I go to their practices in Florham Park several times each preseason.  You ever go?

No but I heard the place is beautiful.

Heard one vehicle has an alias of The Beast. Can't imagine who might be in it.

Quite a few fit that description in the current administration.

   Anderson, IN — Beginning on Friday (June 26), Harrah’s Hoosier Park horsepeople will see a purse increase go into effect on races for non-winners of a given amount of money in their last four starts, the third purse increase instituted for the 2026 racing season.

“This is the third phase of our targeted purse increase for the 2026 season,” said John DeLong, president of the Indiana Standardbred Association. “This comes after careful budgeting for the 160-day meet, and it’s something we hope to continue to build upon for our horsemen.”

This is the third 20% purse to be put into place in 2026, with that increase also impacting non-winners of a given number of races lifetime (both straight, and claiming), as well as Indiana-sired 2-year-old conditioned events receiving a 20% boost from Indiana Standardbred Breed Development this summer.

“We deeply appreciate both the Indiana Standardbred Association and Breed Development for their support as we implement these boosts to our purses,” said Gabe Prewitt, vice president and general manager of racing at Harrah’s Hoosier Park. “We also deeply appreciate our horseplayers. With their support ,handle was up 30% year-over-year in 2025, and we are already up another 10% in 2026, which has contributed greatly to drive purses forward.”

This means that a horse in each of these races wins out of the class they race in. 

You have these types of races where if you win out of the class, it is very difficult to compete at the next higher level.

There was a race at Monticello a short time ago where 1 of the drivers (a Merton ?) was 2/5 on the rail and did a poor job of not winning the race where the horse was tons the best!  There is quite a bit more money at Hoosier than Monticello!  More encore performances like the Monticello race previously mentioned?  The bettors get the royal screw job if this happens and just another reason to give up betting on any race in the future.

Showed 1:50.4 first start closing last start. 1:48 + change last year and $160K+.
Backstreet Gambler [the winner] doesn't show a race that it was in that the 1/2
went slower than 56 flat. Gets the half 58.2. Then like you say, Ross doesn't even
pull then going to 3/4. TRULY as bad as it gets as far as I'm concerned. Did I
mention, he was 1/5?

What makes you think he stiffed the horse in this $7100 purse race? 

Sitting 3rd he doesn't pull before the 3/4 pole 

The only one not urging his horse in the stretch 

That stupid move every cheater does looking side to side with a million miles of room on both...and losing by 2 lengths with tons of horse 

I get the slow half but he was 2 lengths off that pace, nah he didn't stiff him 

Why should he, $180 in winning driver purse money against $60,000+ in the race pools, NOPE!