Top horses, trainers expected to enter the $500,000 Grade II Indiana Derby
Indiana Derby Day always brings in some of the nation’s top horses and trainers. The 17th running of the Grade II $500,000 race (Saturday, Oct. 1) is no different in 2011. For the second straight year, the Preakness victor will be included in the field. Shackleford, the 2011 Preakness winner, will be included in the lineup for the Grade II $500,000-added Indiana Derby. The race will also bring back a familiar face from the past as trainer Dale Romans returns to Indiana, a location where he won numerous races during the first decade of racing at Hoosier Park Racing & Casino.
The complete field will be announced on Sept. 28.
A fourth place finisher in this year’s Kentucky Derby, Shackleford, ridden by Jesus Castanon, was a winner in this year’s Preakness, the second leg of the Triple Crown. Shackleford defeated Kentucky Derby winner Animal Kingdom by one-half length. Shackleford returned for the Belmont Stakes, finishing fifth over a sloppy racetrack. The three-year-old chestnut son of Forestry makes his first start back in the Indiana Derby since competing in the $1 million Grade I Travers Stakes at Saratoga in late August.
Trained by Romans, Shackleford is the only millionaire nominated to the 2011 Indiana Derby. The Kentucky-bred made all but $35,000 of that money this season, just posting two starts with one win as a two-year-old. Shackleford was bred by owners Mike Lauffer and Bill Cubbedge, who have been friends for more than 30 years. Both businessmen from Eastern Kentucky are involved in the gas and petroleum industry. Lauffer has been in the horse racing industry since 1995 and purchased a portion of the standout three-year-old filly Rachel Alexandra before selling her to James Jackson and before her win in the 2009 Preakness.
Romans is a long time supporter of Hoosier Park. The Kentucky native has raced at Hoosier Park since the inaugural season in 1995 and continues to hold the record for most stakes win (18) by a trainer in the history of the track. He also teamed up with his wife, Tammy Fox, who is a former jockey and was aboard several of his stakes wins at the track. Although Romans always shipped in to compete at Hoosier Park, he garnered enough wins during the 1998 season to finish fourth in the leading trainer standings, his highest finish to date. His primary owner at the time, Ron McKee, did grab the leading owner title during the 1998 season.
One of the most noted standouts for the team of Romans and McKee in the early 2000s at Hoosier Park was the colt Red’s Honor. The Glitterman horse won four stakes races during his campaign at Hoosier Park. In all, he retired with 12 wins and more than $350,000 in career earnings.
Romans followed his father, the late Jerry Romans, into horse racing and won his first race as a trainer in 1987. He has continued to build his stable and has been a solid contender at tracks in the Midwest for the past decade. Romans is closing in on 1,500 career training victories and has earned titles from Turfway Park and Keeneland. The 45-year-old trainer has also been the runner up at Churchill Downs the past two years.
A start in the 2011 Indiana Derby will mark the first appearance in the race for Romans since Bright One in the 2006 edition. Romans has had three prior starts in the Indiana Derby, his best showing a third place finish with One Call Close for owner McKee in the 2000 event.
Racing begins Indiana Derby Day at 12:30 p.m. EST. The Indiana Derby has an estimated post time of 6:15 p.m.(EDT) and will be the final race of the day, slated as race 12. Races included on the day are the Indiana Oaks, the $100,000-added Mari Hulman George (Race 9), the $100,000-added Michael G. Schaefer Memorial Mile (Race 10), and the Grade II $200,000-added Indiana Oaks (Race 11).
Indiana Derby Day will also mark the richest day ever for Thoroughbreds in the state of Indiana. More than $1.4 million in purses will be offered over 10 stakes. Additional giveaways and promotions will also surround the afternoon event, which is always the first Saturday in October.
Information for this story was provided by Hoosier Park Racing & Casino
Photo credit: Photo by Linscott Photography