Mr Michel and Edgar Diaz (photo) started from post two and were in contention early right alongside One Coldhearted Diva and Giovani Vazquez-Gomez. Nachor Favorite and Fernando Morin were also keeping close tabs on the top two from the inside post. As the wire neared in the 400-yard dash, so did several opponents from the outside, including HH CJ Shake and Erik Esqueda.
It was anyone’s race when the field reached the tote board and that is when Mr Michel dug in just a little more, getting the advantage by a neck at the wire in 20.072 seconds. One Coldhearted Diva finished a head in front of HH CJ Shake for second.
“I tried to break hard today and he slipped a little and his feet weren’t underneath him,” said Diaz. “I just tried to let him recover and catch his stride right. Once he did that, he took off when I asked him. He really dug in late in the race. I’m happy because there has been a lot of hard work go into him, so it’s good to see our hard work pay off.”
Mr Michel, the favorite of the field, paid $6.60. The four-year-old Indiana bred son of Kiss My Hocks is now 8-for-17 lifetime and moved over the $300,000 mark in earnings with the Woodard Classic win. Alberto Valadez owns the gelding, who was purchased for $17,500 out of the QHRAI Speed Sale as a yearling. Mark Michel bred him. Claudio Barraza has had the sorrel gelding his entire career. He has won stakes races at two, three, and four in Indiana, the only place he’s ever run.
“He’s everything to me and the stable,” said Barraza of Mr Michel. “He’s definitely the star. He’s a pain in my behind. He only has two gears when you walk him. He’s either dragging you or you are dragging him. He’s a big bully, but there is usually a reward at the end.”
Barraza noted Mr Michel will now prep for the Hoosier Park Classic on Oct. 11. He will try for his third straight stakes win, pairing the Bradford Stakes with the Woodard Classic already this season.
QHRAI Stallion Service Auction (SSA) Derby
Trainer Tony Cunningham had four advance to the final of the $114,124 QHRAI Stallion Service Auction (SSA) Derby. With two trial winners, less attention was paid to Namgis Kodiak Kiss (photo), who finished second but the 24th running of the event proved to be his day as he rallied home as the winner and gave jockey Saul Lopez his first career stakes win.
A late scratch at the gate delayed the QHRAI SSA Derby as horses were backed out of the gate to regroup. Once they went back in, it was a quick start and a quick getaway for Namgis Kodiak Kiss. Lopez kept the sophomore son of Kiss My Hocks focused down the stretch and the bay gelding never faltered, running a giant race to roar home for the win.
Cunningham’s other entrant, Louisiana Faster with L.D. Martinez aboard, came rolling late on the outside to finish a neck back in second followed by Sundays Best and Hugo Macias for third. The time of the sprint was 19.928.
Namgis Kodiak Kiss paid $15.20 for the win. The gelding is owned by A Win Investments along with Duke Racing LLC. It was the second win of 2023 in his fifth start for the horse and the first win of the meet in only four outings for Lopez.
“I work for Tony (Cunningham) and I had third choice (among the four finalists),” said Lopez, who divides his time between Cunningham’s Michigan farm and Horseshoe Indianapolis. “Tony said this one (of the two remaining) was more sure for me. I had never ridden him before (in a race). He broke good and I was waiting for the 350-yard wire. He raced very good.”
Cunningham, Indiana’s all-time leading Quarter Horse owner, now moves into the lead as the track’s top trainer for 2023. Although Namgis Kodiak Kiss was the sixth fastest qualifier for the final, he had faith the horse would run well for the title.
“This horse fits Saul (Lopez),” said Cunningham. “He fits his riding style. He usually breaks good and in the trial he finished really well. He didn’t break well in the trial but he was running at the end. Today, he broke well and finished well. I’m very happy for Saul. He got his first win last year with us and now gets his first stakes win with us. It helps the whole team to get this.”
Namgis Kodiak Kiss was purchased privately this spring out of Oklahoma. Chris Duke and A Win Investments came together to purchase him right before his start at Remington Park in April, which was a win. Since joining the Cunningham barn, he has had a second and two thirds but his win in the QHRAI SSA Derby is his first for the barn.
QHRAI Stallion Service Auction (SSA) Futurity
It was a day at the “Beach” for runners in the 24th running of the $197,646 QHRAI Stallion Service Auction (SSA) Futurity.
Malibu Beach and Giovani Vazquez (photo) were dominant for the win in the first of three stakes races on the program during the all-Quarter Horse racing day at Horseshoe Indianapolis.
Malibu Beach and Vazquez-Gomez loaded into the gate in post three and waited patiently as her opponent to the right, DuPont Beach, was reluctant to load. The grey filly stood perfect as the gate crew worked to get DuPont Beach in the gate to go. Once everyone was in line, Malibu Beach had her game face on and was ready for the start when the gates opened.
Malibu Beach held her ground inside headed down the stretch in the 350-yard dash. DuPont Beach, ridden by Edgar Diaz, was closing in gamely toward the end, but the lead by Malibu Beach was too strong as the filly scored the win for the title. DuPont Beach was second, a half length back of Malibu Beach while Cisco Beach and L.D. Martinez finished third.
Malibu Beach was the fifth fastest qualifier for the final after her win in one of the trials. She paid $11.40 for the win.
Keith Bode purchased Malibu Beach out of the Miller Ranch’s annual online sale last fall. Her dam, Project Runaway, was also sold in that sale. Sheri Miller, who owns Miller Ranch with her husband, Glen, and is the breeder on Malibu Beach, was trackside as she is the owner of DuPont Beach, the second-place finisher.
To date, the Bode-owned Malibu Beach has two wins and two seconds in four starts this year. The two-year-old grey filly is now two-for-two since transferring to the Jessi Vazquez barn in July. She now has more than $132,000 on her card.
“We thank Keith and Rose (Bode) for trusting us with her,” said Vazquez, who set multiple records as the state’s newest leading Quarter Horse female trainer last year. “We had so much faith in her heading into today. Ever since we got her, she has been nothing but class. After her win in the trial, we knew she would be tough in the final. Giovani (Vazquez-Gomez, her husband) just clicked with her from the start. He loves this filly, and he has a good eye for horses.”
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