The 2021 stakes season for Quarter Horse racing at Indiana Grand Racing & Casino gets underway Monday, May 17 with three trials of the Harley Greene Derby. The trials, slated as races 9-11 running at 350 yards, will set up the $75,000 Greene Final which will be held on the first all-Quarter Horse racing day of 2021 on Saturday, June 5.
Kicking off the first trial of the Greene Derby is ZZ Stones Ablazing from the Tony Cunningham Stable. The sophomore son of Brimmstone will be making his first start of the season in the trials with L.D. Martinez aboard. He is owned and bred by Craig Zeneberg and starts from post five at odds of 3-5.
The second trial of the night brings back one of the stars from 2020 as Beach Blast will make his 2021 debut. Trained by Randy Smith, the Escondido Beach gelding won his last two starts last fall, including the $192,000 Miss Roxie Little Futurity. Beach Blast is three for six in his career and will debut from post four at odds of 4-5 with regular rider Sammy Mendez aboard.
Stone Lake will be featured in the third and final trial. Also, by Escondido Beach, the gelding, owned by Pattie Marshall, won four of six last year at two, including the $186,000 Gordon Mobley Futurity. Stone Lake is trained by Tony Cunningham and will start from post eight as the even money favorite with L.D. Martinez aboard.
Six Saturdays have been earmarked for all-Quarter Horse racing in 2021. Each of the programs will begin at 10AM and extend into the afternoon at Indiana Grand. The dates for all-Quarter Horse racing are June 5, July 3, July 24, Aug. 14, Sept. 4, and Oct. 9. Also, Indiana Grand will host two regional qualifiers for the Bank of America Challenge Monday, Sept. 20. The John Deere Juvenile Challenge and the Q-Racing Video Distaff Challenge will hold trials on Sat. Sept. 4. The events are a precursor to the 2022 Bank of America Challenge, which will be held in Indiana for the first-time next season.
The 19th season of Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse racing is now in progress and continues through Monday, Nov. 8. Live racing will be conducted at 2:25 p.m. Monday through Wednesday, with first post on Thursday set at 3:25 p.m. A special Indiana Champions Day highlighting the state’s top Thoroughbred and Quarter Horses will be held Saturday, Oct. 30, beginning at noon. More information about the 2021 racing season is available at www.caesars.com/indiana-grand.
