It was the first of seven stakes races on the card during Quarter Horse Stakes Day with heavily favored Suzys Kristine and Giovani Vazquez Gomez delivering. The duo earned their first win of 2026 in the third running of the $34,000 Julie Veltman Overnight Stakes Saturday, August 29 at Horseshoe Indianapolis.

Suzys Kristine began from post five and was ready to roll when the gates opened. She was all business from the start, increasing her lead at every pole of the 350-yard dash, scoring the win by three and one-quarter lengths in a time of :16.728, a new stakes record for the Veltman Overnight Stakes. Queenvn Chic and Edgar Diaz finished second over Philomina and Fernando Morin, who picked up third by a nose in a three-way photo.

Suzys Kristine paid $3.00 for the win. The One Fabulous Eagle sophomore is owned and trained by Jessica Vazquez, Horseshoe Indianapolis’ all-time leading female Quarter Horse trainer. Vazquez and her husband, Giovani, purchased the filly as a yearling for $10,000 from the Heritage Place September Yearling Sale. To date, the filly has two wins in seven starts and more than $49,000 in earnings. The Texas bred filly has turned in all her starts at Horseshoe Indianapolis.

“I am very proud of the win for this mare (Suzys Kristine),” said Jessi. “She was always a very good horse, but had to take a break as a two year-old and then has come back really strong. Every time she runs, as long as she gets a good start,she’s in the money.”

The win was extra special for the Vazquez-Gomez family as it’s named in honor of longtime friend, Julie Veltman, Indiana’s all-time leading Quarter Horse female jockey and still in the top 15 all-time in the Quarter Horse ranks.

“I love her,” said Jessi, who was a little emotional about talking about Julie Veltman. “I have known her and her family for a long time and she’s been an inspiration to me. “

Queenvn Chic and jockey Edgar Diaz crossed the line in second for owner A5 Family LLC and trainer Claudio Barraza. The filly chased eventual winner Suzys Kristine throughout the 350-yard event, finishing 3 1/4 lengths behind the winner in :18.380. Bred by Alejandro Fuentes Garcia, Queenvn Chic is sired by KVN Corona and out of the Favorite Cartel mare Sassy Favorite. She now has a record of 9-1-4-1 with earnings of $47,859. She entered the race off a fifth-place finish in the North Dakota Horse Park Distaff Challenge. Last year, she finished third in the Jaguar Rocket Futurity and was a finalist in the Miss Roxie Little Futurity.

Ridden by Fernando Morin, Philomina crossed the wire in third for owner Gamez Racing LLC and trainer Jessica Vazquez. The filly finished another half-length behind Queenvn Chic, stopping the clock in :18.480. Bred by J D Kilpatrick, she is sired by Jess Being Valiant and out of the Achievement mare Sheza Glass Of Sass. Philomina now has a record of 7-1-1-2 with earnings of $19,965.

Vm Girls Flyinhigher, Flying Knockout 123 and Jess Shake Baby completed the order of finish.

The 24th season of live Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse extends 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.

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Hes Innocent continued his strong second-crop season Wednesday when his daughter Shesainnocentpiloto posted the fastest qualifying time from six trials for the $266,250 BOCO Futurity at Sandy Ridge.

Shesainnocentpiloto won the fourth trial by a half-length in :17.645, earning a 106 speed index while recording her third consecutive victory. Bred in Louisiana by Grant Farms LLC, she is out of the Mr Piloto mare Famous Flying Piloto.

The victory improved Shesainnocentpiloto's record to three wins and one second from five starts with earnings of $41,820. She will return for the $266,250 BOCO Futurity final on Sept. 6.

Her performance adds to a growing list of stakes success this season for Hes Innocent. Earlier this month, Er Innocent Party captured the $211,800 Ron Cook Accredited Wyoming Bred Futurity on Aug. 8 at Wyoming Downs.

The victory was worth $97,428 and increased Er Innocent Party's career earnings to $124,850 from four starts. He has won three of those starts and finished third in the 307HR Wyoming Bred Futurity.

Other stakes performers this season include Innocent Down Perry SI 101 ($35,334), who finished third in the Golden Spike Derby; Hes Pullin Gs ($13,545), who placed third in both the Bitterroot Derby and Idaho Bred Derby; and Shezinnocent SI 95 ($40,048), a finalist in the Flashy Hemp Stakes.

The recent success has helped Hes Innocent climb to #4 among the nation's leading second-year sires by earnings. A multiple stakes sire from his first two crops to race, his runners are averaging nearly $14,000 per starter.

Hes Innocent's numbers are even stronger by win percentage. He currently ranks as the #1 leading 2-year-old sire by win percentage, with 14 winners from 29 starters for a 48% win rate, and the #1 leading second-year sire by win percentage, with 19 winners from 37 starters for a 51% win rate.

Hes Innocent stands at Louisiana Center for Equine Reproduction.

For breeding information, contact Stephen Deville, Breeding Manager, at 225-202-2104 or the farm office at 337-407-0708. Visit www.laequine.com or email laceroffice@gmail.com.

Shakers No Secret added another graded stakes victory to his record Friday night with a determined win in the $58,718 AQHA Retama Park Championship Challenge (G3).

Ridden by Raul Ramirez Jr., Shakers No Secret broke sharply from the outside before moving into second and taking command late. The six-year-old gelding drove clear to defeat Im A Pretty Mess by a half-length, completing 440 yards in :21.869 for a 104 speed index.

Shakers No Secret is owned by Abel Lopez, Ethan Lopez and Manny Dutchover and trained by Marc Jungers. Bred by Garlyn Shelton, the $14,000 Heritage Place Yearling Sale graduate is sired by Five Bar Cartel and out of the No Secrets Here mare Shaker Secret.

Coming off a victory in the King William Stakes (G3) in June, Shakers No Secret improved his record to 42-12-10-6. The $28,185 winner's share boosted his career earnings to $893,110.

The accomplished gelding's stakes record also includes victories in the Championship at Sunland Park (G1), AQHA Challenge Championship Stakes (G1) and West Texas Maturity (G3).

Im A Pretty Mess finished second under J.R. Ramirez Jr. The three-year-old filly broke sixth but quickly surged to the front and led into the final stages before being overtaken by Shakers No Secret. She completed the distance in :21.963 for a 102 speed index.

Owned by SLC Racing LLC and trained by Shae Cox, Im A Pretty Mess was bred by Joshua Henderson and is a $24,000 LQHBA Yearling Sale graduate. She is sired by Tarzanito and out of the One Famous Eagle mare Eagle Diva. Her female family includes Dam of Distinction Jess Sass Me ($110,503) and champions Jess Walking Thru ($447,266) and Sass Me Blue ($296,378).

Im A Pretty Mess now has a record of 6-2-1-1 with earnings of $35,504.

Eagles Up crossed the wire in third under Luis Vivanco. The four-year-old colt raced fifth early before making a bid and improving to third, finishing in :22.069 for a 98 speed index.

Owned and bred by Jumonville Farms and trained by Marc Jungers, Eagles Up sold for $32,000 at the Heritage Place Yearling Sale before later bringing $75,000 at the Heritage Place Fall Mixed Sale. He is sired by champion One Famous Eagle and out of the winning Walk Thru Fire mare U R Blue.

Eagles Up is a half-brother to Mardi Gras Derby winner Jess U R Blue ($147,791), while his second dam is world champion and four-time champion Blues Girl Too ($2,032,328). He now has a record of 16-5-3-4 with earnings of $176,240.

Still seeking his first stakes victory, Eagles Up has placed in several major events, including runner-up honors in the EVD Futurity (G2) and third-place finishes in the EVD Derby and Sam Houston Derby (G3).

Dr Pepper 123 finished fourth, followed by Defours in fifth. Klass Action and Sightseeing Beauty dead-heated for sixth, followed by Apollitical Jackie.

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Six of Indiana’s finest older horses lined up in the gate for the 18th running of the $81,700 Bob Woodard Memorial Classic Saturday, August 29, at Horseshoe Indianapolis. It was anyone’s race to win with Na-chor Secret and Martin Munoz scoring the win in a time of :20.179 seconds.

The break from the gate was good for all six starters as they fanned out equally across the track. Nachor Secret made his presence known early from the center of the pack. The grey gelding held his own along the outside as stablemate Tachas Secret and Fernando Morin battled Escondido Gold and Alberto Ceron along the inside.

As the wire came into focus in the 400-yard sprint, Nachor Secret was the horse to beat, cruising under the wire as a half-length winner. Tachas Secret was second by a neck over Escondido Gold. The entire field finished together with less than a length and three-quarters separating the finishers.

Nachor Secret paid $8.60 for the win. The five-year-old son of Habits Secret is owned, trained and was bred by Ricardo Martinez. In the winner’s circle, Martinez stood between both horses for the victory photo.

Always well-mannered, horses from the Martinez barn are true professionals. They are both from his stallion Habits Secret, who Martinez campaigned to several stakes wins before heading to the stallion ranks. He was the leading stallion in the state in 2024 and continues to produce quality stakes winners in the Hoosier State.

“He (Nachor Secret) had a couple of bad trips this year, but he got it together today,” noted Martinez, who stables and trains in the Chicagoland area. “It helped; it was a short field today. He’s an older horse, and he took a hit last time (regarding a disqualification due to interference in the Air Born Leader Stakes), but there will always be another day.”

Although not as decorated as Tachas Secret, the state’s top Indiana-sired female Quarter Horse of all time with nearly $600,000 in earnings, Nachor Secret is making his own mark in Indiana. He increased his bankroll to more than $310,000 with the win in the Woodard Memorial Classic. It was the fifth stakes win of his career and eighth overall.

Disqualified from third to seventh in his last out, Nachor Secret was a finalist in the Air Born Leader Stakes. Before that he won the Easys Night Beat Stakes and placed second in the Born Runner Classic this year. The powerhouse out of Eyes A Favorite by Favorite Cartel is a five-time stakes winner who has lit the board 15 of 18 starts with eight career wins.

Runner-up Tachas Secret has 14 wins, 6 seconds, and 2 thirds from 29 starts with $596,922 in the bank. The daughter of Habits Secret is out of the Pyc Paint Your Wagon mare Sin Tachas Angel. Marla K. Robinson Family Trust and Duke Racing own the six-year-old daughter of Habits Secret.

“She likes the outside. Today she ran the inside, and last time she ran a really good race on the inside, but then she veered out (and was disqualified to fifth), said Martinez. “I just don’t think she likes the inside.”

Tachas Secret is an 11-time stakes winner, including the Bradford Stakes and Born Runner Classic earlier this season. She also won the Bob Woodard Memorial Classic in 2024.

Third-place finisher Escondido Gold won his last out in the Air Born Leader Stakes. He placed second in the Easys Night Beat Stakes and finished fifth in the Born Runner Classic Stakes earlier this season. Trained by Natasha Perez, the two-time stakes winner has seven wins from 18 starts and $162,362 in earnings.

Bred by Thomas Wylie, the four-year-old son of Escondido Beach, is owned by Robert Godsey. He is out of Marthas Jess Gold by Gold Medal Jess.

Mr Michel, Streakindownthebeach and Jess A Riot complete the order of finish.

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