Local Sports

Quarter Horse Stakes, exotic animal racing Saturday at Indiana Grand Racing & Casino

Indiana Grand Racing & Casino will be featuring all types of action on the track Saturday, July 24 for the third All-Quarter Horse racing day of 2021. Action gets underway at 10 a.m. with four stakes on the nine-race card. The day includes Exotic Animal Racing featuring zebras, camels and ostriches during the program, a first for the state of Indiana.

 

More than $683,000 in purse money is set for the Quarter Horse card with the 12th running of the Gordon Mobley Futurity closing out the day in the ninth race. Botticelli Beach, the quickest qualifier from the trials, has been tagged as the heavy favorite in the field of 10 and will start from post two. Ridden by Jose Beltran, the Escondido Beach filly makes her third start in the $189,500 final for owner-trainer Claudio Barraza. The other favorite in the field is High Rolling Seize from the Matt Frazier barn who starts from post one with Shanley Jackson aboard at odds of 3-1.

 

Beach Blast will headline the field for the 19th running of the $137,700 Blue River Derby set as the eighth race. The sophomore son of Escondido Beach has been outstanding this season, winning two of three starts, including the Harley Greene Derby, and topping the list of qualifiers for the final. Owned by Keith Bode and Brock Hutchinson, Beach Blast seeks his sixth career win and his third career stakes win for Trainer Randy Smith. The sorrel gelding starts from post eight with Sammy Mendez aboard at odds of 4-5.

 

Other stakes on the card include the 13th running of the $132,240 Heartland Futurity as Race 6 and the 19th running of the $131,600 Jaguar Rocket Futurity as Race 7. All Out from the Tim Eggleston Stable gets the early nod as the favorite in the Heartland Futurity. He starts from post two at odds of 9-5 with Berkley Packer aboard. The two-year-old son of Coronado Cartel is owned and bred by Richard Joneson of Oklahoma.

 

Carters Law of the Smith barn has been selected as the early morning line favorite in the Jaguar Rocket Futurity. The Carters Cartel filly, owned and bred by Gordon Timm, starts from post seven with Sammy Mendez aboard at odds of 6-5.

 

Exotic Animal racing will be held after Races 5, 7 and 9. Zebras will be the first to take the track around 12:10 p.m. followed by Camel racing after the seventh race at approximately 1:25 p.m. The final exotic animal race will feature five ostriches following the final race of the day with an estimated post time of 2:40 p.m. All animals will begin from Indiana Grand’s starting gate with jockeys and exercise riders competing aboard the special racing participants at a distance of approximately 100 yards.

 

A special Meet and Greet with the animals will be provided from 4 – 6 p.m. Friday, July 23 in the track maintenance area. The zebras, camels and ostriches will be on display for up close viewing free to the public. Owner Joe Hedrick of Kansas will be available for questions about the animals that travel across the nation each year to compete in the unique racing events.

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