Two-Year-Old Quarter Horses featured in season opener

SHELBYVILLE, Ind. (June 9, 2020) – A pair of two-year-old Quarter Horse races are featured on the 18th season opener at Indiana Grand Monday, June 15. First post is set for 2:20 p.m. with Quarter Horse action getting underway at approximately 6:30 p.m.

The first Quarter Horse maiden features a field of 10 two-year-olds all making their first career starts. DNA Coronado Cat from the Randy Smith barn has drawn post five. The freshman filly by Coronado Cartel is out of the former Indiana stakes contender DNA Dales Quick Cat. DNA Coronado Cat is owned and bred by Donna and Noel Alexander’s DNA Quarter Horses of Western Kentucky. Sammy Mendez is slated to ride for Smith, who is Indiana Grand’s defending training champion.

Another contender in the field is Beach Runaway from the Paul Martin barn. The freshman grey filly is a full sister to Indiana standout Beach Cartel, who has in excess of $400,000 in earnings accumulated exclusively at Indiana Grand. Bred by Sheri Miller, owner of the sire Escondido Beach, Beach Runaway is owned by Casey Colwell, Julia and Tyler Martin and Michael Taylor. Cesar Esqueda will ride the Indiana sired filly from post six.

The second maiden on the card includes HF Hells Bells, owned, bred and trained by Randy Haffner. The Valiant Hero gelding made one start at Remington Park in early May before returning to Indiana. Out of Haffner’s Indiana stakes contender mare, Firebawl, HF Hells Bells will be ridden by Giovani Vazquez-Gomez from post eight.

Carolyn Bruce will also return in 2020 with a new line from her successful brood mare Miss Scarlet. Tru Blue is the latest to make it to the races for Bruce. Trained by Ron Raper, the black freshman gelding is a half brother to Stinkin Rich, Indiana’s all-time richest Quarter Horse with nearly $550,000 on his card. Bruce has also had success with CB Come Fly With Me, a multiple stakes winner, from her mare. Tru Blue, a son of Kiss My Hocks, starts from post five with Cristian Reyes aboard.

Four special all-Quarter Horse Days will be held in 2020 with sprinters featured Saturday, July 4, Saturday, Aug. 8, Saturday, Oct. 3 and Saturday, Oct. 24. First post is set for 2:20 p.m. and each of the Saturday cards will feature stakes races. A total of 19 Quarter Horse stakes are slated for 2020 with purses in excess of $1.7 million.

For a full list of Quarter Horse racing dates and stakes, visit www.indianagrand.com.

Stinkin Rich, shown winning the 2018 Hoosier Park Classic, has a two-year-old half brother, Tru Blue, making his racing debut on the season opener at Indiana Grand Monday, June 15. Photo by Linscott Photography