London, May 27, 2015 -- Michigan-based trainer
Dale Decker has never been to The Raceway at The Western Fair District, but
he’ll have a not-so-secret weapon on his side when his star five-year-old Night
Pro goes to the gate Friday night from post four in the $150,000 Molson Pace.
Ronnie Wrenn, Jr. will be in Night Pro’s sulky.
“He’s the leading dash driver in the country
the last two years,” said Decker.
Make that the leading dash-winning driver in
North America. Wrenn, Jr., 28, won the 2014 continental title with 847 wins and
the 2013 crown with 714 victories. This year, Wrenn, Jr. currently sits a close
second behind Aaron Merriman in North America with 330 wins. In just eight
years in the bike, Wrenn, Jr. has already surpassed 2,500 career victories, most
of that over the last four seasons.
The Ohio-based driver has made just one career
start at The Raceway at The Western Fair District — a fourth-place finish
driving Rock Bottom in an overnight in January of 2011.
Decker said he had to do a little convincing to
get Wrenn, Jr. to give up his full slate of drives Friday at Scioto Downs in
Columbus, OH to come to London, but thinks racing in the Molson Pace could be a
good stepping stone to bigger races for the driver.
“He’s kind of got to make a decision if he
wants to try to venture into the Grand Circuit ranks or just stay local,”
Decker said.
Night Pro has proven to be a horse worth
following on the stakes trail. In three years of racing, the son of former
Ontario-based star Pro Bono Best out of Midnight Jewel has amassed over
$500,000 in earnings and sports a startling record of consistency with 29 wins
in 49 starts. The pacer has finished no worse than third in 84 per cent of his
starts.
“He’s a true racehorse,” Decker said. “He’s the
best one I’ve had, by far.”
Decker also owns and raised Night Pro, the 5-1
fourth choice in the Molson Pace, behind Confederation Cup winner All Bets Off
(post 1, 8-5), two-time defending Molson Pace champ State Treasurer (post 8,
2-1) and Duc Dorleans (post 6, 9-2). The Molson Pace is race 12 in a
promotion-packed night of racing at Western Fair. The first race post time is
7:15 p.m.
Last year, Night Pro regularly held his own
racing against such star older pacers as Foiled Again, Sweet Lou, Clear Vision
and Bettors Edge. He posted a record of 12-3-3 in 24 starts and earned over
$230,000 racing in stakes in the Midwestern United States, close to Decker’s
base close to Toledo, OH.
“I try to stay more local to where I’m at,
within about a four-hour ship. Horse racing, even though I wish it was my
full-time occupation, it’s not. So, time is limited,” said Decker, a
residential home builder by trade. “Besides, (Night Pro’s) not the best shipper
in the world, either. He’ll be sweating when I get (to Western Fair).”
Decker was the one that was sweating when he
took Night Pro to the Hoosier Classic Yearling Sale in 2010 to be sold on
behalf of breeder Linda Marckel. Night Pro is the second foal out of Midnight
Jewel. Her first foal, Starzzz Of Jewel, sold for $40,000. When it came time
for Night Pro to sell, there was little interest.
“I was in a state of shock at the sale,” Decker
said. “I had no idea what I was doing. I’m not kidding you. I was in shock. I
couldn’t believe it. The bidding stalled at $4,500. That’s when I jumped in… I
did have the money to buy him. So, it wasn’t an issue. But I had plenty of
horses and I was just trying to make (his breeder) some money. I ended up with
him.”
The cost was $14,000.
“I had no idea I was going to end up with him
because I didn’t want another horse. I already had a barn full. I didn’t want
to spend $14,000 either, because I’d have to go home and explain that to my
wife,” Decker said. “She wouldn’t let me sell him now.”
Though Night Pro is a bigger horse, Decker said
The Raceway’s tight half-mile oval doesn’t concern him because his farm track
is smaller than a half and Night Pro, “gets around here just fine… He’s pretty
universal. That’s what’s nice about him. He can race any way and he can race on
any size track.”
Fans will be able to enjoy all 12 races on the
Friday card on a large infield video tote board that will feature an enhanced
broadcasting coverage all night.
The Molson Pace card will offer betting
patrons a cornucopia of wagering options. There’s a $7,500 guarantee on the
early Pick 4 and the Super Hi-5, a $10,000 guarantee on the late Pick 4 and
Super Hi-5 and a $2,500 guarantee on the Pick 3 offered in races one through
three.
Other promotions include scratch and win
programs giving patrons a one-in-six chance to win a prize, a guest horse
outside the main entrance to greet fans, a raft of prizes and giveaways
courtesy of Molson and the OLG and, throughout the night, fans can even take a
spin around the track in a double-seated jog cart with the Wanna Ride team.
