Field of Nine Assembled for Indiana Derby
A field of nine will go postward for the 20th running of the Grade II $500,000-added Indiana Derby Saturday, Oct. 4 at Indiana Grand Racing & Casino. In a surprising twist, undefeated Atreides has been selected as the early morning line favorite at odds of 6-5. Ridden for the first time by Joel Rosario, Atreides will start from post three, right beside the other powerhouse in the race, Vicar’s in Trouble, who starts from post four with rider Rosie Napravnik aboard.
Atreides will arrive via Fed Ex into Indianapolis International Airport Friday, Oct. 3 in preparation for the race. The trip will be his first race out of his home state of Florida for trainer Marty Wolfson. The Medaglia d’Oro colt broke both his maiden and his allowance in impressive fashion before stepping up to the $90,000 Monarchos Stake at Gulfstream Park in late August. Known for his early speed, Atreides rolled to victory by a whopping 17 ½ lengths for the victory to keep his racing slate undefeated in three outings. He is owned and bred by Stonestreet Stables, who also owned 2011 Indiana Derby winner Wilburn.
Vicar’s in Trouble is the only Graded Stakes winner in the field and has been selected as the second choice on the morning line. A winner of the Grade II Super Derby in his last start, he comes into the race as the only millionaire, only missing the board once in seven starts for 2014, three of which are wins. Owned by Sarah and Ken Ramsey, Vicar’s in Trouble was a starter in the Grade I Kentucky Derby this spring. Prior to that, the Into Mischief colt earned wins in the Grade II Louisiana Derby and the Grade III LeComte Stakes, both at Fair Grounds in Louisiana. Vicar’s in Trouble is trained by Mike Maker.
The start by Vicar’s in Trouble also marks only the second time a female jockey has ridden in the Indiana Derby. Napravnik will join Rosemary Homeister as the only other female rider in the history of the race. Homeister rode Fundy to a sixth place finish in the 2009 Indiana Derby. Napravnik, who has recorded two riding doubles in the past two weeks at Indiana Grand, is on track to set all records for female jockeys in the history of the sport.
The entire Indiana Derby field, in post position order with jockey and odds, includes: Cryptopirate (Carlos Esquilin) 30-1; Saa Mi (Leandro Goncalves) 20-1; Atreides (Joel Rosario) 6-5; Vicar’s in Trouble (Rosie Napravnik) 2-1; East Hall (Luis Saez) 12-1; Quiet Ruler (Jeremy Rose) 15-1; CJ’s Awesome (Edgar Prado) 8-1; Just Call Kenny (Paco Lopez) 12-1; and I Got It All (Channing Hill) 10-1.
The Indiana Derby will be carded as the ninth race on the 11-race program. Estimated post time of the Derby is 9:30 p.m. It will be joined by eight other stakes races on the card, including the $200,000-added Indiana Oaks, which will be held as the eighth race with a post time of 8:40 p.m. Other stakes on the card include the $100,000-added Michael G. Schaefer Memorial, the $100,000-added Mari Hulman George Stakes, the $100,000-added Ta Wee Stakes, the $85,000-added Hoosier Breeders Sophomore Stakes, the $85,000-added Hoosier Breeders Sophomore Stakes Filly Division, the $85,000-added Gus Grissom Stakes, and the $85,000-added Richmond Stakes. First post is 5:05 p.m.
Indiana Derby Night will be complemented by several celebrity appearances. Coach Rick Pitino of University of Louisville and Coach Tom Crean of Indiana University will serve as co-chairs of the event. In addition, Bobby “Slick” Leonard will be honored in the winner’s circle fresh on the heels of his induction into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. He will be joined by nine former Pacers players, who will also be in attendance for the Derby. Raquel Pomplun, 2013 Playboy Playmate of the Year, will join Rupert Boneham of the television series “Survivor” as the other celebrity guests in the audience for the Indiana Derby.
Source: Indiana Grand