SHELBYVILLE, Ind. (Thursday, Aug. 18, 2022) – It wasn’t a matter of if he won the race. It was a matter of which one. Two Randy Smith-trained horses hit the wire together with the final nod going to On a New Note and Leading Quarter Horse Jockey Juan Marquez in the 17th running of the $84,020 Horseshoe Indianapolis Classic Thursday, Aug. 18. The stakes race was postponed from a week earlier due to a weather cancellation of the card.
Starting from post nine, On a New Note was not one of the first horses to emerge with authority. Smith’s other trainee, One Night Too Long, ridden by German Rodriguez, got the early jump from the inside alongside Apollitical Tools and Giovani Vazquez-Gomez on the inside of her and Jess Bringin It On and Jose Ruiz on the outside. The trio of horses battled in close quarters in the early stages of the 400-yard dash.
Nearing the wire, One Night Too Long pulled away from the opponents closest to him but it was On a New Note who had hit another gear late in the race and gave Smith two horses on the wire, one on the inside and one on the outside. A photo determined On a New Note was a winner by a neck over One Night Too Long. Relentless Chick and Erik Esqueda finished third.
“The horse (On a New Note) settled good in the gate, but she broke slow,” said Marquez through translation. “She was one step behind in the beginning, but she was able to pick it back up in the end and win.”
On a New Note is owned by Brian Gunder of Ohio and was purchased by Gunder as a yearling at the Heritage Place September Yearling Sale for $22,000. It was the third start of 2022 for the four-year-old daughter of One Fabulous Eagle and her first win after finishing second in the Bradford Stakes in her most recent start. The bay mare now has three career wins and topped $135,000 in career earnings with the win, her first stakes title.
“I think, honestly, she is just coming into herself,” said Smith, who is the track’s all-time leading Quarter Horse trainer. “Early on, she had some ailments that bothered her, but I think this 400 distance suits her a lot.”
Both Smith and Marquez are currently leading the 2022 standings. Marquez earned his 32nd win of the meet while Smith has 43 wins on the year. Smith is also the only Quarter Horse trainer over $1 million in earnings for the year. Marquez is on track to earn his first title at Horseshoe Indianapolis this season. Smith is a six-time leading trainer in Indiana.
Photos by Coady Photography
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