‘It Means A Lot’: Indiana Grand Jockeys Host Annual Toy Drive

Collecting toys for local children has become an annual event at Indiana Grand Racing & Casino. As the 2021 racing season winds down, this year's jockey colony brought in over 75 new toys to distribute to area children just in time for the holiday season.

“We just want to see everybody have a good Christmas,” said Tommy Pompell, who owns a home locally in Shelbyville, Ind. “It means a lot for us to all come together like this for these kids in our area.”

The jockeys came together after the third race Wednesday, Nov. 10 and surrounded the pile of donated items that will be distributed to local children in need. Twelve of the jockeys joined Rachel McLaughlin, on-air racing analyst, for the presentation in the paddock. Jockeys included in the presentation were Jose Riquelme, Santo Sanjur, Marcelino Pedroza Jr., Alex Achard, Andrea Rodriguez, Tommy Pompell, Perry Ouzts, Rodney Prescott, Joe Ramos, DeShawn Parker, Agustin Bracho and Joshua Morales. Many of the jockeys grew up in countries where presents were sometimes not available around the holidays. Being able to share happiness during the holidays has become very important to them.

Alex Achard, a native of France, may be a long way from home, but he still knows how important it is to give back to the community he calls home six months out of the year. Achard donated several toys to the drive with hopes it will put smiles on the faces of kids around Christmas.

“It is a pleasure to help kids who need a little help,” said Achard. “For us, it is not much to do, but we hope for them it will mean a lot. We hope to give brightness to their Christmas.”

The 20th season of Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse racing is set to resume Tuesday, April 19 and run through Wednesday, Nov. 23. Racing will be held Monday through Wednesday at 2:30 p.m. with Thursday racing beginning at 3:30 p.m. A total of 12 Saturday racing programs will be held in 2022. For more information on events and racing, go to www.indianagrand.com.

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Jockeys Hold Annual Toy Drive at Indiana Grand

Collecting toys for local children, Indiana Grand Racing & Casino hosted its annual event Wednesday, this year's jockey colony brought in over 75 new toys to distribute to area children for the holiday season.

“We just want to see everybody have a good Christmas,” said Tommy Pompell, who owns a home locally in Shelbyville. “It means a lot for us to all come together like this for these kids in our area.”

For the presentation, on-air racing analyst Rachel McLaughlin was joined by 12 members of the local jockey colony, including Jose Riquelme, Santo Sanjur, Marcelino Pedroza Jr., Alex Achard, Andrea Rodriguez, Tommy Pompell, Perry Ouzts, Rodney Prescott, Joe Ramos, DeShawn Parker, Agustin Bracho and Joshua Morales.

“It is a pleasure to help kids who need a little help,” said Achard, who donated several toys to the drive. “For us, it is not much to do, but we hope for them it will mean a lot. We hope to give brightness to their Christmas.”

The 20th season of Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse racing is set to resume Tuesday, Apr. 19 and run through Wednesday, Nov. 23.

For more information on events and racing, go to www.indianagrand.com.

The post Jockeys Hold Annual Toy Drive at Indiana Grand appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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Unbridled Victory, Cash Logistics Victorious On Indiana Champions Day

The state's best Thoroughbreds and Quarter Horses were in the spotlight Saturday, Oct. 30 during Indiana Champions Day at Indiana Grand in Shelbyville, Ind., featuring purses in excess of $1.3 million. Included on the card were four Thoroughbred Stakes, kicking off the day with the 24th running of the Indiana Stallion Stakes – Filly Division.

Unbridled Victory and Marcelino Pedroza Jr. made their presence known early and went straight to the lead in the six-furlong sprint over a very muddy track. The duo held tough throughout to win by one length at the wire over Everything's Rosy and Eddie Perez. No Trust and Sammy Bermudez closed late for third.

Unbridled Victory is trained by Bernie Flint and owned by Miles Childers, Ed Wright Cattle Company, and L.T.B. Inc. It was the second career win in the third start for the Unbridled Express freshman filly, who just broke her maiden in the start before in early October.

Joining Unbridled Victory as a two-year-old winner on the card was Mr Chaos in the 23rd running of the Crown Ambassador Stakes. Ridden by Rodney Prescott, the Turbo Compressor gelding was making only his second career start in the event, but was an impressive winner in his racing debut to be tagged as the favorite. Prescott got away in mid-pack before moving up into third to track the leaders a little closer as the field turned for home.

In the stretch, Mr Chaos got the lead and was a comfortable winner by one and three-quarter lengths, giving Prescott his 3,997th career win. Too Bad Justice and Joe Ramos held gamely for second while Me and Chili and Marcelino Pedroza Jr. finished third.

“He stepped back a little at the break, but he finished strong and ran a real nice race,” said Prescott. “Rob (Dobbs) has done a really nice job with this horse.”

Mr Chaos is trained by Robert Dobbs Jr. and is owned by Judy Dorris and Ken Sentel. The freshman is now two for two in his brief career with earnings in excess of $80,000.

Older horses were featured in the second running of the $150,000 Unreachable Star Stakes. Cash Logistics and Alex Achard got away near the lead and sat along the outside of Barefootbootlegger and Eddie Perez early before moving on and opening up on the field in the stretch. The four-year-old son of Unbridled Express was a winner by five and three-quarter lengths at the wire over Uphold and Tommy Pompell. Max Express and Sammy Bermudez finished third.

Cash Logistics is trained by Genevieve Londono for owners James and Charlie Hancock. It was his fourth win of the year in eight starts with seven career wins now tallied. He moved his career earnings over $358,000.

The connections of Unreachable Star were trackside to provide a $500 donation to Friends of Ferdinand in honor of the former Indiana champion who was the 2009 Horse of the Year and earned more than $775,000 during his career. David and Loren Osborne have been big supporters of racehorse aftercare programs and wanted to do something to give back to Indiana racing during Indiana Champions Day. Friends of Ferdinand is the only accredited Thoroughbred aftercare program and works directly with many trainers at Indiana Grand to retrain and rehome Thoroughbreds once their racing days have been completed.

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The final Thoroughbred stakes race of the day also honored a former champion with the $150,000 Lady Fog Horn Stakes. The race, named in honor of Indiana's all-time leading mare, Lady Fog Horn, who has in excess of $824,000 in earnings, brought out the state's best older females. Fireball Baby was the race favorite and she proved why she deserved so much support with an impressive win by four lengths, well under wraps by Marcelino Pedroza Jr. The Noble's Promise was behind horses for most of the one and one-sixteenth mile event, but found the room she needed along the inside, scooting through and exploding to the lead. Diamond Solitaire and John McKee were widest in the stretch to close for second over Expect Indy and Emmanuel Esquivel for third.

Fireball Baby is a homebred by Richard and Tammy Rigney's Rigney Racing. It was her seventh career win and a repeat in the Lady Fog Horn. The win also catapulted her into the state's top five all-time earners with a tally of nearly $550,000 in career earnings. Philip Bauer has handled the training duties for the flashy chestnut mare, who is now five.

“I had a lot of confidence in this mare today,” said Pedroza Jr., who scored three wins on the card. “I worked her earlier in the week and she worked amazing, so that gave me a lot of confidence coming into today. I told Philip (Bauer) she has a lot of heart, and she showed it today.”

The Thoroughbred portion of the afternoon was presented by the Indiana Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association with numerous giveaways and a reception in the first floor Derby Suite. The day brought a successful Indiana stakes season to a close, which offered more than $4 million in purses on the year throughout the 123-day racing season.

The 19th season of Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse racing is now in progress and continues through Thursday, Nov. 11. Live racing is conducted at 2:25 p.m. Monday through Wednesday and Thursday, Nov. 11. First post all other Thursdays leading up to the end of the meet begin 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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‘It Was Amazing’: Jockey Alex Achard Relishing First Grade 1 Win

Alex Achard was all smiles and still fielding congratulations Wednesday morning four days after earning his first Grade 1 triumph aboard Bonne Chance Farm and Stud R D O's In Love (BRZ) in the $750,000 Keeneland Turf Mile (G1). The race is a “Win and You're In” for the $2 million FanDuel Breeders' Cup Mile (G1) Presented by PDJF to be contested at Del Mar on Nov. 6.

The Breeders' Cup will be something of a homecoming for Achard, who spent a winter in California as an exercise rider about 10 years ago before continuing his race riding career in his native France with side trips around Europe and to China.

With limited opportunities overseas, Achard opted to reboot his career in the U.S. in 2018. He chose Indiana Grand for its proximity to tracks in Kentucky and Ohio with chances to find mounts nearly every day. He rode 32 races without winning in his first season, but his work ethic began paying off the following year. Always willing to introduce himself to trainers and ride their horses wherever they are, Achard came upon In Love's trainer, Paulo Lobo, at The Thoroughbred Center in north Lexington.

“When I moved here, I didn't really know many people,” Achard said. “One day I was walking to the barns like I do pretty much every day. I guess a rider didn't show up, and Paulo asked if I could breeze a horse and I said, 'Sure.' That's how it (riding for Lobo) started.”

Lobo recognized Achard's talent and willingness to travel and began hiring him for races. In his first try aboard In Love, Achard guided him to an allowance victory at Arlington Park. Next out, the team captured the listed TVG Stakes at Kentucky Downs in September in a prep for the Keeneland Turf Mile.

Achard relished the energy of Keeneland's opening weekend, and said he wasn't nervous before the Keeneland Turf Mile.

“I was actually very confident before the race, but I didn't tell anybody,” Achard said. “For some riders it can be a bit of pressure, but I don't take it that way. I really enjoy it because it is really fun to see people. I just love it.”

Two days after the biggest win of his career, Achard was back at Indiana Grand, where he rode one winner from five mounts. He continues to receive the attention that began pouring in as soon as In Love crossed the finish line 1½ lengths in front.

“It was amazing because when the horse won at Kentucky Downs, that was huge,” he said. “We knew that was a big step to run against Grade 1 horses at Keeneland. I got a lot of calls from France and the United States to congratulate me, so that was cool.”

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