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Ricardo Martinez earns Leading Quarter Horse Owner Title at Indiana Grand Racing & Casino
Ricardo Martinez led all Quarter Horse owners for 2018 with 10 wins in 31 starts for earnings in excess of $190,000.

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Ricardo Martinez earns Leading Quarter Horse Owner Title at Indiana Grand Racing & Casino

SHELBYVILLE, IN—NOVEMBER 7, 2018—It’s been a big year for owner-trainer Ricardo Martinez and the success shows in his statistics at Indiana Grand. Martinez topped all Quarter Horse owners for 2018 with 10 wins in 31 starts for earnings in excess of $190,000.

Included in that tally were several stakes wins throughout the season, including several by two-year-olds out of the Martinez barn.

"This is the first award I have ever won," said Martinez. "We have a pretty small barn and it is taking a while but we are getting there."

Martinez, who is based out of Chicago, has invested heavily into the Indiana program. In addition to racing at Indiana Grand, he also has his stallion, Habit’s Secret, at Midwest Equine and Veterinary Hospital in Trafalgar, Ind. Habit’s Secret was very successful for Martinez on the track. The Graded Stakes placed stallion earned over $330,000, including several stakes on the Indiana circuit prior to his retirement from the track in 2016.

"I think the highlight of the season would be how well (Habits) Secret’s babies did this season," said Martinez. "We didn’t expect them to do as well as they did. He (Habits Secret) had 100 percent in the money this year, and that was exciting. Because we didn’t expect him to do well, we didn’t breed any of our mares back to him, so we have no babies coming up for next year. We will have mares for him next year but we’ll have to wait a while for those to get on the track."

Martinez, however, will have some two-year-olds when racing resumes at Indiana Grand in 2019. He has an owner that has purchased a couple of yearlings and the stable relies on Andrade Racing in California for help in getting them ready to race.

"Andrade Racing in California breaks all of our babies and I want to send a special thanks to them for their help," said Martinez. "They did a wonderful job this year and the success showed on the track. I also want to extend a thank you to all the help in our barn. They do a great job."

In addition to his younger horses, Martinez can still count on veteran Woop Dee Doo, who won three of his four starts at Indiana Grand in 2018. The now five-year-old gelded son of Good Reason SA has nine career wins and earnings in excess of $264,000 and remains a fan favorite at Indiana Grand.

In addition to topping the standings in the Quarter Horse owner category, Martinez finished third in the leading Quarter Horse trainer standings. In all, he earned 21 wins in 54 starts with purses just over the $400,000 mark.

The 16th season of Thoroughbreds and Quarter Horse concluded Wednesday, Nov. 7. Racing will resume in April 2019.

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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.