Saul Lopez piloted Namgis Kodiak Kiss to a 1 1/4-length victory in the $128,200 QHRAI Derby at Horseshoe Indianapolis on Saturday.

© Coady Photography

SHELBYVILLE, IN–OCTOBER 28, 2023–The outstanding day for the Tony Cunningham Stable continued in the 27th running of the $128,200 QHRAI Derby Saturday, October 28 during Indiana Champions Day. Namgis Kodiak Kiss and Saul Lopez took home the title in the stakes that started the inaugural season of Indiana pari-mutuel Quarter Horse racing in 1997.

 Namgis Kodiak Kiss and Lopez broke from post five in tight quarters before they got going. Stablemate Piloted By An Angel and Francisco Quintero led most of the 400-yard dash from the inside as the other threat for the lead was Wrs Hava Dasher and Berkley Packer on the outside. 

Three Cunningham-trained horses came at the wire together. Namgis Kodiak Kiss stretched out his stride even more late in the race to score the win by one and one-quarter length. Piloted by an Angel held steady for second on the inside with Wrs Hava Dasher finishing third on the far outside. The time of the dash was :19.928 seconds.

The winning connections of Namgis Kodiak Kiss accept the $128,200 QHRAI Derby trophy at Horseshoe Indianapolis on Saturday. © Coady Photography

Namgis Kodiak Kiss scored his second stakes win of the season for his connections, paying $13.80 for the win. The Texas bred son of Kiss My Hocks is owned by A Win Investments and Duke Racing LLC. Cunningham received the horse at the beginning of the meet for the owners after he was purchased privately and brought to Indiana.

''He ran a great race,'' said Pam Hann, one of the partners of A Win Investments. ''We have had high hopes for him, and he has exceeded our expectations. I have to give a lot of the credit to Chris Duke who picked him out and acquired him for us.''

Duke has an eye for champion horses. He has campaigned several on the Indiana circuit over the years with Namgis Kodiak Kiss being the latest stakes winner.

''He ran in tough competition last year out at Ruidoso Downs and never finished off the board,'' noted Duke, who is also heavily involved in the barrel racing circuit along with Hann. ''We knew he would perform really well in Indiana, and he has.''

Namgis Kodiak Kiss now has four career wins, two of which have been in Indiana. The sophomore gelding now has more than $170,000 on his card. He won the QHRAI Stallion Service Auction Derby earlier this year, giving Lopez his first stakes win as a jockey.

It was the fourth win and the third stakes victory on the day for Cunningham, who leads the standings for top Quarter Horse trainer this season. Cunningham is also the state’s all-time leading Quarter Horse owner. Cunningham has recently branched out into Thoroughbred training and scored a win with The Kid Pataky in the Indiana Stallion Fillies Stakes earlier on the card in the Thoroughbred portion of the program.

Runner-up Piloted By An Angel was up for place by a neck over Wrs Hava Dasher. The daughter of Paint My Pilot has lit the board 10 of ll starts with five career wins and $181,061 in the bank, including the Jaguar Rocket Futurity last year.

Bred by Dunn Ranch in Indiana, Piloted By An Angel is out of the Walk Thru Fire mare La Blue Angel. The three-year-old filly is owned by Salvador Villalobos.

Wrs Hava Dasher placed third under the guidance of Berkley Packer. The bay filly has two career wins and $86,438 in earnings. 

Wrs Hava Dasher was bred in Kentucky out of Wrs Kissandteller by Teller Cartel. The daughter of Apollitical Bloos is owned and bred by Williams Racing Stables Inc.

My Little Star, Rogues Last Game, Kiss Of Valor, Louisiana Faster, Ivory Six Pax and Time For A Hero complete the field.

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The 21st season of live Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse racing extends through Friday, Nov. 17. Live racing is held Monday through Thursday. First post Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday is 2:30 p.m. Thursday and select Friday racing begins at 2:10 p.m. For more information on live racing at Horseshoe Indianapolis, visit www.caesars.com/horseshoe-indianapolis.

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