Mojo Man motors home in inaugural Send It In Army Stakes

SHELBYVILLE, Ind. (July 21, 2021) – Mojo Man came into Indiana for the first time with impressive credentials, including Graded Stakes experience. But he’s leaving with a new title as he scored his first stakes win in the inaugural running of the $65,000 Send It In Army Stakes Wednesday, July 21 at Indiana Grand.

Mojo Man began his journey from the outside in the five-horse field and sat back as Rock N June Bug and Tommy Pompell set quick fractions of :22.03 and :44.73. He was joined by Long Weekend and Jose Batista and Double Tuff and Jesus Castanon, who moved up between horses, in the only turn of the six-furlong race. Mojica began to make his move in the turn and was gaining enough ground on the top ones to get in good positioning for the stretch drive.

In the stretch, Mojo Man accelerated past rivals, picking them off one by one before moving comfortably under the wire for the win by two and one-quarter lengths. Double Tuff finished second over Long Weekend for third. The final time of the stakes race was 1:09.35, which becomes the stakes record for the inaugural running of the Send It In Army Stakes.

“They were going really fast down the backstretch,” noted Mojica. “I was just sitting back there trying to keep it together. He’s great to ride. He has a lot of experience, so he knows what to do.”

The victory was the ninth in the career of Mojo Man, who has had 29 career starts. The six-year-old Stay Thirsty gelding has been with the James Divito barn since the beginning of his career. Owned by Dash Goff, Mojo Man now has in excess of $450,000 in career earnings. Indiana Grand marked the seventh track he has competed over in his career and he has won races at five of those.

“I had never ridden him before but the assistant trainer (Moises Godinez) told me he had been training great and to put him right there if I could,” said Mojica. “He also said to keep him on the outside because he races better when he’s on the outside.”

The Send It In Army Stakes emerged from a movement on social media by Gabe Prewitt, Director of Racing for Caesars Entertainment. Approximately six years ago, Prewitt sent out a message on Twitter from Pompano Park regarding a wager asking racing fans to share their selections and “Send It In.” As a result of that message, racing fans began using the moniker as a hashtag and the term caught on, creating a new following for Prewitt and horse racing. Followers began referring to themselves as the “Army” of bettors which completed the name.

Indiana Grand is the third property under the Caesars Entertainment Racing umbrella to host a stakes in honor of the term, joining Scioto Downs and Harrah’s Hoosier Park with a race named “Send It In Army.” Prewitt was trackside to assist with on-air handicapping of the race as well as present the trophy for the inaugural running of the stakes.

Photos by Coady Photography

Trophy Presentation, from left: Eric Halstrom, Vice President and General Manager of Racing, Moises Godinez, Assistant Trainer for James Divito, Orland Mojica and his family, and Gabe Prewitt, Director of Racing for Caesars Entertainment.