Indiana Derby 2017 - A Photographic Experience
The Indiana Derby was a first for both me and my fiancé, having never been to Indiana Grand before. The people were nice, the track was beautiful, and the races were quite exciting.
The first race of the day was a fillies and mares ages three to five for maidens. The number 2, On My Toes, and jockey Florent Geroux took over and won by 4-1/4 lengths as the favorite.
With the win in the first race, $5,000 was donated to Friends of Ferdinand to aid the aftercare of equine athletes.
In the second race, the 8 (inside), Spy Dancer, battled courageously through the stretch with the 4, El Coco Loco, to get the nose victory. Fernando De La Cruz had the mount on Sky Dancer.
There was also some local celebrities in attendance for the races, including a former Indianapolis Colts player.
The fashion did not disappoint at the races. This gentleman was just one of the brightly dressed individuals in attendance for the heavy card of racing.
In yet another turf race, jockey Florent Geroux guides Western Reserve to a gate to wire win in the Warrior Veteran Stakes for older horses on the turf. Western Reserve's official margin of victory was 3-3/4 lengths over One Mean Man.
In the very next race, the older fillies and mares lined up for the Mari Hulman Stakes on the main track. The 5, Big World, was the post time favorite.
Tiger Moth (6) and jockey Florent Geroux had other plans in the race. The Street Sense mare took over in mid-stretch and went on with it. She won the race by 2-1/2 lengths over Mo d'Amour (3). Big World, the favorite, finished third, while last year's winner, Brooklynsway, finished fifth.
The older males were up next, and again, they did not disappoint. Eagle, a son of Candy Ride, got his first win of the year by a scarce head over Fear the Cowboy and Mo Tom. Eagle was the lukewarm post-time favorite.
The win was the first on the card for jockey Brian Hernandez Jr.
The Indiana Oaks was the precursor to the big race. The Oaks featured three-year-old fillies and had horses like Mopotism and Wicked Lick in the race, but instead, a WinStar filly stole the show.
Overture is a three-year-old daughter of Congrats who sold to the farm for $385,000 as a two-year-old. Julien Leparoux had the mount on the filly, trained by Bill Mott.
Next was the feature, the Grade 3 Indiana Derby, with favorite Irap coming in off a tough win in the Ohio Derby (G3). He did not disappoint, taking Mario Gutierrez all the way to the finish with a strong run. The official margin of victory was 5 lengths and just a second off the track record.
With a strong win in the Indiana Derby, owner Paul Reddam is expecting his maturing horse to take another shot at the big horses in the 2017 Travers Stakes.