A couple of Indiana veterans turned in wins during the Father’s Day card at Vernon Downs Sunday, June 21. HC Commander dug in gamely in the stretch to win by open lengths in the $4,000 conditioned pace in a time of 1:56.4.
HC Commander and Truman Gale, nicknamed the Night Train, took control of the field from the start, sprinting to the top spot from the middle of the track, but his time on the lead was short lived. Sunuma Beach and Claude Huckabone III were out and moving before the first turn arrived and slid over to the top spot in the first turn followed swiftly by race favorite Keg Party and Chris Long, who were the third leaders at the quarter in :28.0. The tempo kept everyone in single file to the half in :57.4 before horses began to move to the outside.
Gale looked over his shoulder and saw the outer flow forming from the back led by Ourrhythmnblues N and John MacDonald. That was the que for HC Commander to get out and moving heading into he final turn.
HC Commander powered up to challenge Keg Party and got a half ahead in the final turn but could not clear to the lead as Keg Party fought back along the inside. In the lane, HC Commander took back over and rallied home to a two-length advantage at the wire over Keg Party. Choreographer and Frank Affrunti moved up the inside to finish third.
HC Commander paid $6.42 for the win. The seven-year-old son of Always a Virgin is owned by Adam Friedland and was bred by Herman Miller. Gary Gibson trains the gelding, who earned his 17th career win from 159 starts. Overall, he just surpassed the $200,000 mark in earnings with his career best time of 1:50.4 taken at Scioto Downs as a four-year-old. HC Commander began his career in Indiana in the Henry Graber Jr. barn before eventually making his way to Ohio and then further East.
In the very next race, Gorgeous View and Jimmy Whittemore rallied gate to wire to win the optional claiming event in a time of 1:56.1. The 12-year-old son of He’s Gorgeous was four lengths ahead of Get Back to Work and Truman Gale and Major Steel and Frank Affrunti, who finished second and third, respectively.
Gorgeous View is owned and trained by Kenneth Dawson. Alvin Schwartz bre and raised the veteran gelding, who earned his first win of 2026. Overall, he has 38 wins from 322 starts and more than $288,000 in earnings. Gorgeous View began his training at the Illinois State Fair under the direction of Tom Simmons. He took his career best time of 1:51.0 at Northfield Park.
