Indiana's richest day of turf racing is set for Wednesday, Sept. 8 featuring four stakes for Caesars Stakes Day at Indiana Grand. Purses for the day exceed $700,000 for the 11-race card which is capped off by four stakes, including the $150,000 Caesars Stakes (Listed) and the $150,000 Indiana Grand Stakes (Listed).
Heading the list of entrants in the Caesars Stakes, slated as Race 10, is Royal Prince from the Brad Cox barn. The 3-year-old son of Cairo Prince comes into the race off a second-place finish in the $100,000 KY Downs TVG Preview Dueling Grounds Derby at Ellis Park in early August. The grey stakes winning colt has only missed the top three once in seven starts this season. He will start from post seven at odds of 8-5 with Fernando De La Cruz in the irons.
The Cox Stable will also saddle the favorite in the Indiana Grand Stakes, featuring the fillies over the turf running at a distance of one mile. The Uncle Mo filly Burning Ambition was a winner in her last start at Ellis Park in mid-August, her first and only start of 2021. She is now three for four in her brief career. De La Cruz will also ride from post eight at odds of 2-1 in Race 9.
The Caesars Stakes and the Indiana Grand Stakes will be bookended by the 21st running of the $100,000 Back Home Again Stakes in Race 8 and the 21st running of the $100,000 Circle City Stakes in Race 11. The four stakes will offer a special All Stakes Pick 4 on Races 8 – 11.
Caesars Stakes Day will also feature “Empire of Hope,” a Caesars Entertainment Racing initiative to place the spotlight on racehorse aftercare programs. Indiana Grand will offer several activities to raise funding for the cause throughout the program, including t-shirt sales and Peppermints for Ponies, where guests purchase peppermints to feed to the pony horses following Race 4 on the card.
A “Parade of Champions” will also take place with five current pony horses highlighted as retired racehorses. Ethan Hunt and Niceandeasydoesit, both serving as outriding horses, will be featured following the sixth race along with Gallant, Even Fever, and retired Quarter Horse Stealtheshowjo.
The afternoon card will also feature the $1,000 Caesars Stakes Warriors Contest, open to players both on-track and online. The top handicapper on the six contest races will receive a $500 gift card. The contest is open to all players currently residing in the United States that are 18 years of age and older. The contest begins on Race 5. Entries should be submitted to: indianagrandcontest@gmail.com by 4:20 p.m. to play.
The 19th season of Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse racing is now in progress and continues through Monday, Nov. 8. Live racing is conducted at 2:25 p.m. Monday through Wednesday, with first post on Thursday set at 3:25 p.m. A special Indiana Champions Day highlighting the state's top Thoroughbred and Quarter Horses will be held Saturday, Oct. 30, beginning at noon. More information about the 2021 racing season is available at www.caesars.com/indiana-grand.
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