Indiana Grand | Horse Racing Free Tips

Prat Tests Positive For COVID-19 After Returning From Keeneland

Leading Southern California jockey Flavien Prat was taken off mounts at Del Mar on Sunday after testing positive for COVID-19 earlier in the day.

Prat arrived back in the San Diego area after riding six races at Keeneland in Lexington, Ky., on Saturday and was required to be tested under Del Mar protocols for jockeys who travel out of town. He was given a nasal swab test by Scripps Hospital in La Jolla and notified a couple of hours later he had contracted the virus, according to his agent, Derek Lawson. Track officials said Prat was at Del Mar when he was contacted by Scripps personnel but had not arrived at the jockeys' room yet.

Prat will be be sidelined a minimum of 10 days from Monday, according to track officials, meaning he could return as soon as July 24, provided he has no symptoms.

Del Mar officials said all jockeys and jockeys' room personnel will be tested prior to the next day of racing on Friday, July 17.

Prat is the fourth jockey to ride the July 4 card at Los Alamitos in Cypress, Calif., who since tested positive for COVID-19. On July 8, Martin Garcia was required to be tested in order to ride at Indiana Grand and came up positive. He had ridden at Ellis Park July 2, Los Alamitos July 3-4 and Prairie Meadows July 5.

On July 10, Luis Saez was taken off mounts at Keeneland after a test from the previous day was positive.

Saez flew to California to ride Uncle Chuck to victory for Bob Baffert in the Grade 3 Los Alamitos Derby on July 4, then rode the July 5 card at Belmont Park. He was required to be tested by New York Racing Association officials prior to riding July 5 and tested negative. Saez then rode at Indiana Grand on July 8, at Keeneland on July 9, then rode the second race at Keeneland on July 10 before being notified of his positive test and removed from his remaining mounts.

Espinoza was tested after experiencing flu-like symptoms early in the week and was taken off mounts on Del Mar's opening day, July 10. He learned that evening he was positive for COVID-19.

“It is encouraging that in both cases our protocols worked,” Del Mar CEO Joe Harper said of Prat and Espinoza's positive tests. “We will continue to be vigilant to ensure the safety of the people who work here and live in our community.”

A July 2 article from the Harvard Medical School explains that testing for COVID-19 is not foolproof.

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Indiana Grand To Implement Jockey Restrictions Beginning Monday, June 15

Indiana Grand Racecourse is working diligently to ensure the safety and well-being of all those involved with the current racing season, which began Monday, June 15. After consultation with the Indiana Horse Racing Commission (IHRC), all jockeys accepting a mount at Indiana Grand Racing & Casino will agree to ride exclusively at the facility. This restriction goes into effect Friday, July 10, 2020 and applies to both Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse jockeys.

If a jockey that is currently riding at Indiana Grand enters another jockey's quarters at another racetrack, he or she will not be allowed to return to Indiana Grand without self-quarantining for 14 days. After that time period, the jockey will be required to submit a negative COVID-19 test. This policy will remain in effect until further notice. Jockeys who wish to move their tack to Indiana Grand must also go through the 14-day quarantine and provide a negative Covid-19 test before they will be accepted to ride.

Live racing continues through Wednesday, Nov. 18. Action is held Monday through Thursday beginning at 2:20 p.m. Post times for the all-Quarter Horse programs is to be determined.

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Shared Sense Completes Trainer Brad Cox’s Indiana Derby, Oaks Double

Godolphin homebred Shared Sense went four wide and survived an objection to win Wednesday evening's Grade 3 Indiana Derby, giving trainer Brad Cox and jockey Florent Geroux the graded stakes double on the card after winning the G3 Indiana Oaks with Shedaresthedevil. Sent off as the 5-2 favorite, Shared Sense defeated Major Fed by about three lengths at the finish.

The 3-year-old son of Street Sense completed 1 1/8 miles in 1:49.46 over the fast main track at Indiana Grand, earning his first 20 points on the Road to the Kentucky Derby. The updated points standings are available here: Derby Oaks Leaderboard

Second-last heading into the clubhouse turn, Geroux made his way to the rail to save ground with Shared Sense. The pair moved up the rail down the backstretch, then found themselves behind a three-wide wall of horses mid-way through the far turn.

Major Fed was on the outside of Shared Sense, and Geroux rode aggressively to make room four-wide and force that rival five-wide as the field turned for home. Major Fed's rider James Graham lodged an objection after the race, but stewards disallowed the claim and let the result stand as Shared Sense skipped home to an easy three-length win.

Graham and Major Fed had to settle for second, while Necker Island and Extraordinary filled out the superfecta.

Bred in Kentucky by his owner, Shared Sense is the first foal out of the Bernardini mare Collective, herself out of the two-time Grade 1 winner Composure (Touch Gold). Collective is an unraced half-sister to multiple Grade 1-placed runners Centring and Penwith.

It took Shared Sense three starts to officially break his maiden; in fact, he was second that day in late November, but the winner Blackberry Wine was later disqualified for a medication positive. In January, Shared Sense finished sixth in the listed Smarty Jones at Oaklawn, but he came back to win an allowance race at the end of February.

Given a few months off and switched to the turf, Shared Sense was sixth in the listed War Chant Stakes on May 23 at Churchill, then went back to the dirt to run second to the undefeated Art Collector in an allowance race at Churchill on June 13.

(Art Collector is entered in Saturday's Grade 2 Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland.)

Overall, Shared Sense has won three of his eight starts for earnings of over $320,000.

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Shedaresthedevil Runs Away With Indiana Oaks

Flurry Racing Stables, Qatar Racing Limited, and Big Aut Farms' Shedaresthedevil pulled off a convincing win in Wednesday evening's Grade 3 Indiana Oaks, dominating her rivals by five lengths as the 3-5 post time favorite. Trained by Brad Cox and ridden by Florent Geroux, Shedaresthedevil ran 1 1/16 miles over Indiana Grand's fast main track in 1:43.50.

The 3-year-old daughter of Daredevil earned 20 more points on the Road to the Kentucky Oaks, bringing her total points to 90, good for third on the leaderboard.

“She's a real sound filly,” said Cox. “We've had her since last November. She's just been spot on ever sense. She gives you a solid work every week, whatever you're looking for. She's a race horse. Very, very proud of her. i think she's only going to get better with more distance and maybe even when she gets older. She ran early as a 2-year-old. She's just a good filly. She really is.”

Miss T Too set the early fractions while Florent Geroux kept Shedaresthedevil in a clear second, about a length behind the leader. Shedaresthedevil drew even around the far turn and had a two-length advantage at the head of the lane. Geroux had to give the filly a couple of reminders down the lane when she appeared to be waiting on rivals, but Shedaresthedevil pulled away to win by five lengths on the wire.

“We expected her to run well,” Cox said. “She'd been training the part out of her last race at Churchill, where she ran a big race. It was a good trip, she responded well. I thought she looked great at the quarter pole. Florent had to kind of reach around and keep her alert the last sixteenth of a mile. He said she kind of got a little lost late. But when he asked her the last sixteenth, she really kicked on. Overall it was a big effort, exactly what we were looking for. I was real pleased with her.”

The pace-stalking Impeccable Style checked in second, while Bayerness was third. Fire Coral finished fourth.

Bred in Kentucky by WinStar Farm, Shedaresthedevil is out of the Congrats mare Starship Warpspeed. Graded stakes-placed as a juvenile, the filly brought $280,000 at the 2019 Keeneland November sale. For her new connections, Shedaresthedevil has now won two Grade 3 races, improving her overall record to 4-2-2 from nine starts for earnings of over $500,000.

“She's got enough points to get in (to the Kentucky Oaks),” Cox said when asked about the filly's next start. “I won't say we'll make it easy on her, but as easy on her as we can to try to get her into the Oaks the best way and get her there with some confidence.”

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