The season opener will close with a maiden Quarter Horse race running 250 yards.

© Coady Media

By Tammy Knox

SHELBYVILLE, IN–APRIL 3, 2026– Horseshoe Indianapolis Racing & Casino will kick off it’s 24th season of Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse racing Tuesday, April 7 with nine races on the program. Two handicaps are included in the season opener featuring two Thoroughbred handicaps, the $55,000 Merrill C. Roberts Overnight Handicap and the $55,000 Brian Elmore Overnight Handicap.

Set as the seventh race on the program, the second running of the Roberts Handicap includes the return of several Indiana premier racing winners, including The Kid Pataky from the Randy Klopp barn. The Kid Pataky, now five, makes her 2026 debut in the race from post three. The daughter of Pataky Kid has seven career wins and is nearing $300,000 in total earnings for owners Spiess Stable, Charles Turner, Gran Turner and Klopp. She begins from post three at odds of 7-2 as the early morning line favorite for jockey Alberto Burgos.

Joining The Kid Pataky in the Roberts Handicap is stablemate Ekati Flatter, winning of the inaugural running of the Roberts Handicap last season. The six-year-old daughter of Tale of Ekati also makes her 2026 racing debut and her first start back since June 2025 for Klopp, the track’s all-time leading trainer by wins. Fernando De La Cruz, defending jockey champion, will ride from post six at odds of 5-1.

The Roberts Handicap will also be the debut of a new wagering option at Horseshoe Indianapolis. The Last Call Daily Double, which will be offered on the final two Thoroughbred races daily, features a lower takeout of 15 percent. The wager has a $5 minimum, which is enticing to handicappers. The Last Call Daily Double joins the Pick 4 and the Turf Pick 3 with a reduced takeout of 15 percent. The Straight Fire Five, the last Pick 5 on the Thoroughbred card daily, remains at an industry low takeout of 11.99 percent. The Early Pick 4 and Early Pick 5 carryovers are separate from the Late Pick 4 and the Straight Fire Five carryovers.

Headlining the second running of the Brian Elmore Overnight Handicap includes last year’s winner Win Me Over from the Bob Gorham Stable. The six-year-old Indiana bred gelding by Tamarkuz has more than a quarter million on his card for his 2026 debut. He begins from post two with Santo Sanjur aboard for owner Marion Gorham.

The season opener will close with a maiden Quarter Horse race running 250 yards. GV Black Panther from the Jessi Vazquez barn has been tagged as the early morning line favorite at odds of 5-2. The four-year-old Indiana sired son of Encore, a homebred for the Vazquez barn, makes his racing debut. Giovani Vazquez-Gomez, the track’s all-time leading jockey in wins, is aboard for the sprint.

The 24th season of live Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse racing offers 123 days of action, extending through Friday, November 13. For more information on racing at Horseshoe Indianapolis, visit www.caesars.com/horseshoe-indianapolis/racing or find details on social media @HSIndyRacing.

About Horseshoe Indianapolis
Horseshoe Indianapolis, owned and operated by Caesars Entertainment, Inc. (NASDAQ: CZR), holds multiple awards for customer service, entertainment, gaming, racing, dining, and diversity. Located just minutes from Indianapolis in Shelbyville, Ind., this one-of-a-kind property has wall to wall excitement on the 105,940 square foot gaming floor, featuring more than 1,600 slots and 72 table games along with a state-of-the-art World Series of Poker Room containing 20 tables. In addition, Horseshoe Indianapolis offers the only live Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse racing in the state showcased on a one-mile dirt racecourse and a seven-eighths mile turf course. Simulcast and sports wagering is offered year-round at Caesars Race & Sportsbook, also located on the casino floor, with additional gaming provided at Caesars Race & Sportsbook in Clarksville, Ind. Players can reap benefits from Caesars Rewards, the industry’s most lucrative bonus program now offered at more than 50 destinations. Please visit www.caesars.com/horseshoe-indianapolis for more information and find Horseshoe Indianapolis on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Must be 18 or older to wager on horse racing at racetracks and 21 or older to gamble at sports books and casinos. Please play responsibly. If you think you or someone you care about may have a gambling problem, call 1-800-9-WITH-IT (1-800-994-8448). ©2026 Caesars License Company, LLC.

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