Strong Tide rolls home in AJ Foyt Stakes

SHELBYVILLE, Ind. (Oct. 7, 2020) – Strong Tide and Rodney Prescott earned their second stakes win of 2020 in the 16th running of the AJ Foyt Stakes Wednesday, Oct. 7. The duo covered the one and one-sixteenth mile turf race in a time of 1:42.63 to mark another stakes victory for Mike Lauer, all-time leading stakes winning trainer at Indiana Grand.

Starting from the outside in post nine in the 12-horse lineup, Strong Tide was content to follow along as Bizerk and Tommy Pompell rallied out for the early lead. Mystery Unbridled and Sammy Bermudez were to their inside in the early stages of the race. Around the final turn, the field began to bunch up even more vying for position to take charge in the stretch. Mr Gary D and Jesus Castanon were the first to emerge with the lead from the center of the pack, but it was Strong Tide who was closing the quickest, getting to the wire first over Max Express and Jermaine Bridgmohan, also closing strongly in the race. Rocky Rush and Santo Sanjur closed in late to pick up third.

“This is a nice three-year-old that took on older horses today and was able to win,” said Prescott, who has been aboard the horse the most of any other jockey in his 15-race career. “I’ve worked him some in the mornings in addition to riding him in races. This year, I think he’s getting a little better as the year goes on. He’s definitely better on the turf.”

The favorite of the field, Strong Tide was not a surprise at the windows, paying $6.00, $3.40, $3.00 across the board. Bred and raised by Mike and Penny Lauer, Strong Tide is out of their Indiana champion mare Dreamin Big, who still holds the track record on the turf for the one and one-sixteenth mile distance at Indiana Grand. Strong Tide now has four career wins with more than $182,000 in career earnings.

“The only thing I told Rodney (Prescott) was to save ground in the first turn and see what happens,” said Lauer. “He was able to do that and then he angled out on the second turn. It worked out well. He got a perfect trip today.”

Photos by Coady Photography