Hostetler Scores Win 3,500; Former Champ Put Down

Driver Lavern Hostetler achieved a career milestone Wednesday night, August 27, by capturing the first race at Maywood Park with his own Armbro Barnes, scoring his 3,500 career victory.

The 51-year-old native of Elkhart, Indiana piloted the colt to a 1:57.1 clocking in just his sixth lifetime start, earning his fourth career victory. Hostetler is just a few dollars shy of over $25 million in lifetime purse earnings.

"I'm really thrilled to have won this race with this colt," Hostetler said. "He's by far the best horse I've ever trained, and is really just a little buddy of mine. It means a lot to achieve this plateau with him."

Hostetler had previous won with the son of Water Tower at Springfield just a few weeks earlier in 1:54.1, besting his rivals by six lengths.

Hostetler, a long-time fixture on the Chicago scene, is perhaps best known for having son five stake winners on the inaugural Super Night of 1990, when he piloted Gosox, Son Of A Cup, and Lady At Work to three championships.

In other Chicago-related news, former world champion Champion On Ice was humanely destroyed at the Delong Farm in Clinton, Wisconsin this past week, according to Maywood Park-based trainer Eric Plowman.

Champion On Ice still holds the world record for a three-year-old gelding on a mile track of 1:53.2, which he scored at Springfield in 1994.

Plowman, who then worked as a caretaker for Dirk Simpson, had Champion On Ice in his care during the trotter's campaign while under Simpson's tuteledge. The son of Armbro Charger-Icecapade-Tamerlane earned $266,660 during his career and took a lifetime best mark of 1:53.1 over a mile track.

Champion On Ice had been owned by Jack and Peggy Hood of Indiana during his racing years, and was given to Plowman five years ago as a pet after his track career was over.

Plowman, who conditions a stable of 15 at Maywood, turned the one-time champ out at Delong's farm. For several years the gelding had led the post parade during the State Fair festivities at Springfield, and was driven by both Ron Gurfein and Dirk Simpson on separate occasions.

"When the horse was seven, Jack Hood gave him to me as a pet," the 32-year-old conditioner said. "He had always had problems with a right hind leg. The stifle joint had deteriorated and it has just gotten progressively worse. We made the decision that it was time not to let the horse suffer any more. He was just a big pet and it was a very difficult decision for me, but it was the humane thing to do."

Go To Page: 1 2

Articles in this Topic    Discussions in this Topic