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Leading the Charge delivers in Bucchero Stakes at Indiana Grand

Leading the Charge stepped up into stakes action and responded with a win in the 17th running of the $100,000 Bucchero Stakes Wednesday at Indiana Grand.

Formerly known as the AJ Foyt Stakes, the race is named in honor of the state’s leading money-winning Indiana bred horse, Bucchero, who is now standing at stud in Florida.

Leading the Charge (photo), ridden by DeShawn Parker, had good inside positioning early as he broke from post two in the one and one-sixteenth mile event. Cash Logistics and Alex Achard took over the top spot early on with Chipofftheoldblock and Miguel Mena sitting to their outside. Leading the Charge held his ground inside through both turns of the event.

In the stretch, Parker found the seam he needed to get through between horses and reach the top ones. The grey four-year-old son of Suntracer then moved to the inside to get past Cash Logistics for the last sixteenth of the race.

Once he found room, Leading the Charge took over and lengthened his stride to score by one length over Max Express and Marcelino Pedroza Jr., who finished strong on the outside for second. Cash Logistics finished third.

“I was just waiting for somewhere to go,” said Parker. “We were sitting good, and I had a lot of horse. When room opened up, he did it so easy. They told me the last eighth not to hit him, but he broke through horses so strong, I didn’t even think about uncocking my stick. He was really impressive today.”

The win for Parker is his 5,899th career trip to the winner’s circle. It’s the fifth season for Parker in Indiana, who earned the leading jockey title last year at Indiana Grand.

Leading the Charge is now on a four-race win streak. He has been ridden by four different jockeys in those wins with Parker getting a leg up for the first time in the gelding’s career. He is three for three this season for owner-breeder Team Block. Robert Dobbs Jr. trains the Indiana bred gelding, who moved into six figures with his career bankroll.

The win marked the first career stakes win for Dobbs, who worked as assistant trainer for Christine Janks for 20 years before branching out on his own. He and his wife, Kelly, who works for UPS, relocated to Indiana four years ago. Dobbs maintains a stable of 15 and winter trained at Indiana Grand this past winter.

“This is my first stakes win as a trainer and he’s the best I’ve had so far,” said Dobbs referring to Leading the Charge. “Team Block sent him to me because he’s an Indiana bred. He’s a very easy horse to train and makes my life very easy to have a horse like this.”

Members of Ironhorse Racing, including Bucchero’s trainer, Tim Glyshaw, were trackside to present the trophy for the Bucchero Stakes to the connections of Leading the Charge.

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