SHELBYVILLE, IN—JULY 8, 2017— Sicario and Jockey Cristian Esqueda made it a perfect three for three on the year with the fastest time in the Blue River Derby Trials Saturday.

The trials were part of an evening dedicated to the sprinters and Sicario will advance to the $100,000 final of the Blue River Derby Saturday, July 29 with his time of :19.897 over 400 yards.

Starting from post three in the nine-horse field, Sicario didn’t have the greatest start but recovered quickly to keep himself in the race. Dnachrystalsfighter and Rodney Prescott got the early calls in the 400 yard dash but in the end, it was Sicario who kicked into gear to win the race by a half-length over Dnachrystalsfighter. Sixes Royal Opener and Jose Santos rallied up nicely for third.

Owned by Adriana Almanza and trained by Julio Almanza, Sicario paid $3.20, $2.40 and $2.10 across the board as the heavy favorite. The Indiana bred son of Jumpn Chic is now four for eight during his career with a bankroll of more than $50,000, all accumulated at Indiana Grand.

In the other Blue River Derby Trials, last year’s Indiana freshman champion CB Come Fly With Me was strong under the direction of jockey Rolando Pina. The Desirio daughter had some bumping to deal with out of the gate but once she got straightened out, she was on her way in true fashion, rallying home for the win by one length in a time of :19.906 seconds, the second fastest of the trials.

CB Come Fly With Me, owned by Carolyn Bruce and trained by Joe Davis, earned her first win of 2017 and will be primed and ready for the Blue River Derby Final. The win also gave Davis and Pina their third of the night. Both are atop the standings in their respective categories for leading Quarter Horse trainer and jockey this season at Indiana Grand.

The third trial for the Blue River Derby was won by HH Kentucky Krome and Oscar Macias in a battle to the wire. The Paul Martin-trained La Jollariod gelding nosed out a flurry of horses at the wire for the win in a time of :20.108.

Trainer Randy Smith will saddle three in the final while Davis will saddle two for the title of the 15th running of the $100,000 Blue River Derby.

For the complete list of qualifiers, times, sires, dams, owners, breeders, trainers and jockeys CLICK HERE.

The remaining all-Quarter Horse racing dates for 2017 include Saturday, Aug. 12, Saturday, Sept. 16, Saturday, Oct. 7 and Saturday, Oct. 21.

The 15th season of Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse racing continues through Saturday, Oct. 28. Racing is conducted Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday at 2:05 p.m. EST with Saturday racing beginning at 6:05 p.m. EST. Thursday racing will be held July 6 – Aug. 24 at 2:05 p.m. EST.

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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.