ANDERSON — Hoosier Park broke a lot of new ground Friday afternoon as the track welcomed the return of thoroughbred racing for 2008.

For the first time, the thoroughbreds opened in daylight hours, and it also marked the first time that breed had competed since the opening of the casino.

The casino has already meant higher purses for the state breeds. The Indiana Breed Development Fund has picked up $1.4 million in the first two months of the casino operation, and the money is already funneling into purses.

Even higher purses for the other races will have to wait a bit.

“We have to recoup the loss of the Riverboat subsidies first,” said Rick Moore, general manager of racing at Hoosier Park. “Next year, we’ll see those purses go up if things go as we anticipate.”

Friday’s first post time was 12:45 p.m., and just a couple of minutes later, Rafael Manuel Hernandez won the opening race aboard Miss Waka. It was just the second career start for the 4-year-old filly. The horse took to the front early and remained there.

“It’s never a bad thing to be in the lead,” said Hernandez, originally from Panama. “The race went about like I thought it would.”

This was the first time that Hernandez has been at Hoosier Park for the start of the meet.

“I usually am only here for the last month or so,” Hernandez said. “I ride at Fairmount Park (St. Louis), but this year their season ends on Monday. So I came here right away.”

Hernandez has done well at Fairmount. He has been the riding champ there for the past two seasons and goes into the final weekend with a 22-win lead there.

Earl Murphy is the trainer for Miss Waka. The win paid $8, $5 and $3.20. The winning time was 1:06.1.

In Race 5, Azael De Leon became the first jockey this season to win two races.

His initial win came in Race 2 when he piloted Cane River Belle, trained and owned by R. Gary Patrick, to a win in 1:05.6. The win paid $6, $3.20 and $3.20.

While DeLeon’s first win came from the front end, his second came from a bit farther back. In Race 5, on top of Live Fast, he came from third, some five lengths off the pace, to win in 1:05.2.

Live Fast put forth such an effort to get home first that the horse collapsed from the heat and humidity just outside the winner’s circle. Neither the horse nor De Leon was injured, and Live Fast was quickly revived after being cooled by water from nearby hoses.