SHELBYVILLE, IN—OCTOBER 22, 2016—It was a fight to the finish with a tightly packed bunch in the fourth running of the $86,920 Indiana Championship at Indiana Grand Racing & Casino Saturday, Oct. 22. The stakes race was the first of four on the stellar card featuring all-Quarter Horse action.

The field of 10 busted out of the gate and it was anyone’s race. Close quarters kept the top seven within feet of the lead the entire 400-yard dash. As the field neared the wire, Abundanz and Santiago Mendez had just enough of an advantage to secure the win for trainer Julio Almanza and owners Francisco Raul Hernandez and Gustavo Almanza Jr.

Abundanz was a nose winner over Sudden Separation and Berkley Packer along the inside, with Habits Secret and Cristian Esqueda just another head back for the tight finish in between horses. The time of the race was :19.860 seconds. A total of three lengths separated the winner from the ninth place finisher in the field, showing the competitive force at the wire.

Abundanz paid $6.40, $4.40 and $3.60 across the board as the favorite of the field.

The win marked the fourth of the year for the sorrel four-year-old Corona Cartel gelding in 11 starts and his fifth win overall in his career. Abundanz had not raced at Indiana Grand since earlier in the season, and completes the year with three wins in four starts over the Indiana track.

Stephen Williams bred the 4-year-old in Oklahoma from the Mr Jess Perry mare Jess A Lil Bit More.

Sudden Separation is a homebred racing for owner/breeder Duane Murphy. Larry Sharp saddled the Inseperable filly out of Okie Dokey Annie by Okey Dokey Dale. She earned $17,385.

Habits Secret, a No Secrets Here 6-year-old, races for owner/trainer Ricardo Martinez. Bred in California by Vessels Stallion Farm, LLC, the sorrel horse earned $8,692. He is out of the Apollo (TB) mare Habitual Dreamer.

Seize The Win, Shes Da One On Fire, Mavara Vegas, Wh Design By Dash, Parti Favor, Pistolpacking Pepsi and Bye Bye Birdy completed the field.

The Indiana Championships started in 2013 at Indiana Grand, the first full year of Quarter Horse racing at Indiana Grand. Prior to 2013, Quarter Horse racing was held at both Hoosier Park and Indiana Grand for split seasons. The race began with a purse of $29.080 and has grown to its highest in four years of $86,920 in 2016, representative of the growth of Quarter Horse racing in the state of Indiana.

Live Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse continues through Saturday, Oct. 29. Racing is conducted Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday at 2:05 PM EST with Saturday racing beginning at 6:05 PM.

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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.