Guided by Rolando Pina, Red Headed Beach (photo) got a good break and was traveling with the crowd early on. Her stablemate, Jess Takin on Cash and Berkley Packer, were holding a slight edge over the field of 10 through the early stages of the 350-yard dash. Midway through the race, Red Headed Beach hit another gear and rallied home in a burst, earning the win by one-half length over Jess Takin on Cash, her closest finish to date.
Red Headed Beach was the overwhelming favorite, paying $2.20 for the win. The Escondido Beach filly is now six for seven this season for owner Pattie Marshall and trainer Tim Eggleston. She now holds the record for most money ever earned for an Indiana Quarter Horse for one season with more than $376,000. She also joins Beach Cartel and Beach Treat for most wins in one season (6) and also joins Pistolpacking Pepsi, Beach Treat and Valiantinecandyrocks for most Indiana stakes wins in by a Quarter Horse in one season (3).
“This is unreal,” said Patti Marshall. “She’s a freak of nature. You always watch this happen to other people but you never think it will happen to you. Brad (Patti’s husband) bought this mare in foal. We foaled her out with Keli (Eggleston) and then Brad bred the mare back and sold the mare. And we took this filly to the sale and couldn’t get a bid on her. It’s been quite a journey with her.”
Red Headed Beach did not impress her connections early on. Even as a baby, Keli noted she inherited her name honestly. When she was put in training, both Tim and Rolando Pina, who gets on her every day, were less than impressed with the sorrel filly. In fact, Pina said she might be better suited for another career.
“When we first started with her, I said, ‘My gosh, is this really going to be a racehorse?’ but she has proved me wrong thank goodness,” said Pina. “You can’t ask for a better animal and she’s probably one of the best I’ve ever ridden. I had to push her today more than ever. The one I was the most concerned about was the one in front of us (Jess Takin on Cash). I looked over and so did she. And she said, ‘Not today buddy’ and took off. I think it made her try harder.”
Red Headed Beach has now won six straight races at Horseshoe Indianapolis in Shelbyville. Pina is the only jockey to ever ride her in a race. He has had many stakes winners in Indiana, including Stone Cold Leader, who is the state’s all-time leading Indiana bred earner.
$111,920 Indiana Championships
Mr Michel came roaring down the stretch in the final strides to win the $111,920 Indiana Championship in thrilling fashion at Horseshoe Indianapolis. The field of 10 was stretched across the track at the finish with Mr Michel and Edgar Diaz (photo) getting the nod at the wire.
“He has always been a big closer and he’s always been good at 400 yards,” said Diaz through interpretation. “The last 40 yards helped get him the win today.”
Mr Michel was overlooked at the windows, paying $14.20 for the win. The four-year-old sorrel son of Kiss My Hocks is owned by Alberto Valadez and trained by Claudio Barraza. He was bred by Indiana’s Mark Michel, who he shares a name with.
“This horse is a once in a lifetime horse,” said Barraza, who has had the gelding from the beginning of his racing career. I was watching and at 200 yards, he was still back in the pack and was still trailing. I thought he wasn’t going to be able to get there today. But I looked up and next thing you know he was right there. I really thought the six (Tachas Secret) got it because it was close. But they posted 10 (Mr Michel) and I was very excited.”
Mr Michel earned his ninth career win in the stellar lineup of older race and his third in five starts for 2023. It was his fifth stakes win dating all the way back to his first on Indiana Champions Day two years ago at two when he won the Miss Roxie Little Futurity. Barraza knows the horse well and has campaigned him to more than $388,000 in career earnings.
“He’s a little spoiled,” admits Barraza. “And, he’s potbellied. That’s what makes him special. But seriously, he’s all heart. He will get a big break now after this race today.”
$128,200 QHRAI Derby
The outstanding day for the Tony Cunningham Stable continued in the 27th running of the $128,200 QHRAI Derby Saturday during Indiana Champions Day. Namgis Kodiak Kiss and Saul Lopez took home the title in the stakes that started the inaugural season of Indiana pari-mutuel Quarter Horse racing in 1997.
Namgis Kodiak Kiss (photo, left) scored his second stakes win of the season for his connections, paying $13.80 for the win. The Texas bred son of Kiss My Hocks is owned by A Win Investments and Duke Racing LLC. Cunningham received the horse at the beginning of the meet for the owners after he was purchased privately and brought to Indiana.
Namgis Kodiak Kiss now has four career wins, two of which have been in Indiana. The sophomore gelding now has more than $170,000 on his card. He won the QHRAI Stallion Service Auction Derby earlier this year, giving Lopez his first stakes win as a jockey.
It was the fourth win and the third stakes victory on the day for Cunningham, who leads the standings for top Quarter Horse trainer this season. Cunningham is also the state’s all-time leading Quarter Horse owner.
$157,000 Governor’s Stakes
The Quarter Horse stakes portion of the program Saturday began with one of the oldest Quarter Horse stakes in the state as the 27th running of the $157,000 Governor’s Stakes was won impressively by Relentlessly Special and Francisco Quintero.
Relentlessly Special (photo) paid $11.60 for the win. The freshman son of Hes Relentless is owned by Lisa Cunningham and trained by her husband Tony Cunningham. It was the third win on the season for the sorrel gelding as he boosted his career earnings to more than $192,000 in earnings.
“He goes out and does his job every start and every day,” said Tony. “He’s showing what king of horse he is. I have to give credit to my wife, Lisa. She’s the one that picked him out at the sale. She did a great job picking him out.”
Relentlessly Special was purchased by the Cunninghams at the Heritage Place September Yearling Sale last fall for $57,000. Lisa saw the colt in the makeup ring and alerted Tony that it was the horse she wanted. The Oklahoma bred gelding now has two stakes to his credit, coupling the Governor’s Stake with a win in the $148,000 Heartland Futurity earlier this year. He has not been off the board in six career starts.
$250,000 Unreachable Star
Doubledogjustice and Fernando De La Cruz (photo) made a well-timed move to score the win in the fourth running of the $250,000 Unreachable Star. The duo earned the win for a large cheering section supporting trainer and owner Ray Paquette III.
“He’s a little horse with a big heart,” said Paquette’s son Ray. “We will take him to the farm and give him a breather and bring him back next year.”
Doubledogjustice paid $9.40 for the win. The Lantana Mob three-year-old was purchased by Paquette from the Indiana Mixed Fall Sale as a yearling for $6,000. He earned his third career win in 11 starts in the Unreachable Star and boosted his career earnings to more than $250,000 with the win.
The winner’s circle was filled for supporters of the Paquette Stable and Doubledogjustice. Paquette, a longtime trainer in Central Indiana, has competed in almost every year of pari-mutuel racing in the Hoosier State.
Lady Fog Horn
Lady Fog Horn was the star of the Tony Granitz Stable during her career. The mare, who retired with more than $824,000 on her card and numerous stakes wins still holds several records at the track for most money earned in one season, most career stakes wins, and is the former all-time leading Indiana bred mare by earnings for Indiana. To win the stakes race named in her honor had special meaning for the Granitz Barn as their entrant, Itzforever and Marcelino Pedroza Jr. brought that title back to the crew.
Itzforever (photo) paid $11.80 for the win. The Forever d’Oro filly earned her fourth straight win for owner David Walters of Tennessee. Tony Granitz has conditioned the filly to five career wins, all recorded this year as a three-year-old. Granitz was out of town to visit his daughter, Eve, who is on a golf scholarship in North Carolina, and was celebrating her birthday during the day. Longtime assistant trainer Jose Congora handled the saddling of the filly and represented the stable in the winner’s circle after the win.
“She’s a really nice Indiana bred,” said Congora. “Every time she runs, she gets better and better. We were a little worried when she drew the 12-hole, especially with the off track today, but it worked out perfectly.”
Crown Ambassador Stakes
Cringe is a horse that got a late start in racing, but he has improved with every start, and he proved to be the best in the 25th running of the Crown Ambassador Stakes Saturday. Ridden by Alberto Burgos, Cringe (photo) was an open length winner in the race named in honor of Indiana’s first leading stallion, Crown Ambassador, who stood at Swifty Farms in Seymour, Ind.
“This horse has always shown talent,” said Burgos, who is spending his first year at Horseshoe Indianapolis. “Turning for home, he was traveling so easy. I had confidence at that point, and he did it. He got it done.”
Cringe was one of the favorites, paying $9.80 for the win. The son of Taprize was a $3,400 purchase from the Indiana Mixed Fall Sale last year by Scott Resnick’s Shim Racing LLC. Scott Mullins trains the gelding, who now has nearly $100,000 on his card in three career starts. Burgos has ridden Cringe in all three of his career outs and is now a winner twice on the freshman stakes winner.
Get the most recent Shelby County Post headlines delivered to your email. Go to shelbycountypost.com and click on the free daily email signup link at the top of the page.
