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Mike And Penny Lauer Named Top Indiana Breeder For Fifth Year

For the fifth year in a row, Michael and Penny Lauer have been named the Indiana Thoroughbred Breed Development Program's Breeder of the Year, an award based solely on Indiana Breeder's Awards payments.

The couple bred 16 horses in the Indiana program that raced in 2019, earning them a total of $183,243 in Breeder's Awards alone. The two most notable 2019 starters include Drinkatthecreek (Itsmyluckyday – Mizzen My Momma) and Twobirdsonestone (Birdstone – Dreamin Big).

Working as a team, the Lauers have been breeding and training horses for more than 40 years, and have participated in the Indiana program since its inception. Michael has more than 1,100 training wins and more than $9.1 million in earnings throughout his career, with his main stable based at Indiana Grand Racing and Casino and Churchill Downs. He is Indiana Grand's all-time learning stakes-winning trainer with more than 35 stakes wins.

A retired teacher, Penny manages the bookkeeping and daily operations of the breeding and racing side of Michael Lauer Stables. Penny is among Indiana Grand's all-time top five leading owners in wins and leads with more than $5 million in earnings, the most of any other owner in Indiana Grand history. The couple's three daughters, Elizabeth, Sara and Abby, pitch in around the farm.

While their farm is based in Finchville, Ky., the Lauers work closely with breeding farms in Indiana such as Springcliff Farm, Ledgerwood Farm, Nicks Farm and Swifty Farm.

“We've always thought the Indiana program was a good one,” says Penny. “We breed a lot, but we're not the top of the heap. We try to keep some decent mares, breed to decent stallions and go from there.

“I'd love for some of our Indiana breds to win some big races outside of the state, because I want to show that Indiana breds can win anywhere,” she continued. “I don't feel we get a lot of respect outside of the state and I hope we can help with that with our horses.”

The Lauers recently started standing the stallion Ready's Image in Indiana, who will stand at Swifty Farm for his third year in the program for 2021.

“We started standing Ready's Image in Indiana the last few years because we like him and we're trying to help the program in Indiana more with his quality bloodlines,” says Penny. “He's done pretty well these last couple of years and we look forward to seeing his Indiana babies on the track soon.”

Over the past seven years, the Indiana Thoroughbred Breed Development Program has distributed more than $23 million to Indiana breeders. Horses produced out of the Indiana bred program have gone on to win multiple graded stakes races and even competed internationally in the Breeders' Cup and at the Royal Ascot meet. Currently, breeders are awarded up to 20 percent of the purse in awards for winners.

The 2019 Indiana Thoroughbred Breed Development and Indiana Thoroughbred Breeders and Owners Association award winners were recognized during the first ever Indiana Breeders Day held at Indiana Grand on Wednesday, Oct. 28.

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Unreachable Star Connections Donate To Friends Of Ferdinand On Indiana Champions Day

Unreachable Star was one of the first modern day superstars in the Indiana breeding program. The one-time leader in the state for most purse earnings accumulated during his racing campaign, the now 16-year-old is remembered with a new stakes race in his honor, the $100,000 Unreachable Star Stakes as part of the newly formed Indiana Champions Day, placing the spotlight on the Indiana breeding and racing program.

In honor of the veteran racehorse, who was the first to eclipse $700,000 in purse earnings in the state of Indiana, Unreachable Star's connections made a $500 donation to Friends of Ferdinand during Indiana Champions Day Wednesday, Oct. 28. The donation will assist the local organization with racehorse aftercare programs.

“This is absolutely a full circle moment for us to have a race named in his honor,” said Loren Hebel-Osborne, one of the owners of Unreachable Star. “If he could be here, he would be eating a watermelon and hamming it up and loving it. I hope this donation brings awareness to all horses that are warriors like him, and we hope people will give them a chance after racing for a second career.”

Unreachable Star was retired in 2015 with a total of $784,595 in career earnings and earned four consecutive year-end honors in Indiana as one of the state's top performers. He was the on-site horse at the Churchill Downs Museum and is now enjoying a new career in the hunter-jumper show ring.

“When he started his career in 2007, the purses and the stakes weren't as high as what they are today, so he would have been pretty close to becoming the state' first horse to earn $1 million if he had raced now,” said Tim Glyshaw, trainer of Unreachable Star during his entire career. “He was a barn pet and we kept him at Churchill Downs the whole time. After every race, he'd get a watermelon. He loved watermelon. You could do anything with him. He was just a really cool horse.”

Bruce Murphy, president of the Indiana Thoroughbred Owners & Breeders Association (ITOBA) provided the winner's circle presentation for the donation.

“We are honored to have owners Dave and Loren Osborne and Chuck Bebber here today for the inaugural Unreachable Star Stakes,” said Murphy. “We are very proud to be able to offer a stakes race in his honor, and this is a very nice donation on behalf of his connections.”

Racing continues Monday through Thursday until Thursday, Nov. 19. All-Quarter Horse racing is set for Saturday, Oct. 3 and Saturday, Oct. 24. For more information, go to www.indianagrand.com.

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Past Stars Honored With Inaugural Stakes Races On Indiana Champions Day

Indiana sired and bred horses will be in the spotlight Wednesday, Oct. 28 for the inaugural Indiana Champions Day at Indiana Grand. The event features 12 races, including four stakes, with purses for the day of more than $550,000.

Two of Indiana's past superstars are honored with the inaugural running of races in their honor. The $100,000 Lady Fog Horn and the $100,000 Unreachable Star will be joined by the 22nd running of the $75,000 Crown Ambassador and the 23rd running of the $75,000 Indiana Stallion Fillies.

Expect Indy has been tagged as the early morning line favorite in the Lady Fog Horn Stakes running at a distance of one and one-sixteenth miles. The seven-year-old Indiana sired standout from the Cipriano Contreras Stable will be seeking her second straight win in stakes action at Indiana Grand. She was a winner in her last start in the $75,000 Richmond Stakes. Expect Indy starts from post three with Emmanuel Esquivel aboard at odds of 2-5. Gumpster Stable owns the Mr. Mabee mare, who has in excess of $540,000 in career earnings.

Unbridled Beast is the overwhelming favorite in the Unreachable Star Stakes, slated as Race 11 on the program. The grey son of Unbridled Express, 2019 Champion Sire in Indiana, is currently on a four-race win streak, including two stakes in his last two outings. Trained by Randy Matthews, Unbridled Beast will begin from post eight at even odds with Rodney Prescott aboard for owner Mike Neafus and Matthews.

Betsdownletsride will start off the Crown Ambassador Stakes as the early choice at odds of 1-5. The Sangaree freshman gelding is undefeated in three starts this year for owners Darlene and Herb Likens. Contreras also trains Betsdownletsride, who will be ridden by Esquivel from post one.

The Indiana Stallion Fillies kicks off stakes action on the card in Race 7 with Hungarian Princess listed as the early morning line favorite. Starting from post two at odds of 2-5, the Pataky Kid filly, owned and bred by Swifty Farms, was more than a six-length winner in her last start in the City of Anderson Stakes. Trained by Kim Hammond, Hungarian Princess will seek to add another win to her credentials with Sammy Bermudez aboard.

Indiana Champions Day will include numerous awards, including a special “Back on Track Champions” to a group of five members of the Indiana General Assembly, who were key to reopening racing earlier this year after COVID-19 shutdowns. Also, 2019 award winners will be announced and the first 100 guests who visit the Indiana Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association (ITOBA) tent will receive a snack pack, including a betting voucher. Several philanthropic donations are also part of the afternoon's activities. The 12-race program begins at 2:05 PM.

Racing continues Monday through Thursday until Thursday, Nov. 19. All-Quarter Horse racing is set for Saturday, Oct. 3 and Saturday, Oct. 24. For more information, go to www.indianagrand.com.

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Indiana Grand’s Roy Smith Named Finalist for Leadership Award in Racing

Congratulations to Roy Smith, one of three finalists in the Leadership Award in Racing category of the Thoroughbred Industry Employee Awards (TIEA), presented by Godolphin. The track superintendent at Indiana Grand Racing and Casino, Smith has been “a track man [his] whole life.” He says he was born and raised at Indiana Grand, as his father was a trainer. He grew up walking hots, became a groom, ponied, became an assistant track superintendent, and did just about everything on the backside other than become a trainer, a route he knew he didn’t want to follow. After time at Suffolk Downs, he spent 31 years as Philadelphia Park’s track superintendent before coming home to Indiana Grand six years ago.

“Track superintendents are such a vital part of the overall racing scene,” said nominator Joe Carr. “As part of his lifelong passion for the industry, [Smith] has dedicated his life to the health and welfare of the horse, the rider, and the track personnel through his work. He is a global resource of racetrack management knowledge and shares that knowledge through the Track Superintendents Field Day he established over 15 years ago.”

Click for the video feature on Smith done by TIEA.

Other finalists for the Leadership Award in Racing are Carmen McShane of D/M Racing and Cindy Hutter of George Weaver Racing. The Leadership Award in Racing is presented annually to an individual who is part of Thoroughbred racing in a managerial or supervisory role and displays exceptional leadership qualities.

A total of seven award categories will be honored by TIEA for 2020. Maria Cristina Silva of New York Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association (NYTHA) has already been announced as the winner of the Community Award, while the winners in the other categories will be announced live in a virtual ceremony hosted by Jill Byrne and streamed at the TDN homepage Thursday, Nov. 5, at 12:00 p.m. ET. All finalists will be spotlighted in TDN in the days leading up to the ceremony.

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