Mojo Man came into Indiana for the first time with impressive credentials, including Graded Stakes experience. But he’s leaving with a new title as he scored his first stakes win in the inaugural running of the $65,000 Send It In Army Stakes Wednesday at Indiana Grand.
Mojo Man (photo) began his journey from the outside in the five-horse field and sat back as Rock N June Bug and Tommy Pompell set quick fractions of 22.03 seconds and 44.73. He was joined by Long Weekend and Jose Batista and Double Tuff and Jesus Castanon, who moved up between horses, in the only turn of the six-furlong race.
In the stretch, Mojo Man accelerated past rivals, picking them off one by one before moving comfortably under the wire for the win by two and one-quarter lengths. Double Tuff finished second over Long Weekend for third.
The final time of the stakes race was 1:09.35, which becomes the stakes record for the inaugural running of the Send It In Army Stakes.
The victory was the ninth in the career of Mojo Man, who has had 29 career starts. The six-year-old Stay Thirsty gelding has been with the James Divito barn since the beginning of his career. Owned by Dash Goff, Mojo Man now has in excess of $450,000 in career earnings.
The Send It In Army Stakes emerged from a movement on social media by Gabe Prewitt, Director of Racing for Caesars Entertainment. Approximately six years ago, Prewitt sent out a message on Twitter from Pompano Park regarding a wager asking racing fans to share their selections and “Send It In.”
As a result of that message, racing fans began using the moniker as a hashtag and the term caught on, creating a new following for Prewitt and horse racing. Followers began referring to themselves as the “Army” of bettors who completed the name.
Indiana Grand is the third property under the Caesars Entertainment Racing umbrella to host a stakes in honor of the term, joining Scioto Downs and Harrah’s Hoosier Park with a race named “Send It In Army.”
Prewitt was trackside to assist with on-air handicapping of the race as well as present the trophy for the inaugural running of the stakes.
