Supporting the Indiana Quarter Horse Racing Industry Since 1966
Lovemelikethat and rider Julie Veltman were no surprise with another outstanding performance in the $100,000-added Sterlie Bertram Memorial Final Saturday, Oct. 8 during an all-Quarter Horse Stakes day at Hoosier Park. Bertram’s friends and family, including his widow, Kay, was on hand to help with the trophy presentation for the third running of the event.
Starting from post four, Lovemelikethat broke well without any incident. The three-year-old daughter of Likenothinyoueversaw found a gear early and led the field of 10 to the finish line in a time of :17.886 seconds. Stole N Loot and jockey Aron Hunt were one length back in second followed by Bitter Sweet Song and Rodney Prescott, who got nosed out at the wire to finish third.
“She (Lovemelikethat) is just an awesome horse,” said Veltman. “She broke pretty good, but with her it doesn’t really matter. You can put her anywhere and she’ll find her way through.”
Lovemelikethat is now four for six in 2011. The Indiana-bred filly has accumulated more than $186,000 in career earnings for owner Cooter Daniel.
John McCreary, who trains, continues to have a big meet at Hoosier Park this season, picking up his second win on the day with Lovemelikethat. McCreary’s other win was with Shez So Rare, ridden by Shanley Jackson, in a division of trials for the Miss Roxie Little Futurity. Shez So Rare turned in the fastest qualifying trial for the event with a time of :17.832.
“She (Lovemelikethat) just runs her heart out every time,” said McCreary. “I’m blessed to have such a great filly, and blessed to be associated with such great people. Everyone gets along with her. I just told Julie (Veltman) to ride her like she’s yours. She’s a great jockey and has a good heart.”
Veltman also connected for two wins on the 11-race program dedicated to the sprinters. She also rallied home aboard Smart Visions in the sixth race, one of four trials for the Miss Roxie Little Futurity. The final of the $100,000 Miss Roxie Little Futurity was set for closing weekend Saturday, Oct. 22. It was accompanied by the $100,000 final of the Governor’s Stake as well as the $75,000 QHRAI Derby. The day also included a stick horse race from the gates featuring Hoosier Park’s Quarter Horse jockeys.
The stick horses were auctioned off at the QHRAI Dinner following racing Saturday, Oct. 8. The winning bidders had naming rights for their horses as well as the right to name their own jockeys. All proceeds from the event will go to jockey Richard Gilliard, who was seriously injured at Hoosier Park earlier in the meet.
Hoosier Park’s jockeys also supported fellow rider Jacky Martin, who was paralyzed in a fall at Ruidoso Downs in early September. The entire nation rallied behind Martin on Saturday to show their support through different activities. Hoosier Park’s jockeys all wore Jacky’s name on their boots.
“It’s just a way to show our support for Jacky (Martin),” said Veltman. “We all got together and agreed we would do this today.”
Veltman knows what it is like to be sidelined. She has had her share of injuries while riding, including a bad break to her ankle in 2005 that has caused her to create a special boot for her to ride in. Veltman rides with a custom made boot for her left leg complete with a zipper from her ankle to the top of her boot in the back to accommodate her old injury.
A native of Michigan, Veltman has always fared well in the standings at Hoosier Park. She earned the leading Quarter Horse title in 2005 and adds the Sterlie Bertram Memorial to an impressive list of stakes wins from the track. She also connected with Lovemelikethat in the 2010 $100,000 Miss Roxie Little Futurity Final. Veltman has seven career stakes wins at Hoosier Park.
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2010 QHRAI SSA
Futurity Champion
Call On Linda
Sired by: SC Chiseled in Stone
Call On Linda, ridden by Rodney Prescott, turned in a perfect gate to wire performance Sunday, Aug. 22, 2010 to take top honors in the $100,000 QHRAI Stallion Service Auction Futurity. Randy Haffner trains Call On Linda who is owned by Debie Smith of Illinois and Haffner’s wife, Lynn.
2010 QHRAI SSA
Derby Champion
Beduino Rich
Sired by: Like A Beduino
Beduino Rich and jockey Joe Ruiz claim the title of QHRAI Stallion Service Auction Derby Champions for Owners, Jeremy and Naia Giambi (AZ) at Hoosier Park. Beduino Rich is trained by Raul Hernandez.
Three trials were contested to set up the $100,000 final of the Gordon Mobley Futurity Saturday, Sept. 3. The races were run at a distance of 350 yards with purses of $10,000 each. The Mobley Futurity Final is set for Saturday, Sept. 17 during an afternoon racing program that will include Guns and Hoses, in which area firefighters and police officers will compete in a series of challenges to raise money for charity.
In the first trial, Julie Veltman guided Corona Kas to his first career win, taking the event by the margin of one-half lengths in a time of :18.182 seconds. The Rainbow Beat and Gerardo Garrido moved up late for second followed by HQH Doc Dash and Harold Collins in a close photo for third.
“This was his (Corona Kas) first start here and he ran good and broke good,” said Veltman, who was the leading Quarter Horse jockey at Hoosier Park in 2005. “The trainer (John McCreary) said to go to the front and improve your position. I saw the six (The Rainbow Beat) moving up toward the end but I wasn’t worried about him. The wire beat him.”
Owned by Chris and Raymond Duke and trained by McCreary, Corona Kas was making his third lifetime start and his first over Hoosier Park’s surface. His prior two efforts were third place finishes at Indiana Downs. The black gelding is an Indiana bred son of Chilled Corona. Dukes are also the breeder on Corona Kas. He was a surprise winner in the event, paying $21.80 to win.
The easiest winner of the day was recorded in the second trial, giving Highway To Payoff and Collins the nod at the end. Trained by Hoosier Park’s all-time leading Quarter Horse Trainer Ron Raper, Highway To Payoff got out of the gate quickly from the outside post and barreled down the track for the easy win in a time of :18.210, one and three-quarter lengths in front of HQH Forever Sassy and Veltman. Hooked on Cigars and Jose Beltran were close for third.
Owned by John Mendenhall, Highway to Payoff earned his first win in his fifth career start for Raper. He increased his career bankroll to more than $15,700 with the effort.
“This colt (Highway to Payoff) has always had speed, but he’s always had something bothering him,” said Raper. “He’s either been sick or something, but he got it done today. Burnie (HQH Burn Notice) has probably been the best one in the barn I’ve had from the start. He’s never given me a bad race. His owner (David Whitman) had his full sister and went and bought this colt (HQH Burn Notice) off the farm.”
The fastest trial of the day was the final race in which Chilled Six Pack and Leading Rider Shanley Jackson got to the wire first over HQH Burn Notice and Collins. They stopped the timer in :18.060 a neck in front of their opponents followed by Raper’s other entrant, Payoff in Diamonds and Aron Hunt for third.
The Chilled Corona gelding was the second winner on the day for trainer McCreary. It was his first career start for owners Vickie and Raymond Duke, who also bred the Indiana-born two-year-old.
Raper is back on top of the Quarter Horse standings again in 2011. The six-time champ from Kenly, North Carolina continues to send out winners, overseeing 40 horses at his nearby farm in North Anderson while maintaining eight on the backside of Hoosier Park. With 18 two-year-olds still in training, Raper has a lot to look forward to in the upcoming stakes at Hoosier Park.
“The all-Quarter Horse day (Saturday, Oct. 8) will be all trials,” said Raper. “I’ll probably have 10 in the Roxie Little and four more in the Governor’s Stake. I could have 16 horses racing that day.”
Raper will be one of the trainers hosting a couple of students from the AQHA Youth Racing Experience. The kids will accompany Raper through the entire process of racing a horse during the afternoon card, getting the full feeling of what it takes to be a Quarter Horse trainer. The event will be one of several special activities throughout the day, including Wild West Day. The afternoon will also have the annual Mule Race and offer a mechanical bull and strolling western entertainment along with a special appearance by Q-Racing Ace John Hernandez of the AQHA.
After finishing a head back in the trials, Mukewater Creek and Francisco Raul Ramirez Jr. were able to turn the tables on their opponents Saturday, Aug. 20, winning the $100,000 QHRAI Stallion Service Auction Futurity at Hoosier Park Racing & Casino. At 12-1 odds, the duo covered the 350-yard dash in a time of :18.090 seconds.
Starting from post four, Mukewater Creek was one of the first horses to emerge from the gate as a potential leader. Several horses came out of the gate awkward, but a few steps into the race, the two-year-old son of Fly Jess Fly was the clear-cut leader and the horse to catch. One horse was within striking distance as they neared the wire. Mukewater Creek was able to fend off the late closing challenge by BPs Frisco Chick and Rodney Prescott, who were seeking to bring trainer Randy Haffner his third straight win in the Futurity.
“He (Mukewater Creek) broke out goofy,” said Ramirez. “But, when he got out in front, he knew what was up. I expected him to finish strong, but this was quite a surprise. It was all the horse. He did all the work.”
Owned by Antonio Saavedra, Mukewater Creek is now two for four in his brief career. Jose Baltierrez trains the Oklahoma bred colt, who now has nearly $50,000
“I was hoping he (Mukewater Creek) would get a clean break and get away really well and stay out of traffic,” said Baltierrez. “We were longshots, but it seems like when the odds are against us, we always seem to come out okay.”
Mukewater Creek paid $27.40, $10.80, and $13.60 across the board for his win in the Futurity. The race is the richest Quarter Horse race held at Hoosier Park. This is the 14th year the race has been conducted at Hoosier Park, established one year following the inaugural season of pari-mutuel Quarter Horse racing was implemented in the state of Indiana in 1997
2011 QHRAI
SSA Derby Champion - "Speed Smith"
Sired by: Prime Talent
Speed Smith, ridden by Carter Riley, showed just how quick he was, romping to victory in the final strides of the $50,000 QHRAI Stallion Service Auction Derby Saturday, Aug. 20. The three-year-old colt completed the 400-yard dash in a time of :20.327 seconds.
Starting from post nine, Speed Smith broke well but was not the quickest out of the gate. It took the handsome son of Prime Talent a few steps to get in gear before he began to make his move on the top ones. Midway through the dash, Speed Smith began to get calls from Track Announcer Steve Cross and he was closing quickly with every stride.
Call On Linda and Rodney Prescott, last year’s QHRAI Stallion Service Auction Futurity winners, still had the advantage along the far inside a few steps from the wire. However, Speed Smith was able to track them down, putting a neck in front at the end to win the race. Talented Magician and Jeff Hogan maintained ground for third.
Owned by Cesar Rosales, Speed Smith is now four for eight in 2011. The Texas-bred colt boosted his career earnings to more than $44,000 with his winning effort in the Derby. Rolando Almanza trains Speed Smith, who is now a perfect two for two over Hoosier Park’s racing strip.
“I’ve ridden him (Speed Smith) now about six times and had three wins on him,” said Riley. “He’s my type of horse. I’ve liked him ever since I saw him in the paddock down at Indiana Downs. Every time I rode him, he would pull his shoes off. Rolando (Almanza) has done a great job with him getting him straightened out. He did some shoeing changes and he’s been good. He was perfect today.”
For Riley, the win was especially gratifying aboard Speed Smith. The last race he competed in two weeks ago, he took a spill following the race aboard a two-year-old and had a slight injury to his leg. This was his first race back after that incident.
The time of :20.327 is the second fastest time for the QHRAI Stallion Service Auction Derby since it has been contested at Hoosier Park. Now in its 14th year at the Anderson, Ind. facility, the new stakes record was set last year with Beduino Rich and Joe Ruiz in a time of :20.194.
2011 QHRAI
SSA Futurity Champion - “Mukewater Creek”
Sired By: Fly Jess Fly
2011 Bradford Stakes Champion
"One Tough Dude"
Sired by: Corona Cartel
One Tough Dude, owned by Jesus Gonzalez and trained by Alonso Orozco, crossed the finish line first just as he did in the 2010 Bradford Stakes.
The $75,000 added race for Open 3 year olds and up had a total purse of $85,200. Winning against some good company, the gelding by Corona Cartel finished in a 20.157 for a Speed Index of 97 with Harold Collins in the irons.
Second was Stone Heading West and third was Tortuga Tony.
2011 Mobley Trials Held at Hoosier Park
"Corona Kas" has First Career Win
Photos by Linscott Photography Stories by Tammy Knox
It was a dream trip from start to finish for Chilled Six Pack and rider Shanley Jackson. The duo took home the trophy in the $100,000 Gordon Mobley Futurity Final Saturday, Sept. 17 at Hoosier Park Racing & Casino.
Starting from post two in the 10-horse lineup, Chilled Six Pack broke from the gate sharply and immediately put his opponents at an advantage, grabbing the top spot on the inside. Jackson kept the two-year-old gelding on task all the way through the 350 yard dash and beat the field to the wire by one and one-half lengths in a time of :17.824 seconds. Stablemate Corona Kas and Victor Olivo rallied up in the final strides for second, one-half length ahead of Highway To Payoff and Aron Hunt for third.
“He (Chilled Six Pack) was a little nervous before we got in the gate, but once the gate opened, he took off,” said Jackson. “I smooched to him one time and he responded and dug in all the way to the finish line.”
Owned by Vickie and Raymond Duke, Chilled Six Pack is now two for two in his brief career, also winning his trial of the Mobley Futurity. The son Chilled Corona now has in excess of $66,000 in earnings for trainer John McCreary, who saddled both Chilled Six Pack and Corona Kas for the event. McCreary is currently tied for second in the leading Quarter Horse trainer standings with five wins this season.
“It’s an awesome feeling to win this stake today,” said McCreary. “I’d just like to thank all the owners for giving me the confidence to get here. I’ve also had some good jockeys that have tried their hardest for me. It’s been a great year.”
Attending the race for the trophy presentation was Gordon Mobley, a long-time supporter of Quarter Horse racing in the state of Indiana. Mobley was joined by all the connections of Chilled Six Pack for the second running of the event.
For Jackson, the win in the Mobley Futurity is his third $100,000 stakes win this year. The North Carolina native has been battling back and forth with two-time leading rider Harold Collins for the top spot this season. Jackson has seven wins through the first 19 days of Quarter Horse action this season. Jackson finished second in the standings last year and after three years of competition at Hoosier Park, he is already among the top 10 riders all time in the Quarter Horse ranks.
Photo by Linscott Photography
Chilled Six Pack Takes
Gordon Mobley Futurity
Calvin Prescott Silks Retired During
Quarter Horse Day at Hoosier Park
Many people have molded the horse racing industry in the state of Indiana. However, few have left the legacy that Calvin Prescott has on racing in the Hoosier State. Born and raised in the Eastern section of the state, Prescott’s name still lingers as the breeder on horses racing at Hoosier Park. He has also inspired his entire family to keep ties into the racing industry since his passing in September 2008.
A native of Ridgeville, Ind., Prescott always showed an innate sense of expertise with horses, even from a young age. That skill combined with his outgoing personality created a whole entertainment business for him. He would perform at county fairs, festivals, and other outdoor activities, as long as it included him on a horse.
“He (Calvin) was a cowboy from way back,” said his daughter Regina “Jeannie” Reidy. “He first started out in barrel racing and it went on from there. He was always somewhere putting on a show with his horses when I was a kid.”
Besides competing in barrels, Prescott would compete in “Holly Golly” racing (chariot-style racing) but one of his most noted tricks was racing against cars. He had a big Thoroughbred named “Blackout” that he used for competitions against the four-wheeled horsepower opponents that would face him.
Prescott’s interest in Thoroughbreds was spurred with the opening of Hoosier Park’s pari-mutuel meet in 1995. His farm had always contained a lot of horses, but at that point, it began to contain more. He increased his brood mare band and stood his first stallion, Jacquelyn’s Groom, whose protégé can still be seen on the Indiana circuit today.
“His favorite horse was One Eyed Jackie,” said Reidy. “She was such a sweetheart and from his stud, Jacquelyn’s Groom. Two days after she was born, she lost an eye, so he called her One Eyed Jackie. A few years later, she had a sister and he named her Two Eyed Jackie.”
One Eyed Jackie raced from 2001 through 2007 before being retired. During her career, she won six races and made nearly $150,000. The grey mare is still retired and living at the Prescott farm today.
“He (Calvin) didn’t buy a lot of outside horses,” said Tianna Richardville, his granddaughter. “He bred and raised most of the horses he raced. He always had a lot of horses at the farm, so he would sneak new ones in every once in a while and my grandmother wouldn’t notice because there were so many. Seeing him raise his own horses is what has gotten me hooked in this business.”
Richardville has a smaller band of brood mares and has bred a lot of them to Jacquelyn’s Groom, keeping the family tradition alive. She is also in the process of building a farm near her home in Uniondale, Ind., which is just south of Fort Wayne.
Although Prescott is mainly known for his involvement in Thoroughbred racing, he actually began with Quarter Horse racing in the 1960’s. Several noted Quarter Horses emerged under his care, including Cachickaboy (pictured above). Cachickaboy set the track record at the Indiana State Fair in the Hoosier Sprint Trials with jockey Steve Elzey aboard. Elzey is now a successful jock’s agent in the Midwest based in Kentucky.
“He (Calvin) would be in awe of the Quarter Horse racing now in the state of Indiana,” said Richardville. “He was very dedicated to his horses and our entire family is involved with horses stemming from our grandpa.”
Outside of horses, Calvin Prescott was very dedicated to his family. Married at the age of 18, his wife, Ruth, was by his side for more than 60 years. She was very supportive of his role with horses along with his full-time career as a semi-truck driver, a position he held until he was 78 years old. The Prescotts raised four children, Calcy, Regina (Reidy), Pam (Mack), and Bev (Garringer), all still active with horses in one form or another. In fact, Prescott’s great great grandkids are now starting in barrel racing.
The Prescott family is still heavily involved in horse racing. Besides Reidy and Richardville, his son, Calcy, is a trainer and currently works on the starting gate. His grandsons, Joe and Tim Reidy, are involved in racing, working on the starting gate and as a trainer, respectively. Also representing the family is Rodney Prescott, who is Hoosier Park’s all-time leading Thoroughbred rider and active in the Quarter Horse races in the state of Indiana.
Today, we honor the memory of Calvin Prescott and retire his silks that were displayed on horses that ran at Hoosier Park from the inaugural season in 1995 until his death in 2008. The silks will be placed permanently in the track kitchen on the backstretch, a place that Prescott frequented during the racing season.
Picture provided by the Prescott family
Picture provided by Hoosier Park & Linscott Photography
Gotta Love Bertram Winner Lovemelikethat
The first-ever all-Quarter Horse racing day proved to be a big hit with racing enthusiasts. Numerous promotions were scattered throughout the 11-race program that featured two $100,000 stakes races for the sprinters.
The Quarter Horse Racing Association of Indiana (QHRAI) was instrumental in preparing a lot of activities to complement the day. They joined efforts with the American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA) to provide a Youth Racing Experience program leading up to Quarter Horse Day. Eleven teenagers from all across the United States and Mexico submitted essays and applications to be selected for the four-day event. Upon arrival, they were assigned to a Quarter Horse trainer for three days leading up to the races and job shadowed their host trainer, learning the work it takes to prepare a horse for a race. Assisting the kids the entire process was Courtney Martin, Betty Burge, and Jada Buchanan, who served as an intern in the race marketing department for Hoosier Park two seasons ago.
“AQHA is very happy with the event,” said Buchanan, marketing manager for AQHA based in Amarillo, Texas. “The youth had a great time and loved every minute of it. Thank you to the employees at Hoosier Park who gave up their time to educate the kids about racing and the operations of the track. We’d also like to thank QHRAI for all of their help as well.”
In addition to the Youth Racing Experience, AQHA also provided a Q-Racing Ace for the day. John Hernandez, who works at Prairie Meadows in Iowa, was on hand to provide free wagering advice and informational guidance in understanding Quarter Horse racing. He also assisted Hoosier Park’s in-house television commentator Rachel McLaughlin with interviews and handicapping shows.
“I thought there was a lot of energy in the crowd,” said Hernandez. “The fans were very interested in learning more about AQHA and handicapping. From our standpoint, it was a very successful day. It was also an honor and privilege to work with Rachel (McLaughlin).”
Quarter Horse Day wrapped up with an evening celebration dinner and fundraiser in the Homestretch Restaurant. Participants in the sport rallied together to raise funds for jockey Richard Gilliard, who was injured in a racing incident earlier in the meet. More than $5,500 was raised for Gilliard through auction items, donations, and solicitation from three of Hoosier Park’s Quarter Horse jockeys, Tom Johns, Aron Hunt, and Harold Collins, who masqueraded through the crowd dressed as “beauty” pageant contestants. Assisted by silk’s room attendant Pat Barrett, each jockey carried a boot and the attendees could vote for their favorite by placing money in their boots. A tie was determined between the three jockeys following a blanket donation to the pot of $2,500 by trainer-owner Gene Cox, who stepped up and supported the cause in a big way.
Along with the jockey voting, Carter Riley, who won the first ever Quarter Horse race aboard Easys Night Beat in the Governor’s Stake in 1997, donated a chair signed by the jockeys, which was also donated to the Gilliard fund.
“I think this day (Quarter Horse Day) is really good,” said Riley. “We’ve had great weather and the crowd is really into it. With everything going on this time of year like fall festivals, we still had a good crowd. The horses are running fast and the track is fast. You can’t ask for more than that.”
Horses were also featured during the evening activities. Nine stick horses were auctioned off to the highest bidders in the crowd. The stick horses were be named by their new owners and the new owners also named their jockeys for the stick horse race that was set for Ladies Day Saturday, Oct. 22. The afternoon program also included the final day of Quarter Horse racing for 2011 featuring the $100,000 Miss Roxie Little Futurity.
Quarter Horse Day at Hoosier Park a Big Success!
Raper, Collins Repeat for Quarter Horse
Titles at Hoosier Park
Ron Raper and Harold Collins each took home top honors in their respective categories Saturday, Oct. 22 to mark the end of Quarter Horse racing for 2011 at Hoosier Park.
Raper won 14 races during the season to earn his sixth title in the past seven years. A native of North Carolina, Raper is Hoosier Park’s all-time leading trainer with 85 wins. He has been dominant in the standings since 2005, only missing the title in 2007. Raper earned another stakes victory in the final day of racing as Rapid Ivory and rider Aron Hunt won a close photo to take home honors in the $75,000 Governor’s Stakes.
“The secret to having a good stable is good horses, good owners, and good help,” said Raper. “Everyone has worked really hard this year. We’ve really enjoyed being here and I’d like to thank Kevin Greely, Brian Elmore, and RJ Moore. They’ve done a great job.”
In the leading rider standings, Harold Collins earned his second straight title with 12 wins for the meet. The North Carolina native is second on the list of all-time leading riders at Hoosier Park behind Carter Riley, who has 53 career wins on Hoosier Park’s racing strip
Pictures provided by Hoosier Park & Linscott Photography
Picture provided by Hoosier Park & Linscott Photography
Lovemelikethat and rider Julie Veltman represented the females well during Ladies Day at the Races Saturday, Oct. 22. The duo rallied down the track and surged past Speed Smith and Carter Riley in the final stages to take the 15th running of the $75,000 QHRAI Derby at Hoosier Park Racing & Casino.
Starting from post nine, Lovemelikethat is now five for seven in 2011, winning her last four starts. The Indiana bred became one of the richest representatives of the state all time with her third stakes win in the QHRAI Derby. She surged over the $200,000 mark in earnings with her latest win for owner Cooter Daniel.
“She (Lovemelikethat) has just been a thrill,” said Daniel. “I’m just a country boy from Tennessee and this is the only horse we have. She has been a blessing, and John (McCreary) and Julie (Veltman) have done a great job.”
Lovemelikethat is trained by John McCreary, who has had an outstanding season at Hoosier Park. Despite winning the QHRAI Derby with Lovemelikethat, he also saddled Shez So Rare to victory earlier in the day in the featured third running of the $100,000 Miss Roxie Little Futurity Final. With 10 wins in 2011, McCreary finished in second place behind five-time leading Quarter Horse champion Ron Raper in the trainer standings.
“She (Lovemelikethat) dug in hard and it was an amazing race,” said McCreary. “Julie (Veltman) rode her hard to get to the wire. It’s just been an amazing year and I have such good people around this filly like Cooter and Julie.”
The win for Veltman was one of two on the program. Veltman completed the 2011 season with 10 wins to finish second behind leading rider Harold Collins, who earned his second straight title at Hoosier Park in 2011.
Lovemelikethat is now six for seven over Hoosier Park’s oval during her two-year career. The three-year-old sorrel filly by Likenothinyoueversaw also has two other trophies to her credit from Hoosier Park, including the $100,000 Sterlie Bertram Memorial Final earlier this year and the $100,000 Miss Roxie Little from 2010. Veltman, two-time leading Quarter Horse rider at Hoosier Park, has been aboard for five of her eight lifetime wins.
The time posted by Lovemelikethat was :19.856 seconds, which is a new track record for 400-yards. The previous record of :19.916 seconds was set in 2010 by Got Courage.
Lovemelikethat Continues Her Win Streak in the QHRAI Derby Final at Hoosier Park
Picture provided by Hoosier Park & Linscott Photography
Defending champ Eyes Got Hope and rider Harold Collins retained their title in the $100,000 Hoosier Park Classic Saturday, Oct. 8 at Hoosier Park. The race was part of an all-Quarter Horse racing day featuring 11 races on the program.
Starting from post, heavily favored Eyes Got Hope never left any doubt as the horse to catch. The striking grey son of Mr Eye Opener rolled out of the gate with authority and never looked back, surging under the wire as a three-quarter length winner. Brimmerton Lane and Victor Olivo were placed up to second followed by Fillemup Phil and Tom C. Johns, who were placed up to third.
Eyes Got Hope beat his time recorded in the 2010, completing the four hundred yard dash in :20.141 seconds. The Indiana-bred gelding is owned and trained by Gene Cox and is now five for six lifetime at Hoosier Park. He increased his career earnings to more than $200,000 with his repeat win in the Hoosier Park Classic.
“I knew he (Eyes Got Hope) broke well and Harold (Collins) started riding good,” said Cox. “This win means a lot to me. We have a friend in the hospital recuperating from a serious injury (jockey Richard Gilliard) and this win is dedicated to him.”
Cox stepped up in a major way following the races at the QHRAI dinner in the Homestretch Restaurant. The Chester, South Carolina native donated $2,500 to the jockey pageant, in which three of Hoosier Park’s Quarter Horse jockeys dressed up and collected money in their jockey’s boot for votes to win the beauty pageant. Aron Hunt, Harold Collins, and Tom C. Johns all worked the crowd to pull in more than $3,000 for Gilliard, who is rehabilitating from his injuries sustained earlier in the meet from a racing incident. Hunt even sported pink fingernail and toe polish along with a purse and high heels for his performance for Gilliard. All three riders were declared the winner in the beauty competition.
In addition to the jockey’s pageant, nine stick horses were sold at auction. Coordinated by Pat Barrett, silks room attendant, the stick horses will return for a race from the starting gate Saturday, Oct. 22. All bidders can name their horses and their jockeys for the event. In all, a total of $5,555 was raised for Gilliard during the evening’s activities.
The QHRAI dinner completed the first all-Quarter Horse racing day at Hoosier Park. The afternoon card brought in a large crowd of spectators for racing and Wild West activities, including a mechanical bull, strolling western entertainers, and face painting.
Eyes Got Hope Repeats in Hoosier Park Classic
Photo by Shelley
Photo by Shelley
Shez So Rare -Winner of Miss Roxie Little Futurity
The $118,900 Miss Roxie Little Futurity at Hoosier Park on October 22 was won by Shez So Rare. The two year old chesnut filly by Ausual Suspect and out of the Rare Form mare, Sheza Rare One Too was bred by Circle S Ranch Inc and is owned by Dianne Bennett. She crossed the finish line in a 17.763.
Trained by John McCreary and ridden to the finish by Shanely Jackson in the 350 yard race, Shez So Rare was followed by Shak Em Down Stoney, a sorrel gelding by Sc Chiseled in Stone and out of Royal Mergana, by Royal Shake Em. He was bred and owned by Mike Campbell of Indiana andis trained by Randy Haffner. Jockey, Rodney Prescott was in the irons. In third was a filly by the Late Dahing Val, Will You Perry Me. The filly is out of Streakin Keep Sake, by Mr Jess Perry. Breeder: Jenifer Haynes (IN ) Owner-Doctor, Eric. Trainer-R. Raper. Jockey-A. Hunt
Governors Stakes Winner - Rapid Ivory
The $109,400 Governors Stakes at Hoosier Park was ran on October 22, 2011. The 350 yard race for two year olds was won by the Ivory James sired colt, Rapid Ivory. Rapid Ivory is out of the mare Rapid Fire Cash who is by First Down Laveaux. The colt was bred by Albert Wells III (NC) and is owned by Bobby Byrd. Ron Raper was trainer while jockey Aaron Hunt rode him across the finish in fron of the field for a time of 17.799.
Rapid Ivory was followed by Pescado Fuerte, a gelding by Fishers Dash and out of Tuff Chiclet, by Timeto Get Tuff. Bred by: You and Me Partners (MI ) Owner-Arevalo,J. Trainer-R. Almanza. Jockey-G. Garrido. In third was Dashin Shiner, a sorrel colt by First to Shine out of Shawne Kate, by Shawne Bug. Bred by: L/J Farms Inc (CO ) Owner-Gonzalez, Sr.,Pablo. Trainer-R. Almanza. Jockey-C. Riley
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