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Stitched wins Indiana's richest turf race of season at Horseshoe Indianapolis

Stitched was on a mission Wednesday in the 17th running of the $150,000 Caesars Stakes at Horseshoe Indianapolis.

The three-year-old colt (photo) led from gate to wire with an impressive win in the event marking Indiana’s richest turf race of the season in Shelbyville.

Stitched obeyed orders from jockey Florent Geroux and was out of the gate quickly in the field reduced to five on the rain-soaked turf. The son of Mizzen Mast was on top of the field before it passed the tote board the first time, leaving Setna the Wise and Umberto Rispoli to the outside.

Stitched continued his dominance down the backstretch as the field of five remained compact. Around the turn, Geroux prepared the sophomore for a big stretch run, and he got it. As soon as he was in the straight away, Stitched took off with a big sprint to the wire, striding out to a two and three-quarter length advantage at the finish line.

Tommy Bee and Irad Ortiz Jr. finished second over Setna the Wise.

Stitched was the second choice of the field, paying $10 for the win. He is trained by Greg Foley and owned by Nathan McCauley, Michael Olszewski and William Minton. McCauley also bred the colt, who is now four for seven in his career and three for three on a wet turf surface.

“This homebred colt is from a mare we raised named Walking Miracle,” said McCauley. “We named her that because she had a paddock injury that prevented her from being a racehorse, but she was able to be a brood mare. This is her second foal. There’s nothing better than having a win with a homebred.”

Stitched was making his first start among stakes company. He came into the race off an impressive win at Churchill Downs in his last outing, placing him on a small two-race win streak for Foley, who is no stranger to the Caesars Stakes.

He won the stakes under the name of Oliver Stakes the first year it was held over the turf in 2004 with a three-year-old filly named Rich Find.

“This colt has come a long way,” said Travis Foley, Greg’s son who serves as the assistant trainer. “I told the owners after his first start wasn’t so great that there’s talent there, I swear. He gets better and better every day. We were watching the weather all day yesterday and hoping it stayed on the turf. We are blessed with this win today.”

Foley, who is based in Kentucky, has been a longtime participant on the Indiana circuit. He has raced every year since the inaugural season at Hoosier Park in 1995. A multiple stakes winning trainer in Indiana, Foley has won 46 races in 20 years of action at Horseshoe Indianapolis with limited starts.

Caesars Stakes Day also was paired with Empire of Hope, a Caesars Entertainment Racing initiative to bring funding and awareness to racehorse aftercare programs. Eric Halstrom, Vice President and General Manager of Racing, made a presentation earlier in the day showing a total of $30,240 that has been earmarked to various organizations this season in their work to assist retired racehorses after their careers have completed.

 

 

Swifty Sired Stakes

Acutely and DeShawn Parker (photo above) romped to the victory in the 9th running of the $100,000 Swifty Sired Fillies Stakes Wednesday. The duo pulled away from the field to win by four and one-half lengths at the finish line in the five and one-half furlong sprint.

Lil Evie and Tommy Pompell finished second over No Trust and Jon Court, who closed to finish third.

“She was waiting on horses the whole time,” explained Parker, who is now 13 wins away from 6,000 career trips to the winner’s circle. “Once she got by the leader, she relaxed. She felt that horse (Lil Evie) coming to her in the stretch and took off again.”

Acutely, trained by Ron Raper, paid $15.20 for the win over the muddy surface. The filly is owned by Rick Cleary’s CDC Racing LLC and Tom Mosley Jr. She was making her first start of 2022 and is now three for four lifetime.

“This filly loves to run,” said Raper, who is an eight-time Leading Quarter Horse trainer at Horseshoe Indianapolis. “Elliott Farms broke her for us, and she came to us ready to run. They did a good job with her.”

 

 

Sagamore Sired Stakes

Too Bad Justice and jockey Joe Ramos (photo above) ruled over a field of eight in the 9th running of the $100,000 Sagamore Sired Stakes. The duo ran over a rain-soaked track in a time of 1:05.1 for the five and one-half furling sprint.

“This horse (Too Bad Justice) was still green last year,” said Ramos. “I think it helped getting some time off this winter. He’s changed his mind and figured out what he’s doing now. I shook him out of the gate last time, and he really surprised me. I am not surprised he won today. Marvin (Johnson) has done a great job with him and got him ready for this.”

Owned by Matt Kwiatkowski, Jason Kaylor and Roger Browning, Too Bad Justice paid $8.40 for the win. It was the second straight victory for the three-year-old, who had three seconds in three starts last year at two. Marvin Johnson trains the now stakes winner, who over $125,000 in earnings with the victory.

 

 

Horseshoe Indianapolis Stakes

Heavenly Hellos surprised a field of seven with a strong finish in the 14th running of the Horseshoe Indianapolis Stakes.

Ridden by Edgar Morales, the longshot filly (photo above) scored the win over a turf listed as good in a time of 1:38.51.

“It was a little wet on the inside, that’s why we drifted out,” said Morales, who has had a super start to the meet at Horseshoe Indianapolis and earned his 12th win in the stakes. “We got bumped at the start, but they were going a little slow on the lead. We were able to move up and took the outside and she finished strong.”

Heavenly Hellos added her name to the history of the Horseshoe Indianapolis Stakes, becoming the biggest longshot to win in the 14-year history of the race. The sophomore filly by Overanalyze paid $74.80 for the win. It was her second win in five starts for 2022 after not reaching the winner’s circle last year as a two-year-old.

Rey Hernandez trains the three-year-old for Marcus Barbour’s Victory Racing Stable. She was a $9,000 purchase from the Keeneland September Yearling Sale and now has more than $130,000 on her card.

“This filly’s mother (Rich Find) actually raced here and won a stakes,” said Barbour. “We have been trying and trying to get her on grass. Today was her shot and we were praying it kept on the turf. This filly is made for the turf.”

Rich Find won the first Oliver Stakes, now knows as the Caesars Stakes, held on the turf in 2004. The race begin in 2003 when the track opened under the name of Indiana Downs, but the turf course was not available until 2004. The female version of the race, the Indiana Downs Distaff, began in 2009 and is now known as the Horseshoe Indianapolis Stakes.

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