SHELBYVILLE, IN—JULY 4, 2015— Nine races were carded for the second all-Quarter Horse racing night of the year at Indiana Grand tonight (July 4) with the Gordon Mobley Futurity headlining the five-stakes race program. The $199,200 Gordon Mobley Futurity purse is the largest purse ever offered in the state of Indiana for Quarter Horse racing. In all, the Saturday racing program offered purses in excess of $572,000.

Megatron Harry Prevails in Gordon Mobley Futurity

There were three horses stretched across the track at the finish line, but it was Megatron Harry and Rodney Prescott who prevailed in the sixth running of the $199,200 Gordon Mobley Futurity at Indiana Grand Saturday, July 4. The race’s purse equaled last year’s sum, which marks the richest Quarter Horse race ever contested in the state of Indiana.

Trainer Randy Smith had six qualify for the final of the Mobley Futurity and his primary rider, Juan Guerrero had ridden four of them. My Louisiana Rod was the fastest qualifier out of the Smith barn, so Guerrero naturally chose him for the final. Megatron Harry was one of the horses that needed a new rider, so Rodney Prescott was secured to guide the two-year-old son of Escondido Beach through the 300-yard final.

Starting from post seven, Megatron Harry got a good break and was in the mix from start to finish, battling with Beach Bum Eddie and Jose Beltran and My Louisiana Rod and Guerrero all the way through the race. Megatron Harry showed his grit in the final strides as he fought his way to the finish, winning the race by a mere head over My Louisiana Rod, who was just a nose ahead of Beach Bum Eddie for second.

“Randy didn’t give me any instructions to ride him (Megatron Harry),” said Prescott. “I saw him the other morning and the only thing he said was he had won two so just do that. He (Megatron Harry) was wound up in the post parade but when he got in the gate, he was good and he broke sharp and got the job done.”

The win marked the richest race Prescott had ever won in his 20-plus year career as a jockey. Prescott, Indiana’s all-time leading Thoroughbred jockey, has won numerous stakes races in both the Quarter Horse and Thoroughbred ranks. This was the seventh Quarter Horse stakes win for Prescott at Indiana Grand.

Megatron Harry remains undefeated in three starts for Smith and his owner, Sheri Miller. The Escondido Beach gelding now possesses more than $131,000 in career earnings.

“He (Megatron Harry) is an easy keeper in the barn,” said Smith, who is Indiana Grand’s Leading Quarter Horse Trainer. “Early on, he had an ankle injury and Gordy Timms owned him then and worked really hard on him to get him back. When he brought him to the track, he was like brand new.”

Megatron Harry paid $10.00, $5.40, $3.00 across the board. His time of :15.672 seconds in the Mobley Futurity established a new stakes record, breaking the old mark set by Doc Special and Harold Collins in 2012 in a time of :16.130.

Out of six starters in the race for Smith, he recorded a first, second, fourth and fifth in the race. In all, Smith saddled 18 horses during the nine race card that was dedicated to the sprinters.

Smith currently leads the Indiana Grand Quarter Horse trainer standings with 20 wins and nearly $500,000 in purse earnings. He earned his first Leading Trainer title at Indiana Grand in 2014, scoring 28 wins, which is a new record at the track for most wins by a trainer in one season. Guerrero also leads the standings in the Quarter Horse jockey ranks with 17 wins. Miller is the currently leading owner in 2015 with six wins.

BV I Know You Rider dominant in Jaguar Rocket Futurity

BV I Know You Rider was heavily favored for a reason in the 13th running of the $132,700 Jaguar Rocket Futurity Saturday, July 4. The two-year-old son of Teller Cartel came into the race with a perfect record, and he did not disappoint, winning the stakes by one and one-half lengths for Indiana Grand’s Leading Quarter Horse Jockey Juan Guerrero.

Starting from post two, BV I Know You Rider came out of the gate quickly and seemed to be in control of the race from the start. Guerrero kept his mind focused on the finish in the 300 yard sprint and was never really challenged as he glided across the wire in a time of :15.553 seconds. Ima Country Rooster and Im a Little Country battled side by side the entire length of the stretch and could not be separated at the wire, finishing in a dead heat for second.

“He (BV I Know You Rider) has been the best one in the barn from the very start,” said Guerrero, who rides first call for Trainer Randy Smith. “He is easy to ride and broke well tonight.”

Owned by Carolyn and Fred Helmut’s Bella Vista Farms of Arcola, Ill., BV I Know You Rider remains undefeated in three lifetime starts. He increased his career earnings in his brief career to more than $88,000. No surprise at the windows, BV I Know You Rider paid $3.20, $2.40, $2.20 across the board.

“Fred raised him (BV I Know You Rider),” said Smith, who saddled 18 horses during the night on the all-Quarter Horse card at Indiana Grand. “He was a little tough to break, but once we got him broke, it was all over. He knew what it was all about.”

BV I Know You Rider is one of several racing out of the Smith Stable for the Helmuts. They concentrate of two locations for racing and stand their stallion, First Corona Home, at Southern Indiana Equine under the direction of Dr. Amy Youngblood.

“We have about 50 or 60 horses right now,” said Fred Helmut. “We have half in an Oklahoma program and half in the Indiana program and we run our horses here with Randy (Smith). We keep most of our mares at Amy’s (Southern Indiana Equine). We started in about 1990 so we’ve paid our dues. It’s been a great year for us so far. We just won the Heritage Place Futurity in Oklahoma, so adding this is great.”

The Heritage Place Futurity is the richest race in Oklahoma, sporting a purse of over $1.1 million for the Grade I event. BV Midnight Express was the winner for the Helmuts, who are just as proud of their recent winner BV I Know You Rider.

“He (BV I Know You Rider) needed to break well and get out,” said Fred. “It’s all about the start in Quarter Horses. I knew if he got out, he would have a great chance. He was at Randy’s house and Randy called and said he really liked him from the get-go. He told us he had some wheels under him. He was pretty impressive tonight and we are so happy with this win.”

Woop Dee Doo impressive in Heartland Futurity

Woop Dee Doo and jockey Cristian Esqueda lived up to all the hype, and then some. The two-year-old son of Good Reason SA rolled past the competition in the seventh running of the $82,320 Heartland Futurity at Indiana Grand Saturday, July 4 during the second all-Quarter Horse racing night of 2015.

Starting from the outside in post ten, Woop Dee Doo had no issues coming out of the gate and was left all by himself on the outside. All he needed was to kick into his high gear, and that is what he did a few strides into the race. BP Valiant Policy and Rodney Prescott along with WRS Hava Cupcake and Juan Guerrero were battling side by side along the inside before Woop Dee Doo cleared and rallied home to a two and three-quarter length victory in a time of :15.348 seconds, a new stakes record for 300-yard Heartland Futurity.

“He (Woop Dee Doo) is just a great horse and is so easy to ride,” said Esqueda, who was also aboard for the trial win. “He is real quiet and doesn’t do anything wrong. I’m very grateful to Ricardo (Martinez) for letting me ride him.”

Woop Dee Doo is now two for four lifetime for Martinez, who trains and owns. The win in the Heartland Futurity moves his career earnings to more than $63,000. His time in the trial was slightly faster. The California bred sorrel gelding won his trial in a time of :15.301 seconds by two and one-half lengths. “I bought him (Woop Dee Doo) as a yearling at the Heritage Sale,” said Martinez. “A good friend of mine had his sister and she ran pretty well, so I thought we would give him a shot. He has never given me any problems since we broke him. I’ve paid him up for the Stallion Service in Iowa, so he will head to Iowa now.”

Woop Dee Doo was no surprise to bettors, paying $2.20, $2.20, $2.10 across the board. BP Valiant Policy was second followed by WRS Hava Cupcake, who beat out other horses in a photo for third.

The previous stakes record for the Heartland Futurity was set in 2012 by Teller Sweet Nothins and Troy Crissup in a time of :15.503 seconds. This is the fourth stakes win for Martinez, who has raced in Indiana for the past six years and is ranked among the track’s top 15 trainers all time. For Esqueda, this marks the largest purse win in his career. The native of Mexico is currently ranked among the track’s top 10 Quarter Horse jockeys for 2015.

Beach Runner surprises in Indiana Grand Classic

In a full field of 10 packed with talent, Beach Runner and Jockey Jose Beltran were able to get to the wire first in the third running of the $49,250 Indiana Grand Classic during the second all-Quarter Horse Night of the season Saturday, July 4. The race was one of five stakes races on the card for the sprinters, boasting purses in excess of $571,000.

Starting from post eight, Beach Runner got a good break and was in a cluster of horses during the 400 yard dash. Racing room was tight all the way to the wire that brought Beach Runner home just a head in front of Fierce Runaway, who was the defending champ in the Indiana Grand Classic. WH Streakin Pie and Victor Olivo were flying on the outside at the end and finished just a neck back in third place. Time for the 400 yard dash was :19.890 seconds, a new stakes record after the race was moved to the 400 yard distance last season.

“She (Beach Runner) broke in front and she veered in a little but I switched my stick and straightened her up,” said Beltran. “I rode her here last year one time, too, for Mr. Barraza. She raced really well tonight.”

Beach Runner picked up her fourth career win for owner Janette Barraza and Trainer Felix Barraza. She also topped the $100,000 mark in earnings with the win in the Indiana Grand Classic. Beach Runner paid $45.00, $22.00, $6.60 across the board as the longest shot in the race. “Last time (in the Born Runner Classic), she (Beach Runner) didn’t have enough work,” said Felix Barraza. “She wasn’t making it all the way through the 400. She’s really good out of the gate, but she just wasn’t holding on. We put more work into her and I think we have finally figured her out. She will run all the stakes here this year. In fact, I paid her in late to one of the stakes because I wasn’t sure we were going to put her in them.

Beach Runner is the four-year-old daughter of Escondido Beach, Indiana’s 2014 Stallion of the Year. Breeder Sheri Miller was also in the winner’s circle following the win by Beach Runner. Miller still owns her mother, Flashin Dee Dee and is the co-breeder of Escondido Beach with Bobby Cox.

“Bobby Cox has done a lot of really good things for racing,” said Miller. “Having Escondido Beach in the Indiana program has been great. And, racing in Indiana is great right now.”

Escondido Beach finished third in the Grade III Texas Challenge at Sam Houston as a three-year-old. He ran under the direction of Miller in Indiana, and even competed in the 2009 Indiana Downs Classic, which was renamed to the Indiana Grand Classic in 2013 and was increased to 400 yards in 2014.

Mesa Marvel on top of her game in Bradford Stakes

It was a big night for Trainer Ricardo Martinez and Jockey Cristian Esqueda. The two connected for three wins on the nine-race program dedicated to all Quarter Horses. Included in the triple was a victory with Mesa Marvel in the $48,160 Bradford Stakes.

The race was contested at Hoosier Park beginning in 1999 and is now in its eighth running at Indiana Grand. Several stakes winners were included in the race, including 2013 Bradford Stakes winner and stakes record holder Finche, who was the one of the favorites in the race.

Mesa Marvel began right in the center of the pack from post six and was a contender for the lead when the starting gate sprung open. The four-year-old son of Foose battled with Diamonds Edge and Cesar Esqueda along with Air Born Leader and Harold Collins in the first half of the 400-yard dash. Mesa Marvel seemed to find another gear late and was able to extend his lead to one-half length as he crossed under the finish line in a time of :19.941 seconds.

Finche and Shanley Jackson finished second, just a head in front of Dashing Manner and Derek Bell for third. Five horses were stretched across the track in the photo finish of the race.

Mesa Marvel paid $6.80, $3.80, $3.00 across the board. The California-bred was added to Martinez’ barn last fall through a claim at Los Alamitos. Martinez has done well with the gelding, winning four races in seven starts. Mesa Marvel now has seven career wins in 18 starts and boosted his career earnings to more than $105,000 with his win in the Bradford Stakes.

“It was just another easy horse to ride,” said Esqueda. “This is only the third time I have ridden him. I breezed him one time for Mr. Martinez when he brought him in and then I rode him in his last start. I started riding for Mr. Martinez at Hialeah this past winter. He gave me a chance down there and now he’s giving me a chance to ride for him here. He usually brings in riders for his races here, so I really appreciate the opportunity to ride for him.”

Martinez is stabled in Chicago, his home base. He currently has 13 horses in his barn and divides his times between Indiana and Iowa. He ventures to warmer weather during the winter months and trains and races at Hialeah Park in Miami, Fla. Martinez has been competing on the Indiana circuit for the past six years, racing at both Hoosier Park and Indiana Grand. His win in the Bradford Stakes marks his fifth stakes win in the state of Indiana. He won the Heartland Futurity earlier in the night with Woop Dee Doo and also saddled a winner in the last race with two-year-old maiden The Charmed Ruler, also ridden by Esqueda.

The 13th season of live Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse continues through Saturday, Oct. 31, 2015 with racing conducted Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 2:05 p.m. and Saturdays set at 6:05 p.m.

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About Indiana Grand Racing & Casino: Indiana Grand Racing & Casino, a Centaur Gaming destination, 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 oval racecourse offering live Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse racing each year. Simulcast wagering is also offered year-round at Indiana Grand Racing & Casino as well as an off-track betting facility located in Clarksville, Ind. For more information, please visit www.IndianaGrand.com or www.CentaurGaming.net.