Newton Horse Pulls Off 70-1 Shocker

A horse with Newton connections pulled a 70-1 shocker in the opening race Tuesday night at Hoosier Park in Anderson, Indiana, as Phabaj (pronounced FAH buh) won a $10,000 leg of the Jera Larkins Memorial for driver Jared Finn. 

Owned by Finn Racing LLC and trained by Jared's father, J.D. Finn, Phabaj returned $142 on a $2 win ticket in her first start in more than seven months. The three-year-old trotting filly went the one-mile distance in 1:56.1, as she bumped her career bankroll to $33,000 in 14 starts. 

The Finn Stable also sent 11-1 outsider La Nancio to the post in a separate division of the same race, and the filly responded with a runner-up effort despite an eight-month layoff. 

Tuesday night's card marked a return to racing for Hoosier Park for the first time since the onset of restrictions relating to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The races were contested without spectators in the stands, as wagering was facilitated through online accounts and simulcast locations.