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Indiana Thoroughbred Alliance To Present Free Pedigree Seminar

The Indiana Thoroughbred Alliance (ITA), a newly-founded group dedicated to helping educate, inspire and support those interested in the Indiana horse racing industry, is proud to announce their first educational event. On Saturday, December 5, the ITA will present “Pedigree Research and Purposeful Pedigrees” with guest speaker, Robert Keck, bloodstock consultant at Kentucky's Crestwood Farm.

The event is free and open to anyone interested in breeding Thoroughbreds.

The event is the first in a series of activities the ITA will host in the coming months, all aimed at helping to educate breeders and those looking to get into breeding. Susan Burger, a longtime broodmare manager and now owner of Indiana's Ledgerwood Farm, is the co-vice president of the ITA, and organizer of the seminar.

“The ITA wanted to open up the avenue of continuing education for the breeders of Indiana,” Burger explains. “We want to help breeders, and those interested in getting into breeding, to learn what they need to look for when it comes to booking a stallion to their mare, or even purchasing a broodmare.”

The group is excited to welcome Keck to Indiana for the seminar so he can share his many years of experience as a bloodstock agent and pedigree analyst.

“The knowledge that Robert has is just incredible,” says Burger. “Even breeders who have been active for many years can still learn a great deal from Robert.”

Keck has business degrees from both the University of Louisville Equine Business Administration Program and the University of Southern California. He has completed both the Irish National Stud Course and the Taylor Made Intern Program. A hands-on horseman, Keck has worked for Crestwood Farm since 1994. His recent achievements include planning the matings of two 2019 multiple Grade 1 winning millionaires: Got Stormy and Bowies Hero.

Keck will be discussing what he looks for in researching a mare's pedigree, how to do that research yourself and finding the best fit for mares and stallions.

The seminar will be held at the Painted Hills Clubhouse in Martinsville, Ind., starting at 1 p.m. EST on Dec. 5. Registration is free and refreshments will be provided. Attendees are asked to adhere to COVID-19 regulations by wearing facial coverings and practicing social distancing where available.

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Piedi Bianchi Doubles Up In Frances Slocum Stakes

Piedi Bianchi has been brilliant most of her career, tackling Graded Stakes company beginning in her 2-year-old season with a fifth-place finish in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies in 2017. Now, the 5-year-old grey Indiana bred mare is a two-time winner of the $100,000 Frances Slocum Stakes, scoring a convincing win Wednesday, Nov. 18. It was the 24th running of the event going 1 1/16 miles at Indiana Grand.

Piedi Bianchi, who was kicking her heels up in the post parade, was ready to race when the gates opened. She burst out of post nine in the 12-horse lineup and was quickly among the top group heading to the lead. Copper Nickel and Jermaine Bridgmohan crossed over to the lead and were tracked closely by Unbridled Class and Rodney Prescott in the early stages. Horses were three and four wide around the first turn to stay close to the pace setters.

Down the backstretch, some began to retreat, allowing Piedi Bianchi to advance up slowly on the outside. In the final turn, she began to stretch out even more and was neck and neck with Magical Peapod and Rocco Bowen and Copper Nickel. In the stretch, Fernando De La Cruz gave a command to advance and she blasted to the lead, drawing away by seven and one-half lengths at the finish line for the win. Fireball Baby and Marcelino Pedroza closed gamely for second, just a head in front of Expect Indy and Emmanuel Esquivel to make it a first and third finish for trainer Cipriano Contreras.

“I was a little worried about the post position,” admitted De La Cruz. “We were four-wide, but we were able to sit down and wait. I knew at the half-mile we had a good shot to win because I was sitting on a lot of horse. At the quarter pole, I asked her for more and she did it all by herself.”

Piedi Bianchi now has six career wins in 19 career starts for owners Jay Oringer, Jack Bick and Madaket Stables. An $80,000 purchase at two from the Ocala sales in 2017, Piedi Bianchi now possesses in excess of $578,000 in purse earnings and moves into eighth place on the list of all-time leading Indiana bred money earners. Among females, she is ranked third behind Lady Fog Horn ($824,273) and Dreamin Big ($602,350).

“This is a nice mare that has been running in Graded Stakes competition,” said Contreras. “She has been training really good up to this race and I think she is a little bit better going a little longer. The main thing today is to stay out of trouble and the race worked out perfectly. When you are a big favorite like that, the worst thing to happen is to get caught in behind horses, so being wide wasn't a concern. Fernando (De La Cruz) did a good job. He waited and was patient.”

The abbreviated 2020 racing season comes to a close Thursday, Nov. 19 with a mandatory payout in the Straight Fire 6. The carryover heading into closing day is in excess of $140,000 and will begin in Race 5 to capture the final six Thoroughbred races of the season. Racing dates for 2021 will be approved and announced by the Indiana Horse Racing Commission in December.

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$15,000 Purchase Lookin At Justice Kicks Clear To Win Indiana Futurity

A late rider change paired Jesus Castanon with Lookin at Justice in the 21st running of the $75,000 Indiana Futurity Tuesday, Nov. 17 at Indiana Grand. The move proved to be a winning connection as the duo scored a six and one-quarter length win in a time of 1:44.19 in the one mile and 70-yard event.

Starting from post four in the 12-horse lineup, Castanon had Lookin at Justice ready to roll out of the gate, getting good early positioning behind early leader A Few Too Many and Tommy Pompell. Lookin at Justice followed along comfortably down the backstretch as horses vied for position on the outside. Heading into the final turn, Lookin at Justice moved up and moved on to lead the field into the final portions of the race.

In the stretch, Lookin at Justice hit another gear and rolled out to a dominant lead for an easy win. Sudden Shift and DeShawn Parker rallied up late to finish second over Rockin All Night and Rodney Prescott, who also closed well for third place.

“Anytime you get to ride for Mr. Genaro (Garcia), you go out with a lot of confidence,” said Castanon. “I've been on him (Lookin at Justice) in the mornings so I knew him a little. He got somewhat confused turning into the stretch because he looked over and saw the starting gate and he picked up his ears. But I smooched to him one time to pick it up and he took off.”

It was the second win in six starts for Lookin at Justice, who is owned by Steve Lewis of Chicago and Genaro Garcia's Southwest Racing Stable. The juvenile son of Atreides was a $15,000 purchase last year at Fasig Tipton's October Yearling Sale in Kentucky. The Justice Farm product now has in excess of $80,000 in career earnings.

“I always thought two turns would be better for this colt,” said Garcia, who handles the training duties. “He would be much better for a distance because when he was in a sprint, you had to push him the entire time. I feel like he will be a nice 3-year-old. He's one of the special ones in the barn.”

Lewis and Garcia's Southwest Racing Stable is currently leading the owner standings with 19 wins heading into the final two days of racing. Garcia is leading the trainer standings with 41 wins. A title in 2020 would be Garcia's fourth straight training title at Indiana Grand.

The final two days of racing in 2020 offers a lot of action. A $115,522.76 carryover will kick off the Straight Fire 6 Jackpot Pick 6 in the second race Wednesday, Nov. 18. The card also includes two stakes, the 23rd running of the $100,000 To Much Coffee Stakes and the 24th running of the $100,000 Frances Slocum Stakes for older Indiana breds.

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Russian Influence Dominates Miss Indiana Stakes

All she needed was a little more time to shine, and that's exactly what she did. Russian Influence and Marcelino Pedroza scored the win in the 23rd running of the $75,000 Miss Indiana Stakes Tuesday, Nov. 17 at Indiana Grand. The race, which began at Hoosier Park in 1998, was the first 2-year-old pari-mutuel stakes race in the state and transferred to Indiana Grand when the program went to one breed, one track in 2013.

Russian Influence broke sharply and could have been a contender early, but Pedroza grabbed the reins and opted to settle in behind the field in next to last place. A herd of horses shot to the lead. America Rules and Tommy Pompell were the first to claim the top spot on the inside but were tracked closely by Hungarian Princess and Sammy Bermudez to their outside. Big If True and Eddie Perez were a lane further out. Horses were stacked three-wide through the first seven spots down the backstretch.

Pedroza began to move Russian Influence forward heading into the final turn of the one mile, 70-yard event, but ran into traffic trouble midway through the turn and was delayed a few strides. However, room opened up soon after and he was able to shoot through horses and was among the top three heading into the lane.

In the stretch, Russian Influence took over and sped out to the top spot, rallying home for the win by two and three-quarter lengths in a time of 1:45.88. Hungarian Princess held off Timeless Glory and Geena Lucille to finish second.

“I got on this filly after the last time she ran and really liked her and it gave me the opportunity to know what to recognize from her,” said Pedroza. “She just needed distance. She broke sharp but the plan for the race worked out perfectly. We let the speed go and at the 5/16ths, I was looking for a way to get through. Once we got through, I had a lot of horse left.”

It was the second win in three starts for Russian Influence and her first appearance in stakes action. She was purchased as a yearling at the Keeneland January All Ages Sale in 2019 for $120,000 by owner Stuart Grant of The Elkstone Group. He instantly liked what he saw.

“Stuart (Grant) texted me after the sale and told me he just bought the next Lady Fog Horn,” said trainer Tony Granitz, who campaigned two-time Indiana Horse of the Year Lady Fog Horn to more than $825,000 in earnings. “I told him those were big shoes to fill. We had to wait quite a while before we got her, but to this point, she's done everything right. We took the blinkers off of her tonight and it worked out great. We've been waiting for two turns.”

It was the first time Pedroza had been aboard Russian Influence in a race, but he was familiar with the Into Mischief Indiana bred filly from the mornings. With Andres Ulloa riding two of three entrants entered in the Miss Indiana Stakes for Granitz, he had to find a new pilot for Russian Influence.

“Andres (Ulloa) had just won on Taperinea so I told him we'd leave him on her and get someone for this filly (Russian Influence),” said Granitz. “We worked Russian Influence and Taperinea together last week and Marcelino came over and breezed her. It can be stressful having three in one race, but all three ran well today. I thought Timeless Glory ran really well to finish third. It's been a great year for all of our 2-year-olds.”

Russian Influence completes her two-year-old campaign with more than $70,000 in earnings in just three starts. The filly was bred by Deann and Dr. Greg Baer of Columbus, Ind.

For Pedroza, it was his third win on the program. The Panamanian jockey recently returned to riding after a three-month layoff due to an injury. In only two months of action, Pedroza has earned a spot among the track's top six riders and has accumulated more than $1 million in purses in the process.

The final two days of racing in 2020 are set for Wednesday, Nov. 18 and Thursday, Nov. 19 with a 2:05 p.m. start time. The Wednesday program offers the final two Thoroughbred stakes races of the year with the 23rd running of the $100,000 To Much Coffee Stakes and the 24th running of the $100,000 Frances Slocum Stakes for older Indiana breds on the program. The afternoon card will also feature a $115,522.76 carryover in the Straight Fire 6 Jackpot Pick 6, which begins in Race 2.

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