Parker seeks first Graded Stakes win in Indiana Derby
- Tammy Knox
- Jul 3, 2020
- 3 min read
SHELBYVILLE, Ind. (July 3, 2020) – DeShawn Parker is a highly decorated jockey. He has numerous leading rider titles to his credit from three different states and countless stakes wins. However, in all his 5,731 career wins, Indiana Grand’s current leading jockey has never won a Graded Stakes race. Parker hopes that changes after the Grade 3 $300,000 Indiana Derby at Indiana Grand Wednesday, July 8.
Parker is set to ride Juggernaut from post seven in the 10-horse lineup for Indiana’s richest horse race. Although morning line odds dictate a longshot, Parker doesn’t see it that way.
“The horse (Juggernaut) looks good in there,” said Parker. “He has some speed. It looks like the four (Earner) also has some early speed, but I think my horse has a little more. We might be able to get out there and steal this one.”
Parker, whose 5’10 stature is unique for a jockey, is no stranger to competing at a higher level. The multiple Graded Stakes placed jockey has been involved in big races many times across the country, but this will mark the first start in the Indiana Derby for him. He is aware of the impact a race such as this one has during a track’s biggest platform.
“It feels great to be in the big races, especially this year’s Indiana Derby,” added Parker. “This year’s race has points to advance toward the Kentucky Derby. Maybe I’ll get lucky and be at Churchill Downs.”
For the first time in 26 years of Indiana Derby history, the race is part of the Kentucky Derby Championship Series granting points to the top four finishers in the race. A win in the Indiana Derby will provide 20 points toward earning a potential starting spot in this year’s “Run for the Roses” set for Saturday, Sept. 5.
The ultimate goal for any jockey is to make it to the Kentucky Derby. It’s no different for Parker. His career began in 1988. Since that time, he has been among the country’s best several times and has been ranked as the top jockey in wins in North America twice, in 2010 and 2011. The Ohio native has consistently scored in excess of $2.5 million in earnings annually for the past 19 years with total earnings over the $71 million mark. In all, Parker has ridden in more than 34,000 races and since arriving in Indiana in 1997, he has maintained a spot among the track’s top five jockeys. Parker leads the way in this year’s early race for leading jockey with 15 wins in 73 starts over the first 12 days of racing.
Although Parker isn’t familiar with Juggernaut, he is acquainted with his trainer Keith Desormeaux. There is no doubt why Desormeaux selected Parker to ride.
“I won a race for him here last year (aboard Miss Bigly in an October maiden special weight), and that’s the only time I’ve ridden for him,” noted Parker. “I know his brother (Kent) really well. I’m hoping for the same results this year that we had last year.”
At odds of 15-1, Juggernaut will have a task ahead of him. The three-year-old son of Goldencents is a homebred owned by Big Chief Racing and Rocker O Ranch. He comes into the Indiana Derby off a second place finish over the turf against allowance company at Churchill Downs and will be making his fourth start of 2020 in search of his first win of the year. The sole win for the lightly raced colt was in his very first start last August at Ellis Park.
“I’m going to try really hard for this one,” smiled Parker. “This would be a good time to get it (first Graded Stakes win).”
The Indiana Derby is slated as the 11th race on the 12-race program. Estimated post time for the Indiana Derby is 7:45 p.m. and the race will be broadcast live on WNDY Channel 23 in Indianapolis beginning at 7:30 p.m. The race will be complemented by five other stakes on the card, including the Grade 3 $200,000 Indiana Oaks, slated as Race 10. Both the Derby and Oaks will be included in the special $100,000-guaranteeed Pick 5 Pool, which starts in Race 8. First post time for the Indiana Derby program is 2:20 p.m.
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