SHELBYVILLE, Ind. (Saturday, Oct. 29, 2022) – DeShawn Parker scored three stakes on the Indiana Champions Day program at Horseshoe Indianapolis Saturday, Oct. 29, including the win aboard Imagine the Moon in the 25th running of the $100,000 Indiana Stallion Stakes Filly Division. The filly earned her second straight victory after breaking her maiden in her last start.
It was the first time aboard Imagine the Moon for Parker, but he never missed a beat. The Ready’s Image freshman used early speed to sit close early before moving up at the half, overtaking Juradicial and Victor Lebron. Imagine the Moon continued to keep her momentum up into the stretch and extended her lead to two lengths when she crossed under the wire. Tizzy Jojo and Joe Ramos finished second over Wildcatjustice and Marcelino Pedroza Jr. for third.
Imagine the Moon paid $9.20 for the win. She is a homebred for Katie and Tony Duran’s Rancho Monarca, who campaigned her mother, Themoonandthestars, during her racing career. She won four races and nearly $100,000 before retiring to their brood mare band.
Imagine The Moon was making her fourth career start as she moved up into stakes action for the first time in her career. Tony Duran handles the training for the filly, who is owned by Rancho Monarca.
“We really like the filly,” said Duran. “She has a lot of grit. We thought she had the speed to move up into this group and win.”
Imagine the Moon is now closing in on $100,000 in career earnings for the Durans. They own a farm locally in Shelbyville, Ind. and also own a farm near Ocala, Fla. where they winter train to prepare their horses for the racing season in Indiana.
The stakes race was part of a $1 million day at Horseshoe Indianapolis featuring the best horses in the state. The afternoon’s festivities were sponsored by the Indiana Breed Development. The Indiana Stallion Stakes began in 1997 at Hoosier Park and was moved to Horseshoe Indianapolis in 2013 when the state went to one track, one breed, moving all Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse racing to the Shelbyville racetrack.
Photo by Coady Photography
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