Mr Michel, ridden by Erik Esqueda, wins the $109,600 Indiana Championship for the third consecutive year.

© Coady Media

SHELBYVILLE, IN–OCTOBER 25, 2025–Anytime you have two of Indiana’s all-time top Quarter Horses in a race, you know it’s going to be a tough race. Mr Michel defended his title in the 13th running of the $109,600 Indiana Championship, his third straight win in the event.

Starting from post one, Mr Michel and jockey Erik Esqueda got out of the gate well and were vying for the lead in the 440-yard dash. His rival, Tachas Secret, ridden by Fernando Morin, was also in the race from post five and soon after the start, got pinched, causing the mare to take a sharp right turn to avoid traffic and ended up on the far outside midway through the race.

But Mr Michel’s strongest opposition came from stablemate Jess A Riot and Eduardo Diaz on the outside, who came to life in mid-stretch. The two horses were side by side at the finish line, with a photo needed to determine Mr Michel had indeed won his third straight title in the Indiana Championships.

The winning connections of Mr Michel accept the Indiana Championship trophy at Indianapolis Horseshoe on Saturday. © Coady Media

Jess a Riot was second over a sharp closing Tachas Secret on the far outside, who finished a hard-charging third.

Mr Michel paid $3.40 for the win. The now six-year-old son of Kiss My Hocks earned his 17th career win. Earlier this year, he passed up a record held since 2015 by Stone Cold Leader as the state’s all-time leading Indiana-bred.

His earnings are now in excess of $736,000, a mark that will be hard to catch. Alberto Valadez owns the sorrel gelding, and Claudio Barraza trains him.

“My other horse (Jess a Riot) gave him a run for the money today,” smiled Barraza. “But he (Mr Michel) was impressive today. I was worried about having the inside (post one) and was concerned about the outside horses closing because I knew they were going to come flying. But he got it done today.”

Earlier this year, Mr Michel ventured to Remington Park and Retama, where he won a few stakes in open company before returning to Barraza, who broke and trained Mr Michel from the beginning.

His third win in the Indiana Championships marks his 11th stakes victory dating back to the Miss Roxie Little Futurity as a two-year-old in 2021. This was Esqueda’s sixth win aboard the Indiana powerhouse. Esqueda rode him during his first two seasons of racing at Horseshoe Indianapolis.

“I started out riding him (Mr Michel) at two and three,” explained Esqueda, who is the youngest brother of jockeys Cristian and Cesar Esqueda. I knew the horse pretty well, and when I got the call to ride him today, I was very happy to ride. He is a dream horse.”

Bred by Mark Michel, the six-year-old gelding is out of Lovemelikethat by Likenothinyoueversaw. Mr Michel was purchased as a yearling in the QHRAI Stallion Service Auction for $17,500 and was a $200,000 repurchase earlier this year at the Heritage Place Winter Mixed Sale.

Mr Michel’s stablemate Jess A Riot has lit the board 13 of 16 starts with a record of 2-6-5 and $115,136 in the bank. The four-year-old son of Jess Zoomin is bred and owned by Ted Harpold and is out of Mitey Victoria by Mighty Invictus.

Trained by Ricardo Martinez, third-place finisher Tachas Secret is a 12-time winner with nine of those in stakes competition and earnings of $500,011. The five-year-old daughter of Habits Secret was bred by her trainer and is owned by Duke Racing, LLC. She is out of Sin Tachas Angel by Pyc Paint Your Wagon.

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The 23rd season of live Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse racing runs through Thursday, Nov. 13. For more information on racing at Horseshoe Indianapolis, visit www.caesars.com/horseshoe-indianapolis/racing or find details on social media @HSIndyRacing.

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