Fireball Baby earned her first stakes win of 2021 Wednesday with a commanding win in the 21st running of the $100,000 Hoosier Heartland Stakes. The mare now has five stakes wins to her credit, all at Indiana Grand.
“I received a text from Mr. (Philip) Bauer and he said this horse was the best in this race,” said jockey Marcelino Pedroza, a two-time leading rider at Indiana Grand. “He knows where his horses go, so I knew he was giving me a big opportunity. I was glad to get that text and I was ready to ride.”
Fireball Baby (photo) was ready to go when the gate sprung open. Pedroza had her in good striking position around the first turn in the one and one-sixteenth mile event before moving onto the lead down the backstretch three-wide as Brewsky and Joe Ramos held positioning inside with Hitthefloorrunning and Andres Ulloa sitting between horses.
Heading into the final turn, Pedroza asked Fireball Baby for a little more momentum and she responded with a big move, opening up to five lengths for the stretch drive. Pedroza kept the daughter of Noble’s Promise focused under a hand ride all the way to the wire for the win by five and one-quarter lengths.
Pretty Assets and DeShawn Parker closed for second over Hitthefloorrunning for third. The time of the race was 1:45.97.
“Early on, I just wanted to stay out of trouble,” said Pedroza. “At the three-quarter pole, she was pulling me. I knew then she was going to win. She was the best today.”
Fireball Baby is now six for 22 lifetime. The win in the Hoosier Heartland was her first of 2021 for Richard and Tammy Rigney’s Rigney Racing. They also bred the mare, who is by their sire, Noble’s Promise, who passed away following his first crop which includes Fireball’s Baby.
She now has in excess of $464,000 in career earnings and is inching closer to a spot among the state’s all-time top five money earners for Indiana sired horses. Philip Bauer, who began his stable in 2013 after working for Ken McPeek as an assistant trainer, conditions Fireball Baby for the Rigneys.
