Preview Racing


$100,000 Blue River Derby Highlights Quarter Horse Night At Indiana Grand Racing & Casino
Beach Cartel (outside) set the fastest qualifying time in the July 11 trials at Indiana Grand.

© Linscott Photography
$100,000 Blue River Derby Highlights Quarter Horse Night At Indiana Grand Racing & Casino

SHELBYVILLE, IN—JULY 30, 2015—Nine races will make up the third all-Quarter Horse racing program of 2015 at Indiana Grand Racing & Casino Saturday, Aug. 1 with the featured event, the 13th running of the $122,700 Blue River Derby Final, set as the eighth race on the card. Leading Quarter Horse Trainer Randy Smith comes into the race with three qualifiers for the final, including two trial winners and the fastest from the trials in Beach Cartel.

Beach Cartel and Juan Guerrero, 2015 Leading Quarter Horse jockey, covered the 400-yard distance in a time of :20.043 seconds. Guerrero also guided Smith’s other two qualifiers, DNA Dales Quick Cat and Rock Crushin Dynasty, to victory in the trials, but will ride Beach Cartel from post two in the 10-horse final. Giovani Vazquez-Gomez will guide DNA Dales Quick Cat from post four, right beside Rock Crushin Dynasty, who picks up Jose Ruiz from post five.

Hand of Doom with Jose Beltran aboard has been selected as the early morning line favorite in the Blue River Derby. The duo, which finished a head behind Beach Cartel in the trials, will begin from post six at odds of 5-2. The grey son of To Be A Corona is owned and bred by Brett Mennen and trained by Tony Cunningham. After being unraced at two, Hand of Doom’s only defeat this year was in the trial to Beach Cartel. He will be looking for his fourth win with Beltran, who has ridden him in all five of his starts this season. Hand of Doom was the winner by a neck in the $100,000 Harley Greene Derby held at Indiana Grand earlier this year.

The entire field, in post position order with odds and jockey, includes: Ms Fool Me Once (Cristian Esqueda, 8-1); Beach Cartel (Juan Guerrero, 3-1); Stinkin Rich (Shanley Jackson, 3-1); DNA Dales Quick Cat (Giovani Vazquez-Gomez, 8-1); Rock Crushin Dynasty (Jose Ruiz, 10-1); Hand of Doom (Jose Beltran, 5-2); Zoom Zoom Ava (Tommy Pompell, 20-1); Absolut Teller (Victor Olivo, 30-1); Interfector (Harold Collins, 15-1); and HF Dashin Jojo (Rodney Prescott, 20-1). Estimated post time for the Blue River Derby is approximately 9:21 p.m. EST.

In all nine races, Smith will saddle 16 horses for the evening. Cunningham is close behind with 14 entered for Saturday’s all-Quarter Horse racing event. Jockeys Beltran, Collins and Esqueda are scheduled to ride in all nine races on the card.

The $100,000 Blue River Derby Final is the featured event on the Saturday, Aug. 1 racing program and is joined by the 20th running of the Indiana Grand QHRAI Derby, slated as race six, the third running of the 2015 Speed Sale Stakes, slated as race two and the third running of the Leader of the Class, set as race four. In all, a total of $328,540 will be distributed in purse money for the night.

To complement the racing program, Indiana Grand is teaming up with the Quarter Horse Racing Association of Indiana (QHRAI) for “Back to School Night” featuring appearances by SpongeBob Squarepants, Dora the Explorer and a Minion. QHRAI will also hold drawings for two mini i-pads and backpacks and will provide free school supplies to kids in attendance while supplies last. The RushShelby Energy Family Fun Night will also include an airbrush tattoo artist, a face painter and a bounce house. All events begin with the first race at 6 p.m. and will be available until 9 p.m.

A total of six Saturday nights are dedicated to all-Quarter Horse racing in 2015. Other upcoming dates for the sprinters are Saturday, Aug. 29, Saturday, Oct. 10 and Saturday, Oct. 24. The final night on Saturday, Oct. 24 will feature five stakes races with purses totaling more than $525,000. The featured event that evening will be the seventh running of the $150,000 Miss Roxie Little Futurity followed by the sixth running of the $100,000 Sterlie Bertram Memorial as well as the $100,000 QHRAI Derby, the $100,000 Governor’s Stakes and the $75,000 Indiana Championships.

About Indiana Grand Racing & Casino: Indiana Grand Racing & Casino, a Centaur Gaming destination, 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 oval racecourse offering live Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse racing each year. Simulcast wagering is also offered year-round at Indiana Grand Racing & Casino as well as an off-track betting facility located in Clarksville, Ind. For more information, please visit www.IndianaGrand.com or www.CentaurGaming.net.