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Breakway Farm In Indiana To Host Virtual Farm Tour

Breakway Farm, located in central Indiana is offering a virtual farm tour and stallion showcase on its Facebook page on Sept. 15 starting at noon EDT.

In operation since 1995, Breakway Farm is the home to some of Indiana's top stallions and is excited to present two new stallions for the 2021 breeding season during its virtual stallion show. The stallion show and virtual farm tour will feature owner Janice Jordan and farm manager Tara Mathias sharing information on their breeding and boarding farm and how breeders can participate in the lucrative Indiana Thoroughbred Breed Development Program.

New stallions Calculator and Charming Kitten will be introduced to potential breeders.

Calculator (In Summation – Back To Basics, by Alphabet Soup) was the winner of the Grade 3 Sham Stakes at Santa Anita in 2015 and Grade 1 placed, who retired with lifetime earnings of more than $694,000. The gray stallion brings new blood and outcrosses to the state of Indiana and its breeding program.

“Calculator is a great addition to our breeding program because he is an outcross to so many mares,” said Mathias, manager of Breakway Farm.

Millionaire Charming Kitten also joined the stallion roster at Breakway Farm in 2020. The 10-year-old son of Kitten's Joy (out of The Wild Again mare Iteration) won or placed in eight graded stakes, including a victory in the G3 W.L. McKnight Handicap and a third-place finish in the 2013 G1 Toyota Blue Grass Stakes, prior to starting in the Kentucky Derby. The breeding of Charming Kitten fits in with the racing program at Indiana Grand Racing & Casino, where more turf racing is being featured.

“Charming Kitten is a good fit,” says Mathias. “We're excited to stand a son of top sire Kitten's Joy in Indiana.”

Other stallions standing at Breakway Farm that will be featured in the virtual stallion show include:

Greeley's Conquest (Mr. Greeley – Tipsy Girl)
Mondavi (Maria's Mon, – Senate Appointee), sire of 2019 Swifty Sired Stakes winner Marilyn Mongo
Skylord (Sky Mesa – Skyscape), sire of 2018 two-time stakes winner It's Just Fate and two-time William Henry Harrison Stakes winner Double Tuff
Turbo Compressor (Halo's Image – Dixieland Event)

“We are excited about the 2021 breeding season,” says farm owner Janice Jordan. “So, we welcome everyone to tune into our virtual stallion show and farm tour.”

The virtual stallion show and farm tour starts at noon EDT and can be found at: http://facebook.com/breakwayfarm

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Marcelino Pedroza Back In The Saddle Monday At Indiana Grand

Marcelino Pedroza Jr., 2019 leading jockey at Indiana Grand, is set to return Monday, Sept. 7 at Indiana Grand. The native of Panama has been out with an elbow injury since a training incident May 28 at Indiana Grand.

“I've been working hard and exercising and getting on an equicizer to get back in shape, and I feel great,” said Pedroza. “I didn't want to get on any horses until I got the okay from the doctor because I wanted to do everything right. I got the okay from the doctor yesterday (Wednesday, Sept. 2) and was able to get on four horses (Thursday, Sept. 3). It feels really good to be back.”

Pedroza has been competing on the Indiana circuit full time for the past five years. He earned the leading rider title during the 2017 meet followed up by a title in 2019. Last year's record-setting season in Indiana brought him 153 winners during the 120-day meet. He set the record for most purse earnings in one season ($3,406,044). He also tied Rodney Prescott for most wins on one program with six wins. Pedroza has earned 15 career stakes wins at Indiana Grand and is ranked fifth on the list of all-time leading riders for wins in Indiana with 495 trips to the winner's circle, bringing in more than $12 million in total purse earnings.

“I've been exercising a lot in addition to my physical therapy,” added Pedroza. “I go to therapy for my (left) elbow twice a week and my therapist told me last week I was ready, but we had to wait for the doctor's okay. I'm just happy to finally be back and I can't wait to ride Monday. It's good to be able to do what you love to do.”

Pedroza has five scheduled mounts on the Monday, Sept. 7 racing program. He will begin in Race 1 aboard Talented Tapper from post one at odds of 5-2.

Racing is held Monday through Thursday each week through Wednesday, Nov. 18. Two more Saturday programs are slated for all-Quarter Horse racing days Oct. 3 and Oct. 24 with a daytime first post. For more information, visit www.indianagrand.com.

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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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Wellington Wonder Jumps From Maiden Win To Dominate First Lady Stakes

It was finally time for Wellington Wonder to shine. Fresh off her maiden-breaking win in her last start, the Warrior's Reward filly blasted by her opponents for a dominant win in the 18th running of the $100,000 Indiana First Lady Stakes Wednesday, Aug. 26 at Indiana Grand.

Trained by Michelle Lovell, Wellington Wonder started her journey from post five in the seven-filly lineup for jockey Alex Achard. Race favorite Copper Nickel and Rodney Prescott along with Nothingbutflowers and DeShawn Parker moved out for the lead, challenging each other for the top spot. Wellington Wonder opted to sit outside of Mintchocolatechip and Tommy Pompell, gapping several lengths off the top two.

Down the backstretch, Serena Beck and Emmanuel Esquivel made a big move around Wellington Wonder and Mintchocolatechip in pursuit of the leaders, catching up with the top two around the final turn of the one mile and 70-yard race. Wellington Wonder began moving up midway through the turn and at the top of the stretch, had a perfect shot to take control of the field. She continued to increase her advantage, winning by six and one-quarter lengths at the finish in 1:44.48. Serena Beck finished second over Dontyouremember and Jermaine Bridgmohan for third.

“She just keeps improving, she's always there,” said Achard, who has ridden the Wellington Wonder in all six of her career starts. “Today was a tough race. She doesn't like the dirt in her face. When the seven (Serena Beck) went by us, we gave up going with her because I knew that wasn't what was best. She is just consistent and gave me everything she's got. She is something special.”

A surprise to bettors, Wellington Wonder paid $22.20, $6.80, $3.80 across the board. It was her second win in four starts for 2020 for owners Jerry Romans, Charlie Spiring and Zoom and Fish Stable Inc., who purchased her from the Swifty Farm consignment as a yearling at the Fasig Tipton Sale in Kentucky for $25,000.

“This is a great group of friends that own this filly,” said Lovell, who is based at Churchill Downs with 20 horses. “They bought her at the sale. We have taken our time with her. We gave her the winter off, not because there was anything wrong, but because she is a big filly and we wanted to take our time because she's Indiana bred. We wanted to get her ready for Indiana and the summer stakes races. She's the only Indiana bred I have in my barn.”

Wellington Wonder earned her first stakes win in the effort. It also marked the first career stakes victory for Achard, who has been riding stateside for the past two years after relocating to the United States from his native France.

“I'm so happy for Alex,” added Lovell. “When he first got here (Midwest), I saw him win for someone else and thought he could really ride. He has always liked this filly and he knows her really well. She only has one big stride and he knows how to time his move. He works so hard, so I'm glad to see him get his first stakes win.”

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