SHELBYVILLE, IN—JULY 7, 2018— Tres My Heart was the seventh fastest qualifier of the field, but proved to be the quickest to the wire Saturday (Jul 7) to earn the win in the $50,000 Indiana Grand QHRAI Derby. Ridden by Giovani Vazquez-Gomez, Tres My Heart stopped the timer in :20.020 for the 400-yard dash.

Tres My Heart, making only her second career start, had a clean break from the gate and seemed focused from the start. The three-year-old Oklahoma bred daughter of third-crop sire Heart Of The Cartel grabbed a short lead and became the horse that the rest of the field would have to catch in the final portions of the race.

Several were closing in at the wire, but Tres My Heart held her ground, winning by a neck over Flight To La Jolla and Shanley Jackson. BS Special, ridden by Berkley Packer, rounded out the top three finishers.

"I had faith in her," said Vazquez-Gomez through his wife, Jessica, who served as the interpreter. "She had many mistakes in her first start. She started in post three last time and ended up moving down and running in the one path. I saw that she had more in her that night. I'm not surprised she won."

A surprise to the betting public, Tres My Heart paid $20.00, $7.60 and $2.80 across the board. She broke her maiden in the stakes race for her owner Maria Stephany Chaparro and her trainer Hector Sanchez.

"She had a lot of complications in her first start," said Sanchez. "I knew she had potential to do something. I told Giovani she had the class, she can go the distance and she had the potential. She showed that tonight."

Canadian River QH LLC bred Trey My Heart from the Tres Sies mare Famous Mariah.

Sanchez earned his second career stakes win, adding the Indiana Grand QHRAI Derby to a previous stakes win he earned at Los Alamitos. The win with Tres My Heart was the biggest and first stakes win for Vazquez-Gomez.

Flight To La Jolla picked up $10,0000 for his second-place effort. Shanley Jackson had the riding call aboard the Hiclass La Jolla gelding for trainer Matt Frazier. Dan Frazier owns the 3-year-old gelding out of I Fly American by American Champ (TB). Linda Loftis Tobias is the breeder.

Larry Sharp saddled third-place finisher Bs Special, a daughter of multiple stakes sire Freighttrain B from the Royal Quick Dash mare Im Quick Say Bye Bye. Duane Murphy owns the Barley & Sharp Farm Missouri bred filly. She earned $5,000 for the effort. Berkley Packer was riding.

Fast Prize Karen, Twisted Lil Secret, Cappy, Cant Paint This, My Cousin Perry, and Bp First Down Fling completed the field.

The 16th season of Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse racing continues through Wednesday, Nov. 7. Racing is conducted Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday at 2:05 p.m. EST with Saturday racing beginning at 6:05 p.m. EST. Thursday racing will be held July 19 and Sept. 6 at 2:05 p.m. EST.

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About Indiana Grand Racing & Casino: Indiana Grand Racing & Casino holds multiple awards from industry publications for customer service, entertainment, gaming and dining. Located in Shelbyville, Ind., Indiana Grand features 2,200 of the latest slots and electronic table games in addition to a one-mile dirt race course and a seven-eighths mile turf course offering live Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse racing each year. Simulcast wagering is also offered year-round at Winner's Circle Brewpub & OTB located on the casino floor as well as an off-track betting facility located in Clarksville, Ind. For more information, please visit www.IndianaGrand.com.