Calhoun Chasing Repeat In Wednesday’s Indiana Derby

Two years ago Bret Calhoun captured the $300,000, Grade 3 Indiana Derby with Mr. Money at Indiana Grand Racing & Casino. The trainer will try to top that this year, shooting for a sweep in Wednesday's Indiana Derby with Mr. Wireless and the $200,000, Grade 3 Indiana Oaks with Lovely Ride.

First post is 2:25 p.m. EDT for the 12-race card, with the Indiana Oaks (race 11) scheduled for 7:43 p.m. and the Indiana Derby for 8:25 p.m.

Like Mr. Money, Lovely Ride is owned by the Allied Racing Stable of Madisonville, Ky., entrepreneur Chester Thomas.

Calhoun's two 3-year-olds come in with somewhat similar form, both having raced four times and improving with each start.

Mr. Wireless, a son of 2011 Florida Derby winner Dialed In and out of a mare by the deceased Super Derby winner Arch, finished fifth in his debut sprinting. Put in longer races, Mr. Wireless won both an Oaklawn Park maiden and allowance race by a nose, then was second in the Texas Derby by three-quarters of a length at 14-1.

“He loved the two turns,” Calhoun said recently at Churchill Downs. “Really impressive races. He's a very, very gutsy horse. He's got a lot of try to him. He ran very well in the Texas Derby, a sloppy mess there. He got away just a hair tardy and that put him in bad position going into the first turn. He got fanned pretty wide and got beat a half-length or so. I think if a couple of things here and there had gone a little different that he might have won. He was good enough to win that race. We're hopeful he can step up a little bit and fit in these graded stakes.”

By contrast, Mr. Money had already won a pair of graded stakes at Churchill Downs before coming to Indiana Grand.

“Obviously Mr. Money was a much more proven horse going into the Indiana Derby,” Calhoun said. “I trained this horse's half-sister, and that family develops a little later. They're a little slow maturing physically. I think you'll see more and more from this horse in the future. He's going to get better and better.”

Lovely Ride was a well-beaten second in her debut racing 4 1/2 furlongs at Lone Star Park. She followed with a professional maiden victory and even better-looking allowance triumph at Sam Houston before taking a Churchill Downs' second-level allowance by 6 1/2 lengths. Off that, Bill Downes has made Lovely Ride the 4-1 third choice in the Indiana Oaks' field of eleven 3-year-old fillies, behind favored Kentucky Oaks third-place finisher Will's Secret and Grade 2 Santa Anita Oaks winner Soothsay.

“Interesting filly,” Calhoun said of Lovely Ride. “Very pretty filly that's got quite a bit of pedigree. We started her off at Lone Star, and she was just an average second that day. She had some issues bugging her at the time, so we gave her plenty of time off. She was a little bit immature physically as well. We started her back on an easier trail. Ran her at Houston, and she ran very well. So, we brought her to Churchill, and we felt pretty good about our chances going into the allowance race.

“I know she'd never faced anybody, really, and been running on a much softer circuit. Nobody gave her much of a chance here. There were some pretty good fillies in there, been running in graded stakes, coming in thirds and fourths. It was a very good test for her, and she passed with flying colors. So, we're pretty hopeful she can step up in graded-stakes company as well. She hasn't done much wrong in her life, and she's thriving right now.”

Among the fillies Lovely Ride defeated in her last start was Indiana Oaks contender Moon Swag, who before that was third in the Fair Grounds' Grade 2 Rachel Alexandra Stakes and fourth in Keeneland's Grade 1 Ashland.

Thomas purchased the Tiznow broodmare Lovely Lil while she was carrying Lovely Ride, making him the breeder of record.

“Everybody says I don't know how to spell patience,” he said with a laugh. “But I have patience with my horses and know they need time here and there. So, we gave her the right time, brought her back nice and easy. She annihilated the field, not once but twice before we brought her to Kentucky to do the two-turn thing. That was a nice race she won at Churchill.

“We're excited to be going to Indiana. We got lucky and won the Indiana Derby. Now we can hopefully get lucky and win the Indiana Oaks. That would be pretty cool. It's going to be nice to be back at the track, now that things have opened up again.”

Thomas said he was offered “some pretty serious money” for Lovely Ride after her last victory.

“I felt like she had bigger and better things to do, that she would accomplish,” he said. “So, we decided to hang on to her. Hopefully we made the right decision. We're very hopeful she'll win a graded stakes. That goes hand in fist. When you start winning graded stakes versus allowance races, especially with fillies, they become more and more valuable. It's already worthwhile. Bret calls them my pets, but it's always nice to see these homebreds do well.”

Gabe Saez, who rode Mr. Money, has the mount on Lovely Ride. Ramon Vazquez rides Mr. Wireless.

Stewart brings in Oaks favorite Will's Secret; excited to see how Starrininmydreams stacks up in Derby

Willis Horton Racing's Will's Secret is the 5-2 favorite in the $200,000, Grade 3 Indiana Oaks off a pair of thirds in the Kentucky Oaks and Keeneland's Ashland Stakes, Grade 1 success that followed her winning Oaklawn Park's Grade 3 Honeybee and the Martha Washington. She breaks from the rail, with 3-1 second choice Soothsay, the Grade 2 Santa Anita Oaks winner, to her immediate right in the starting gate.

“The filly ran third in the Oaks and she's training well. So, we're excited about running her there,” said trainer Dallas Stewart. “There are going to be some nice fillies in there. (But) she's run against the best. She's shipped around and run well.”

Will's Secret is a daughter of the Three Chimneys Farm stallion Will Take Charge, the 3-year-old champion of 2013 for Horton.

Stewart co-bred and co-owns Indiana Derby candidate Starrininmydreams in partnership with WinStar Farm under a foal-sharing arrangement. Stewart owns the mare, Boy Crazy, while WinStar provided the breeding to 2010 Kentucky Derby winner Super Saver.

“He ran third in the Lexington (at Keeneland), and he just got outrun in the Pat Day Mile,” Stewart said. “But our horse is nice, and he's trained well. We're excited to see how he matches up.”

Boy Crazy, whom Stewart trained and co-owned with a client, ran only once, finishing fifth in the $30,000 maiden-claiming race. She's been far more successful as a broodmare.

While getting into the breeding side of the horse industry has been known to bust a trainer, Stewart has done well. Boy Crazy produced Saint's Fan, who won a $100,000 Louisiana-bred stakes, and $211,107-earner Diamond Crazy, also a Louisiana-bred.

“We just did it for fun, like with one horse,” he said of his family, whose band of three broodmares includes a sister to Boy Crazy. “We started off in the Louisiana program. (Boy Crazy) has just been phenomenal for us.”

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Fulsome Headlines Indiana Derby As O Besos Connections Skip Race

Indiana's richest horse race will headline a day with purses in excess of $1 million Wednesday, July 7. The featured 27th running of the Grade 3 $300,000 Indiana Derby will be the final event on the 12-race program that begins at 2:25 p.m.

Heading the list of seven entrants for the Indiana Derby is Fulsome from the Brad Cox Stable. The three-year-old Into Mischief colt owned and bred by Juddmonte Farms of Kentucky comes into Indiana on a three-race win streak. He scored an allowance win at Keeneland in early April followed by a win in Arkansas in the $300,000 Oaklawn Stakes. His latest trip to the winner's circle was in the Grade 3 $150,000 Matt Winn at Churchill Downs in late May. Fulsome has drawn post one and will be guided by Florent Geroux, who won the 2020 Indiana Derby aboard Shared Sense for Trainer Cox.

Joining Fulsome as a likely favorite is Mr. Wireless from the Bret Calhoun Stable. The Dialed In gelding finished second in his last start, the $300,000 Texas Derby at Lone Star and is two for four this season. Mr. Wireless has drawn post seven and will be ridden by Ramon Vazquez. Trainer Calhoun was the winner of the 2019 Indiana Derby with Mr Money.

Missing from the entries is O Besos from the Greg Foley barn. O Besos had been pointing to the Indiana Derby at Churchill Downs, but a last-minute decision was made to skip the race.

“We're just passing the race,” Foley said through correspondence with Jennie Rees, Eclipse Award winning turf writer. “We checked him out, didn't really find anything. (But) I wasn't going to run him if he wasn't 100 percent. No sense entering him when I'm not going to run him. I don't think it's anything bad. Maybe the work the other day jammed something up a little. He wasn't lame or off or anything. The exercise rider didn't like the way he went, and I didn't either. You don't want to put him in a race like that when I didn't like the way he went a few days before it.”

The entire field for the Indiana Derby, in post position order with jockey, includes Fulsome (Florent Geroux), WW Crazy (Victor Santiago); Starrininmydreams (Luis Saez); Convention (Francisco Arrieta); Sermononthemount (James Graham); Full Charge (Adam Beschizza); and Mr. Wireless (Ramon Vazquez). Estimated post time for the Indiana Derby is 8:25 p.m.

Also featured on the 12-race card is the 26th running of the Grade 3 $200,000 Indiana Oaks, slated as the 11th race on the card. A total of 11 sophomore fillies have been entered into the race with the early nod going to the inside filly Will's Secret. Ridden by Jon Court, the Will Take Charge three-year-old finished third in her last start in the Grade 1 $1.25 million Kentucky Oaks at Churchill Downs. She is owned by breeder Willis Horton Racing and trained by Dallas Stewart and will start from post one.

Sitting directly to the right of her in the starting gate will be California invader Soothsay from the Richard Mandella barn. The Distorted Humor filly is two for three this year after going unraced at two. Her last start was a second-place finish in the Grade 2 $200,000 Sumer Oaks Stakes at Santa Anita. Flavien Prat guides Soothsay from post two.

The entire field for the Indiana Oaks, in post position order with jockey, includes Will's Secret (Jon Court); Soothsay (Flavien Pratt); Oliviaofthedesert (Brian Hernandez Jr.); Malloy (Adam Beschizza); Lovely Ride (Gabriel Saez); Sweet Pearl (Luis Saez); Li'l Tootsie (James Graham); Marion Francis (Florent Geroux); Lady Aces (Umberto Rispoli); Moon Swag (DeShawn Parker); and Forever Boss (Robby Albarado). Estimated post time for the Oaks is 7:43 p.m.

Indiana Derby Day will feature numerous activities to complement the racing program, including five $1,000 Megabet Win Wagers on the Indiana Derby, courtesy of the Indiana Thoroughbred Alliance. The twilight card will also feature a $500 Indiana Derby Hat Contest, Cigar Rolling Station, $1,000 Derby Warriors Handicapping Contest, Strolling Entertainment, and a community food booth featuring sno cones and cotton candy with all proceeds going to the Shelbyville High School Girls Basketball program. Free parking and free general admission will be offered for all racing fans with ample seating available on a first come, first serve basis.

The 19th season of Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse racing is currently in progress through Monday, November 8. Racing is conducted Monday through Thursday with a first post of 2:25 p.m. Monday through Wednesday. Thursday racing begins at 3:25 p.m. Six select Saturdays are offered for all-Quarter Horse racing beginning at 10 a.m. Indiana Champions Day, featuring the top Thoroughbred and Quarter Horses in the state, is set for Saturday, Oct. 30 with a start time of 12 p.m. For more information on events and racing, go to www.indianagrand.com.

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Thursday’s Racing Insights

Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency

8th-Fair Grounds, $55K, Msw, 3yo, 6f, post time: 5:23 p.m. ET

An intriguing cast of sophomore colts seek their diplomas at Fair Grounds Thursday. Frank Fletcher Racing Operations, Inc. paid $500,000 for K C Rocket (Kantharos) at OBSAPR '20 off a powerful :10 flat breeze and strong gallop out before turning him over to Al Stall, Jr. A $75,000 KEENOV weanling and $165,000 KEESEP yearling, the chestnut is out of a Midnight Lute daughter of dual champion Silverbulletday (Silver Deputy). While that Hall of Famer hasn't necessarily had the same success as a broodmare that she did on the track, her daughters have passed on the running gene, notably when matched up with fellow Baffert/Pegram standout Midnight Lute. A pair of half sisters to K C Rocket's dam Illicit Affair have produced GISW Shakin It Up (Midnight Lute) and GSW Govenor Charlie (Midnight Lute), respectively.

David Ingordo and Cherie DeVaux's Tulane Tryst (Into Mischief) figures to take some beating in his second start. The $310,000 KEESEP acquisition earned an 82 Beyer Speed Figure for a debut second over track and trip Jan. 30 behind the Stall-trained He's in Charge (Candy Ride {Arg}).

Bret Calhoun has a pair signed on. Newcomer Mr. Wireless (Dialed In) is half to Ain't No Elmers (Goldencents), who garnered 'TDN Rising Star' status after going two-for-two by daylight here last year for the same barn. She'd go on to finish second in the GIII Miss Preakness S. in October. Calhoun also sends out Tom Durant's $950,000 Keeneland September buy Find New Roads (Quality Road), who is out of a half-sister to the dam 2017 GIII Lecomte S. winner Guest Suite (Quality Road) and from the family of A.P. Indy. The bay gets blinkers this time after checking in sixth as the favorite following a tardy start here Feb. 4.

Brad Cox pupil Colonel Bowman (Curlin) looks to atone after a pair of defeats as the favorite. The Godolphin homebred was second on debut here Jan. 2–one spot ahead of coupled entry-mate Gershwin (Distorted Humor), who came back to graduate next out. Colonel Bowman, meanwhile, checked in two spots behind Tulane Tryst last time. The son of GISW Dubai Escapade (Awesome Again) will shed the blinkers he sported last out.

Robert and Lawana Low homebred Artwork (Munnings) hinted at potential speed when firing a 1:00 flat bullet from the gate here Feb. 24. He is out of a Curlin daughter of the Lows' GISW Capote Belle (Capote). TJCIS PPs

 

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