SHELBYVILLE, IN—DECEMBER 14, 2018—Below is a list of the top five racing stories, quotes and a timeline prepared by the race marketing department at Indiana Grand Racing & Casino. The 120-day racing season ran from Tuesday, April 17 through Wednesday, Nov. 7.

TOP FIVE STORIES

1. Caesars Entertainment Acquires Indiana Grand
   Caesars Entertainment is investing $50 million in various property improvements and IT upgrades to further enhance the guest experience. Caesars Entertainment anticipates introducing table games to these properties, subject to any necessary approvals. Hoosier Park and Indiana Grand will add to the Caesars network in Indiana, which already includes Horseshoe Hammond, which serves northern Indiana and the Chicagoland area, and Horseshoe Southern, which serves southern Indiana and the Louisville area.

2. Pick 5 Garners Record Carryover
   For the fourth straight day, the Pick 5 was not hit during the Friday, Oct. 12 racing program and offered a carryover of $190,529 for the Saturday, Oct. 13 racing program.

   The Pick 5, played on races one through five, generated a lot of play nationally with 27 tickets correctly selecting four of five winners, earning a payout of $590.85 each. A total of $46,946.59 was carried over from the Wednesday, Oct. 10 racing program to begin the frenzy of the wager at Indiana Grand.

   The Pick 5 was hit during the Saturday, Oct. 13 racing program, paying $374.50 for the 50 cent bet. The total amount wagered on the race was $845,988, which marked a track record for a single wager pool in Indiana Grand history.

3. Axelrod wins Indiana Derby
   Axelrod and Florent Geroux were full of momentum when they hit the wire, nabbing Trigger Warning and Irwin Rosendo for the win in the 24th running of the Grade III $500,000-guaranteed Indiana Derby Saturday, July 14.

   Around the turn, horses from the back of the pack began to make their move, including Axelrod who had chosen an outside path to move with horses toward the lead. At the head of the stretch, Trigger Warning had opened up by two lengths on the field and was not slowing down. Geroux kept encouraging Axelrod for more speed and the three-year-old responded, surging toward the leader and getting the win in the very last step by the margin of a head in 1:43.00. Trigger Warning was a solid second over Title Ready and Ricardo Santana Jr.

   Axelrod, a $25,000 yearling purchase in the Ocala Breeders Mixed Sale in 2016, is owned by Nick Cosato's Slam Dunk Racing and trained by Michael McCarty. The Warrior's Reward colt paid $26.80, $9.80 and $6.60 across the board in his first start outside of California. It also marked four wins on the card for Geroux.

   Racing fans across the nation wagered $3,628,578 on the 10-race card at Indiana Grand, which is a new track record. The previous handle record was established during the 2017 Indiana Derby with $3,581,501 wagered.

4. Dominyun Cartel Upsets During Quarter Horse Stakes Night
   Dominyun Cartel and Jose Beltran may have been overlooked coming into the 10th running of the $180,300 Miss Roxie Little Futurity, but they didn't let that stop them on the track. The duo came out of the starting gate with guns blazing and never looked back, scoring the win in the 350-yard dash in a time of :17.578 seconds.

   Owned by breeder Brian Gunder of Lewisburg, Ohio, Dominyun Cartel rewarded his backers with payoffs of $28.40, $9.40 and $5.60 across the board. The two-year-old chestnut son of Dominyun earned his third win in his sixth career start for Gunder and trainer Erin Thompson.

   The Miss Roxie Little Futurity was one of four stakes on Quarter Horse Stakes Night Saturday, Oct. 27. The program featured purses in excess of $600,000 and included an appearance by nationally known Quarter Horse handicapper Martha Claussen as well as long-sleeved t-shirt giveaways by the Quarter Horse Racing Association of Indiana.

5. Bold Concept Wins Two For Grand Gesture Stable
   Bold Concept and DeShawn Parker defied the odds Saturday, Oct. 13 and provided the 44 owners of Grand Gesture Stable with a second straight win at Indiana Grand.

   Starting from post three in the five and one-half furlong sprint, Bold Concept moved to the outside and began to kick into another gear, running down the front runners to the loud cheers of Grand Gesture Stable owners. The Deputy Storm three-year-old filly was a winner by one and one-half lengths in a time of 1:04.64.

   Bold Concept rewarded her backers with payouts of $9.60, $4.80 and $2.60 across the board. The Tony Granitz-trained sophomore concluded the 2018 meet with more than $70,000 in earnings for the fractional ownership program, and after expenses and her purchase price of $25,000, each owner received a check for $575.86 for their $300 investment.

MEMORABLE QUOTES

• Mark Frissora, President and CEO of Caesars Entertainment on the acquisition of Indiana Grand and Hoosier Park: "The Centaur acquisition expands our footprint to the attractive central Indiana region with exciting new destinations that are profitable, well-capitalized and highly complementary to our existing portfolio. This project is an important part of our growth strategy, which expands our brands, increases revenue and facilitates broad distribution of the Total Rewards program."

• Trainer Michael McCarthy on Axelrod's win in the Grade III Indiana Derby: "I thought he broke sharp. It looked like there was plenty of pace up in front of him. Obviously, when Florent wheeled him outside around the turn and switched leads and kind of started picking off horses at the quarter pole, I thought he was liable to go ahead and get a check. And then coming to the eighth pole, it looked to me like he was able to find that extra gear and get his nose down at the wire, and I couldn't be happier.

• Vice President and General Manager Jon Schuster on receiving the ITOBA Hall of Distinction award: "I'm humbled and honored to be recognized by the folks in our game. We value their support and partnership. I had been alerted about a presentation, but I didn't know exactly what the award was and it was a nice surprise."

• Quarter Horse Owner Brian Gunder on prospects for the Indiana racing program: "We have three weanlings coming up from our mare Dreamers Cartel (dam of Dominyun Cartel), and one is by Jess Good Candy. Bart Sachleben also has a yearling that will be running here next year that is a full brother to Dreamers Liaison, so we have a lot to look forward to and be excited about."

• Trainer Rodolphe Brisset on his filly Talk Veuve to Me, winner of the Grade III $200,000 Indiana Oaks: "She's very unlucky being born in one of the best years. How many good fillies do we have this year between Monomoy Girl, Red Ruby and Midnight Bisou and I'm sure I've left out some. It's a very, very strong year for three-year-old fillies."

• Vice President and General Manager of Racing Jon Schuster on the $700,000 track renovation project: "We are very appreciative of Caesars willingness to step up and tackle both the track project and the exterior stair renovations during our off-season of racing. It really shows the company's commitment to ensuring safety is at the forefront of their business, and improving the track at this level is a major plus for our entire racing community."

• Leading Quarter Horse Jockey Jose Beltran on his success in 2019: "I owe everything to Roy and Penny (Moore). For four years, they helped me for my Visa. And, I've had a really good year this year at Indiana Grand. If it weren't for those two, I wouldn't be here today. I love you guys."

• Trainer Tom Amoss on securing his sixth Leading Trainer title in 2018: "Winning a title is an honor for the stable and a reflection on all the people who work with us, especially the owners who entrust us with their horses. I'm not there as often as I'd like, but every time I go, the casual fans are so nice and enthusiastic. Indiana Grand is always a breath of fresh air."

• Trainer Tianna Richardville during the trophy presentation to longtime horsemen's bookkeeper Pat Hankins during her retirement ceremony closing day: "On behalf of all the horsemen and the Indiana HBPA, this is a token of our appreciation for all your years of service to us as the horsemen's bookkeeper. You oversaw all the horsemen's accounts for almost six years and we wanted you to know how much we appreciated you."

• Quarter Horse Trainer Paul Martin on the possible retirement of standout WH Design by Dash after his win in the Hoosier Park Classic: "Our intent heading into the race was to retire him. This horse loves his job and we can't really give an assessment but we are 75 percent sure we will retire him. We have talked as a family and at some point in time we know he will have to retire. Regardless of what we decide about his future, 'Dash' will get a very happy home. We will let the horse do a lot of the talking about that decision."

• Horseplayer Amy Napariu on participating in the on-track weekly contests at Indiana Grand: "My husband, John, and I love these contests and love to play in them. It gives us something to do and it's something we can play in whether you are good or not at handicapping."

• Jockey Jose Valdivia Jr. on winning the $200,000 Caesars Stakes aboard Mr Ritz: "Hats off to the Carrolls (Charlie and Josie). I'd never seen this horse until I walked out in the paddock. My agent told me I had a chance to ride him a few days ago before the draw. The Carrolls told me to put him into the race and he would come through for me. He gave me everything he's got the entire way and never slowed down."

• Trainer Mike Lauer on scoring his 1,000th training victory at Indiana Grand: "It feels really nice to get 1,000 wins. I'm glad to get it over with. I think we've had four seconds between the last win and this one. I thought either one of our horses had a chance to win, so it's nice to get this milestone."

• Vice President and General Manager Jon Schuster on receiving a special recognition award from the Quarter Horse Racing Association of Indiana: "I am truly surprised and so honored. I want to thank the QHRAI for this honor and for making my life better over the years. They have enthusiastically lifted up what we do here and made Quarter Horse racing so much better. It continues to grow every year."

• Jockey Jesus Castanon on winning aboard Shackira Shackira on Preakness Day, seven years after he won the Preakness aboard her sire Shackleford: "Everything just fell into place with this filly. It's so exciting to be riding her and she is so much like her daddy. She has the same attitude on the track and she was even wearing the same number (5) that Shackleford was wearing when he won the Preakness.

• Longtime Outrider John Neal on the horses he uses for his job on the track at Indiana Grand: "Vinny is my primary horse because I've had him the longest. He and Scottie, also a retired Thoroughbred, are both black and look just alike. Most people think I ride the same horse every day, but I rotate them every other day."

• Trainer John Ortiz on the special meaning behind his filly Miss Ximena, who won her first race in her debut Saturday, Nov. 3, 2018: "My dad named this filly after my sister, whose middle name is Ximena. Some of the winnings from this filly will go toward my sister's medical bills for her disease Scleroderma, and we are also trying to raise a little awareness about it. Although our family is heavily immersed in racing, my sister has never really been involved, but she was able to help with small things with this filly and my dad decided to dedicate this filly to her. I tell her all the time that nothing can handicap her, including this disease."

2018 RACING TIMELINE

02/08 Indiana Grand announces its lineup for Thoroughbred stakes for 2018 with purses in excess of $4.3 million offered over 36 stakes.

02/12 The 2018 Quarter Horse stakes schedule is announced with 19 stakes offering purses in excess of $1.5 million.

04/14 John Napariu was the Grand Prize winner of the $1,500 Road to the Derby contest. A total of 19 players competed in all 10 weeks of the contest to earn bonus points.

04/17 Indiana Grand opens its 16th season of Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse racing with a nine-race card.

04/24 Jon Schuster, longtime vice president and general manager at Indiana Grand, was honored with the Hall of Distinction Award from the Indiana Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association at the annual banquet.

04/25 Bold Concept, a three-year-old Indiana sired daughter of Deputy Storm, is purchased to represent the fractional ownership program Grand Gesture Stable which has 44 members for its second year of racing.

05/01 Trainer Brandi Steele, former assistant for Mike Lauer, recorded her first win as a trainer with Lovemelikeyoudo ridden by Santo Sanjur.

05/04 Indiana Grand offers a large display for "First Friday" in downtown Shelbyville, including retired racehorse Wallstreet Josh and an equicizer from jockey Jose Riquelme.

05/05 The Kentucky Derby draws a packed house for the 144th running of the race. Three $1,000 Megabets were drawn, and no one correctly selected the winner, Justify.

05/19 Wallstreet Josh, a retired racehorse, was the focal point of the Indiana Grand display at 1-2-3 Go, an event at Shelbyville High School to promote exercise and health.

05/11 The first turf race of the meet is held. For the second straight year, Jockey Malcolm Franklin wins the first race over the turf, guiding Polo Art to victory in the allowance optional claiming event running five furlongs.

06/01 In a unique twist, half-brothers Wrinch and Saturday Tryst, both trained by Kim Hammond, were winners on the afternoon racing program.

06/02 Vice President and General Manager Jon Schuster was honored with a special recognition award by the Quarter Horse Racing Association of Indiana during the first of six all-Quarter Horse racing nights for 2018. Also, Kenny Brown, of the Aaron West Stable, is the first recipient of the "Groom of the Week" award presented by Backstretch Supplies.

06/23 Indiana HBPA offers the first of four "Grand Mornings at the Track" featuring a trip to Marvin Johnson's farm, just minutes from Indiana Grand. More than 30 people were in attendance.

06/26 Team USA wins its third title in the fourth annual World Jockey Challenge during International Fest. Also, Joyce Anderson is crowned the winner of Real Horseplayers of Indiana Grand, winning the top prize of $500.

06/29 Nominations closed for the Grade III $500,000 Indiana Derby and attracted 47 nominations, including eight from horses that competed in at least one of the 2018 Triple Crown races.

06/30 Trainer Mike Lauer recorded his 1,000th career training victory with Miracles Take Time, ridden by Declan Cannon in the third race.

07/03 The annual Star Spangled Grandeur community fireworks show was held following the races, drawing tens of thousands of people to watch the 25-minute show.

07/03 The annual Star Spangled Grandeur community fireworks show was held following the races, drawing tens of thousands of people to watch the 25-minute show.

07/14 Axelrod and Florent Geroux were winners in the 24th running of the Grade III Indiana Derby. Talk Veuve to Me and Julien Leparoux won the Grade III $200,000 Indiana Oaks and the turf course was officially named after outgoing President and CEO of Centaur Gaming Rod Ratcliff. Racing fans across the nation wagered $3,628,578 on the 10-race card, marking a new track record for handle.

07/16 Caesars Entertainment officially acquires ownership of Indiana Grand, Hoosier Park and all three OTB locations in Indiana. The entire property is closed during the transaction, and gaming resumes on the casino floor in late afternoon. 07/21 A new Pick 6 record payout was recorded from races three through eight with a return of $32,317.80. Also, Rockys Candy Shop and Jose Beltran were winners of the $130,700 Blue River Derby. As a result, the three-year-old owned by Lance Finlinson of Greenwood, Ind. is among the week's top sophomores in the country on the weekly AQHA polls.

07/25 Altito, ridden by Ty Kennedy, set a new track record for one and one-eighth miles in 1:49.63.

08/01 Kim Grews, apprentice jockey from South Africa, wins her first career race aboard Allidoisdreamofyou. She is greeted back in the jockey's quarters by her husband, Angel Moreno, who is also a jockey at Indiana Grand.

08/07 Team Indiana Grand, consisting of horseplayers Oscar Bowman, Rosalie Smothers, Mike Berger, Charles Smothers and Scot Shewman, traveled to Hoosier Park for the Saturday Shootout final. The team finished second to earn the $1,000 prize.

08/14 Tres My Heart and Giovani Vasquez-Gomez set a new track record for 440 yards in :21.830. The race marks the first time the distance has been run at Indiana Grand. Earlier on the program, Distant Shore, trained by Tom Amoss, won his first start for the Churchill Downs Racing Club. Approximately 75 members of the fractional ownership program were in attendance to watch the three-year-old cross under the wire first.

08/17 Amy Napariu was the winner of the $1,000 top prize in Bets and Brackets. Also, the Centaur Stakes, Indiana richest turf race, is renamed the $200,000 Caesars Stakes.

08/18 The third annual National Horseplayers Championship Qualifier was held with the top four advancing to the multi-million dollar final in Las Vegas in 2019. Stephanie Davis of Brooklyn, NY was the top player out of the contest, which maxed out at 125 entries.

09/05 Mr Ritz and Jose Valdivia Jr. score the win on Indiana's richest turf racing day in the $200,000 Caesars Stakes. Beyond Blame and Florent Geroux won the filly event, the $200,000 Indiana Grand, also held on the turf.

09/14 Legendary Jockey Pat Day was the guest speaker at the annual QHRAI dinner.

09/19 AJ Pacer, the inaugural horse for Grand Gesture Stable who was purchased by three of the inaugural members of the fractional ownership program (Joni Patterson, Richard Hyde and Donald Kehrt), won her first race for the new owners.

09/21 Solly's Chief, owned by several members of the inaugural Grand Gesture Stable who created the new partnership B & B Stable, was a winner, giving the new owners their first trip to the winner's circle. Angel Moreno was aboard for the win.

09/22 Ben DeLuca was crowned the winner of the 007 Jock's Agent Contest, earning the $1,000 first prize money. Also, La Blue Perry, and Indiana bred colt raised by Duke Racing of Whiteland, Ind., brought $95,000 at the Heritage Place Quarter Horse Yearling Sale. He was the fifth highest seller at the sale.

09/27 Seven Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse jockeys visited Riley Hospital for Children's Cancer Unit as part of the annual Childhood Cancer Awareness movement by the Jockey's Guild. Attending the event included Uriel Cervantes, Leonardo Rodriguez, Eddie Perez, Angel Moreno, Alex Canchari, Natasha Fritz and Sammy Bermudez.

10/05 Stinkin Rich began the first Indiana bred Quarter Horse to ever surpass the $500,000 with a win in the $84,000 Hoosier Park Classic. Ridden by Shanley Jackson, the six-year-old One Famous Eagle grey gelding now has $502,595 as the state's all-time richest Quarter Horse.

10/09 Oxford Comma and DeShawn Parker establish a new track record for five furlongs on the turf course in :54.57.

10/12 A new carryover record of any type was set after the Pick 5 was not hit. A total of $190,529 was carried over to the Saturday, Oct. 13 racing program, which resulted in more than $900,000 in the Pick 5 pool for the night.

10/13 Bold Concept and DeShawn Parker won their second consecutive race for Grand Gesture Stable. Also, the headless horsemen made a special appearance during Zombie Derby.

10/24 A Pick 5 record payout was recorded from the first five races, paying out $61,379.45.

10/25 Indiana Grand hosted more than 200 students during the National FFA convention for the Career Success Tours, including a trip to Paul Martin and Erin Thompson's shedrow in the Quarter Horse barn. In a three day span, the track had more than 1,000 students visit.

10/30 A new Daily Double payout record was set with Bar Stool Budget (Race 6) and Giveusthisday (Race 7) connecting for wins, paying $3,602.20. Also, the final turf race of the meet is held marking a new record for most turf races held in one season at Indiana Grand at 191.

10/31 Warren Morse of Clarksville was crowned the winner in Racing Rachel's Warriors contest, winning the grand prize of $2,000.

11/02 Grand Gesture Stable held its year-end party for the owners, celebrating the success of their horse Bold Concept. Leigh Anne Hopper, breeder of Bold Concept, was the special guest speaker during the event.

11/03 Mari Hulman George, longtime Indiana owner and breeder and former chairperson of the Indiana Derby, passed away. She is also a member of the Indiana Horse Racing Association Hall of Fame. Also, Bucchero, Indiana all-time richest Thoroughbred, made his final start in the Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint. He joined Piedi Bianchi in 2017 as the first two Indiana breds to ever compete in the Breeders Cup.

11/05 The Indiana Horse Racing Association held its annual Hall of Fame induction ceremony at Indiana Grand with two individuals inducted. Sarah McNaught, former chairman of the Indiana Horse Racing Commission, and Howard "Pete" Peterson (posthumously), longtime Standardbred owner and breeder, were added to the Hall of Fame.

11/07 The 16th season of Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse racing comes to a close. Rodney Prescott earned his third Leading Jockey title while Tom Amoss and Genaro Garcia tied for Leading Trainer. The top horse was Midwest Justice with five wins while Bruce Murphy and Southwest Racing Stables was named Leading Owner. In the Quarter Horse category, Jose Beltran was the Leading Jockey, Randy Smith earned his fifth Leading Trainer title and Ricardo Martinez was Leading Owner.

11/08 Track renovations of $700,000 began on the dirt course at Indiana Grand. The four-month project includes consultants Gerry Porcelli, former track superintendent at the NYRA, and Butch Lehr, longtime trackman at Churchill Downs.

12/03 Abbie Haffner was one of five equine veterinary students to win the $5,000 National AAEP Scholarship presented in California. The Pendleton, Ind. native will graduate from Purdue Vet School in May 2018. Her parents, Randy and Lynn, raise, race and own horses in Indiana.

12/05 The Indiana Horse Racing Commission approved racing dates for 2019. The dates will mirror the 2018 schedule with racing beginning Tuesday, April 16 through Wednesday, Nov. 6. The 120-day race meet will follow a Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday schedule with two Thursday programs added July 18 and Sept. 5.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

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.