New Zealand star pacer Lazarus makes U.S. debut in Dan Patch at Hoosier Park

Having conquered the Antipodes, Lazarus will look to extend his dominance among pacers in this hemisphere when he makes his North American debut Friday night in the $325,000 Dan Patch at Hoosier Park.

The richest Standardbred ever foaled in New Zealand with earnings of more than US$2.68 million, Lazarus has won 35 of 45 lifetime starts and has been unplaced only once. He brings with him a profile similar to that of Cardigan Bay, who became the first Standardbred ever to earn $1 million following his importation from the Southern Hemisphere in the 1960s.

The Taylor family of Taylor Made Sales and Stallions, the prominent Thoroughbred operation in Kentucky, have recently delved back into the Standardbred game from which they have roots. They purchased Lazarus earlier this year and hope to boost his appeal as a potential stallion.

Supplemented to the Dan Patch for $25,000, Lazarus will be made eligible for other leading stakes this fall. He's expected to make an appearance during the Grand Circuit meet at The Red Mile in Lexington, the site of Always B Miki's world-record mile of 1:46 in 2016.

Now trained by Jimmy Takter, Lazarus will start in the Dan Patch following an impressive one-mile qualifier in 1:48.3 at The Meadowlands on July 28. He will start from post 9 with Yannick Gingras driving.

The field also includes McWicked, the champion three-year-old of 2014 who has bankrolled more than $574,000 this season with wins in the Ben Franklin and William Haughton Memorial. Battle of Lake Erie hero Bit Of a Legend and former Breeders Crown winners Beckhams Z Tam and Split the House are also among the cast of nine.

The Dan Patch is the 11th of 14 races with a planned post time of 9:30 p.m. (EDT). First post is 6:30 p.m.

You can watch and wager on the entire Hoosier Park card at TwinSpires.com, which is offering the Full Card Bet Back on Friday night. Opt in and make a Win bet on at least five (5) separate races and get your bet back up to $10 if the horse you bet to Win runs second.

(Joseph Johnson/stuff.co.nz photo)