Quarter Horse Day features 15 Races

SHELBYVILLE, Ind. (Aug. 5, 2020) – The second of four all-Quarter Horse racing programs has attracted the most races on one program in the history of Indiana Grand. A total of 15 races have been set Saturday, Aug. 8 with a first post of 10 a.m. The program is heavily loaded with trials offering purses of $219,500. Thirteen of the 15 races on tap are trials for the Quarter Horse Racing Association of Indiana (QHRAI) Futurity and Derby as well as the Bob Woodard Memorial Classic.

The program kicks off with seven trials for the QHRAI Futurity. A total of 67 two-year-olds have been entered seeking to be a top 10 qualifier for the $178,828 final slated for Thursday, Aug. 27.

Kicking off the action in the first race is the return of Shez Bodacious, fresh off her win in the $109,000 Heartland Futurity. Trained by Tim Eggleston, the Bodacious Dash filly is two for three this season, sweeping the Heartland series. Natasha Fritz is back aboard Shez Bodacious from post two as the favorite at 7-5.

Another top contender for a seat in the QHRAI Futurity Final is Beach Diva, who starts from post eight in the fifth race. The Escondido Beach filly is also two for three this season, just missing the win in her last start by a head in the $186,000 Gordon Mobley Futurity Final. Trained by Tony Cunningham, Beach Diva will be paired with L.D. Martinez at odds of 3-5.

Three trials for the QHRAI Derby are set as Races 9 through 11 with Louisiana Lover making his return to the track in the second trial. The sophomore son of The Louisiana Cartel is two for two this season for trainer Randy Smith, coming into the trials off a win in the $125,000 Blue River Derby. Sammy Mendez will be aboard Louisiana Lover from post seven at odds of 2-5.

HH CJ Shake, second place finisher to Louisiana Lover in the Blue River Derby Final, also returns in the third and final trial of the QHRAI Derby. The Escondido Beach sorrel gelding, trained by Paul Martin, has been close in all three of his starts this year with two seconds and a third in three outings. Juan Marquez will ride from post two at odds of 4-5. The QHRAI Derby Final is set for Thurs. Aug. 27 and will offer a record purse of $107,332, the most in the 21-year history of the stakes race.

A big matchup will take place in the third and final trial for the Bob Woodard Memorial Classic in Race 14. Valiantinecandyrocks and Beach Cartel, both winners this season in their lone starts, will leave the gate side by side from post one and two, respectively, with hopes of qualifying for the $75,000 Woodard Memorial Final Thursday, Aug. 20. Trained and ridden by Victor Olivo, Valiantinecandyrocks is the second choice at odds of 9-5 while Beach Cartel, ridden by Mendez for the Smith Stable, is the early morning line favorite at odds of 8-5.

Photos by Coady Photography