for All four-year-old mare found cover at the half and followed that to the stretch before kicking into another gear, trotting home in :27.3 for the win in 1:53.4. Shadrack Hanover and Trace Tetrick finished second over Famous Father and Rick Plano for third.
Sly Little Fox, trained by Mike Hollenback, is owned and was bred by Bambi Fox. She is capping off a great year of racing from January to December with 10 wins in 22 starts and her final race at Harrah’s Hoosier Park was a new lifetime mark. She is now 13 for 27 lifetime with earnings of $135,000.