SHELBYVILLE, Ind. (Oct. 4, 2019) – A total of eight trials will be featured on the nine-race All-Quarter Horse racing program at Indiana Grand Saturday, Oct. 5 to set up three stakes for the final All-Quarter Horse racing night of 2019 Saturday, Oct. 26. Four divisions of the Miss Roxie Little Futurity trials will kick off the action in the second race followed by a pair of trials for the QHRAI Derby and the Governor’s Stake.
The first trial of the Miss Roxie Little Futurity in the second race will feature a rematch between two top two-year-old geldings as Louisiana Lover and Kissmelikethat will seek to earn a spot in the $150,000 final. Trained by Randy Smith, Louisiana Lover comes into the race with three wins, one second and one third in five starts this year. Owned by Chris Duke and Jack Laugle’s Dula Racing, Louisiana Lover, a daughter of The Louisiana Cartel, will begin from post two with Berkley Packer aboard as the early morning line favorite.
Kissmelikethat returns off a near two-month layoff for breeder-owner Mark Michel. The Kiss My Hocks gelding is three for four this season and was defeated by Louisiana Lover in his last start. Trained by Ron Raper, Kissmelikethat begins from post six in the eight-horse lineup with Jose Beltran aboard at odds of 5-2.
Another strong matchup in the Miss Roxie Little Futurity Trials is in the third race as the top three finishers from the $183,200 Gordon Mobley Futurity face off. Shakeitonthebeach, trained by Smith, was a winner in that race by one-half length over Jess Z Bob and Blue Eyed Newman. The Escondido Beach, owned and bred by Sheri Miller, has been tagged as the early morning line favorite at odds of 8-5 from post six with Beltran aboard. Jess Z Bob, trained by Paul Martin, starts from post two at odds of 5-2 for Juan Marquez while Blue Eyed Newman, trained by Smith, starts from post eight at odds of 9-5.
In the three-year-old ranks, the first trial for the QHRAI Derby brings back a pair of tough contenders from the Ricardo Martinez barn. Packin Secrets will seek his third straight win from post seven while Pritty starts her journey from post one. Packin Secrets, a son of Habits Secret, has won five of seven starts in his lifetime and is a perfect two for two this season for Martinez, who also owns the horse. He will lead the field of nine as the early morning line favorite at odds of 5-2 with Sergio Ramirez aboard.
The fifth of six all-Quarter Horse racing nights Saturday, Oct. 5 will include the special contest, Quarter Four, sponsored by the Quarter Horse Racing Association of Indiana (QHRAI). Each time one of the top four Quarter Horse jockeys wins a race on the program a name will be drawn for a $20 race wager. Currently, the top four Quarter Horse jockeys this season are Berkley Packer, L.D. Martinez, Jose Beltran and Juan Galvan. Martha Claussen, nationally known Quarter Horse racing analyst, will also provide a full tip sheet for the program as well as handicapping segments for select races during the night. The all-Quarter Horse racing program gets underway at 6:15 p.m. EST.
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