A heartfelt win for Shez Bodacious in Heartland Futurity Final

SHELBYVILLE, Ind. (July 22, 2020) – Jockey Natasha Fritz knew 50 yards before the wire she was headed to the winner’s circle. The proof was all over her face as she crossed under the wire with a tucked whip and a smile aboard Shez Bodacious in the 12th running of the $108,800 Heartland Futurity Final Wednesday, July 22 at Indiana Grand.

A win in the trials placed her second on the list of fastest qualifiers for the Heartland Final and the sorrel filly by Bodacious Dash was ready for action. She wasn’t the first out of the gate but she was in contention the entire way during the 300-yard dash, getting the advantage halfway through and maintaining a comfortable margin all the way to the wire, winning by one length in a time of :15.726 Heza Fumar Red and Sammy Mendez won a close photo finish for second over Fancy Creole Queen and Erik Esqueda for third.

“She (Shez Bodacious) didn’t break as well as she did in the trials but she sure made up for it in the race,” said Fritz. “She kept on digging in. She is so amazing. She has so much heart. You can feel it in her. It makes it extra special too because I broke her. Nobody else has ever sat on her but me.”

Shez Bodacious is part of the Tim Eggleston barn. The win also marked the first career stakes win for Eggleston at Indiana Grand.

“She’s been good from day one,” said Eggleston, who is a native of Michigan. “She had some small issues early on and we just took it easy on her, but she’s been great here. She was training well, and we decided to give the Heartland a whirl. She ran good in her first start and came back and ran really well in the trial. Then, today, she was even better. I’m really happy for the owners (Brad and Pattie Marshall) too. They got their first stakes win here last night with Stone Lake and then came right back today and won the Heartland with Shez Bodacious.”

Shez Bodacious increased her career earnings to nearly $75,000 with the Heartland Futurity win. She is now two for three lifetime for the Marshalls, who purchased her out of the Heritage Place Winter Mixed Sale last year for $8,500. The Marshalls, who are also from Michigan, also compete in barrel racing.

For Eggleston and his wife, Keli, they made a major move this past year, relocating the operation to southern Indiana to Scottsburg. There, his owner Patrick Easter, has purchased a 40-acre farm, giving Eggleston a closer commute to Indiana Grand.

“Right now, we have brood mares at the farm and are training a few there also,” added Eggleston. “We have some at the track too, so we go back and forth. We are going to put in a track at the farm. The past couple of years, we have gone to Florida to train during the winter. Having a track at the farm will be really nice to have.”

The new location will be good for Fritz, also, who works for the Egglestons. She is a second-generation jockey who followed her mom, Julie Veltman, into Quarter Horse racing. The win aboard Shez Bodacious marks her first career stakes win at Indiana Grand. It also marks the biggest stakes victory of her career. The Graded Stakes placed jockey has been part of the jockey colony in Indiana since her career began in 2008.

“I’m on cloud nine right now, totally,” said Fritz during an emotional winner’s circle presentation. “I’m truly so excited right now. What a great feeling.”

Photos by Coady Photography