Deshawn Parker | Horse Racing Free Tips

‘Can’t Put Into Words What This Means’: DeShawn Parker Wins First Indiana Grand Riding Title

DeShawn Parker has accomplished a lot in his 32-year career as a jockey. He doesn't experience many firsts in this phase of his career, but he did Thursday, Nov. 19, to close out the 2020 racing season at Indiana Grand. Parker earned his first leading jockey title at the Shelbyville, Ind., track with 106 wins for the season.

When asked what the highlight of the season was for him, he replied, “This right here (winning the leading jockey title). This is the best thing of the meet and of my year. I had some chances the past couple of years to win (the title), but I got hurt and it just didn't work out. My agent, Jimmy (McNerney), always does a good job but he did an exceptional job this year for me, and I was able to stay healthy. I can't put into words what this means. This means so much to me.”

Parker is a member of an elite group of jockeys who have scored more than 5,000 wins during their career. With 5,821 wins and in excess of $74 million in purse earnings, the multiple graded stakes placed jockey continues to stay at the top of his game year end and year out. He led the nation in wins twice in 2010 and 2011 and adds the leading jockey title at Indiana Grand to multiple titles from Mountaineer Park and Sam Houston.

“A special thank you to all the owners and trainers for letting me ride their horses this year,” added Parker. “I got lucky to ride a lot of horses for local trainers. It's been a great year, and I appreciate their support.”

Parker completed the shortened 96-day meet with 106 wins, six ahead of second place finisher Fernando De La Cruz with 100 wins. Both Parker and De La Cruz are only one of eight jockeys who have ever eclipsed the 100-win mark at Indiana Grand, especially impressive with the shortened racing season due to Covid-19 shutdowns earlier this year.

With 106 wins for 2020 at Indiana Grand, Parker moves into eighth place on the list of all-time leading jockeys at Indiana Grand with 391 wins. He has won at least 100 wins each year since 1997. Parker plans to accompany McNerney to Turfway Park this winter.

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Jockeys Donate to Indiana Children’s Event

As in year’s past, the jockey colony at Indiana Grand will provide toys for the local “Breakfast with Santa” event Saturday, Dec. 12. This season, the jockeys will donate a total of 61 toys, a new record for the annual toy drive.

“I have three kids myself and we are fortunate enough to provide toys for them,” said Manny Esquivel. “I come from a very poor place in Mexico, and just thinking about it, it’s hard to think about kids not getting toys for Christmas. I used to play with a stick and make wheels to put on it, and I had fun. But just imaging the kids getting toys, it’s something special. I just wish I was there to see their faces when they get them.”

Last year, the jockeys collected 56 toys for “Breakfast with Santa” held through Shelby Parks and Recreation. The event also includes two sessions with breakfast catered by Denny’s, and a visit with Santa.

“This is great thing we do each year, and I look forward to it,” said DeShawn Parker, current leading rider at Indiana Grand. “And, because of Covid, I’m sure there are many more families this year that will struggle to get toys for their kids. Hopefully, this will help out and provide a little better Christmas for some kids this year.”

The abbreviated 2020 racing season comes to a close Thursday, Nov. 19 after completing 96 days of racing.

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Flatter Hymn Answers All The Questions In Governor’s Stakes

There were several question marks arriving along with Flatter Hymn into Indiana. The thee-year-old son of Flat Out had two career starts, both wins at Charles Town. He had never raced outside of his home base, much less around two turns, but the good-looking gelding silenced all question marks with an impressive victory in the 18th Running of the $100,000 Governor's Stakes Wed. Aug. 26 at Indiana Grand.

Starting from the outside post eight, Flatter Hymn was one of the first to contend for the lead with Indiana Grand's leading jockey DeShawn Parker aboard. The duo sat along the outside of Chipofftheoldblock and Alex Achard through the early stages of the one mile, 70-yard event. In the turn, it appeared that the late closers might be too tough to tackle as Mai Tai's Gem and Santo Sanjur along with race favorite Two Last Words and Fernando De La Cruz moved up into position.

In the stretch, Flatter Hymn came alive and got back into contention for the lead, getting the advantage in the last few strides to win by one and one-quarter length over Mai Tai's Gem. Two Last Words finished third.

“I had trouble getting him to settle,” said Parker. “I was trying to get him to relax at first. He actually backed off at one point, but he seemed to get a breather and then he came right back and hit another gear. He gave me everything he had. He didn't have a bit of trouble with two turns.”

Flatter Hymn was the third choice on the board, paying $8.60, $4.00, $3.00 across the board. Bred by Sugarland Thoroughbreds of Indiana, the sophomore gelding is owned by Everett Novak's New Farm, who purchased him as a yearling for $30,000 from the Fasig Tipton Mid Atlantic Eastern Fall Sale in Maryland. Jeff Runco trains.

Runco is the longtime leading trainer at Hollywood Casino Charles Town. He is once again leading the standings in 2020 and has amassed more than 4,300 career wins. The Graded Stakes winning trainer mainly focuses his stable in West Virginia, but when the stakes opportunity came up for Flatter Hymn, he decided to send him to Indiana and reconnected with Parker.

“I used to ride a lot for Jeff (Runco) when I was out at Mountaineer,” said Parker. “I even went over to Charles Town to ride for him some. I talked to him on the phone about this horse and he told me both times, he got in trouble in his last races. I watched his last race, and he was in trouble at the top of the stretch, and there, once you get in the stretch, it seems like only a few jumps and you are at the wire. For him to get out of trouble and go on and win in that start was really impressive.”

Flatter Hymn returns to West Virginia as a stakes winner and a near-$100,000 winner. He keeps his record perfect with three wins in three starts. Flatter Hymn was unraced at two.

“When Jeff (Runco) decided to nominate this horse to the stakes, he gave us a call,” said Ricky Giannini, who oversees Brad Cox's Stable at Indiana Grand. “He shipped in a few days ago with Jeff's assistant just for this race. We actually sent a West Virginia bred to Jeff a few weeks ago for a race, so we just traded horses for a little bit.”

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‘Side By Side’: Fever Temple’s Half-Brother, Even Fever, Ponies Him To The Gate At Indiana Grand

Fever Temple and DeShawn Parker stepped onto the track for the afternoon's fourth race Tuesday, July 28 and were greeted by a familiar face. The pony horse assigned to take them to the gate was none other than half-brother Even Fever, a retired racehorse who recently joined the pony horse team of Liz Klopp at Indiana Grand.

“I knew Even Fever was being used for outriding at Ellis Park, but I didn't know he was here at Indiana Grand until a few weeks ago,” said Brandi Steele, trainer of Fever Temple. “Liz (Klopp) came up to me and told me she had just bought him (Even Fever) to add to her pony horses. It was pretty cool to see them side by side on the track today.”

Although Even Fever is grey and Fever Temple is dark bay, Steele sees the family resemblance in the two geldings. They all hail from her owner Jim Edgar's mare, Cecilia's Fever, and with six foals of racing age, four are currently or have been under the care of Steele. Even Fever was trained by Tom Dorris in Illinois for Edgar.

“We have had four in the barn by Jim (Edgar's) mare Cecilia's Hope and they are all dark bay and all look the same in the face,” noted Steele. “Looking at Even Fever, even though he's grey, he has the same facial features as all the others.”

Even Fever completed his racing career in 2018, racing primarily in Illinois. The now 10-year-old son of Even the Score won 10 races during his career and earnings in excess of $167,000. He is now excelling as a pony horse in his second career on the track.

Fever Temple, Lucky Fever, and Cecilia's Hope are all part of Steele's barn and currently racing. Fever Temple finished fourth in his start Tuesday. Lucky Fever has had four starts this year. Cecilia's Hope, a two-year-old, will make her racing debut Monday, Aug. 3 at Indiana Grand in the afternoon's third race.

Steele has been training for Edgar, former Governor of Illinois, for the past three years. Edgar has been a longtime proponent of horse racing and still owns part of a Standardbred, but his main focus these days is in the Thoroughbred industry.

“Jim has a farm around the Springfield (Illinois) area, but he breeds here in Indiana and his horses stay over here,” said Steele. “He has seven or eight brood mares right now.”

Although retired, Edgar is still actively involved on numerous boards and lends his expertise as a consultant. He was inducted into the Lincoln Academy of Illinois as Laureate and awarded the Order of Lincoln in 1999, the state's highest honor. He also has a state park named in his honor, the Jim Edgar Panther Creek State Fish and Wildlife Area located in central Illinois. The stakes winning owner remains passionate about horse racing and attends the races frequently to watch his horses compete at Indiana Grand. His best horse to date was Fighting Fever, who won in excess of $276,000 before her retirement to the brood mare ranks in 2006.

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