Horseshoe Indianapolis opens its 2025 meet Tuesday
The 23rd season of Thoroughbred and quarter-horse racing gets underway Tuesday at Horseshoe Indianapolis. First post for the nine-race card is 2:10 p.m. EDT.
Two premier races are featured on the opening-day program, paying tribute to two former Thoroughbred participants. The Brian Elmore Overnight Handicap and the $55,000 Merrill C. Roberts Overnight Handicap are set as races 7 and 8 on the card. Several Indiana standouts from 2024 are included in both races, including Molly’s Town from post 2 in the Elmore Handicap.
Molly’s Town from the Genaro Garcia Stable makes his 4-year-old debut in the race. The Mo Town gelding, also owned by Garcia’s Southwest Racing Stable, has six wins over Indiana’s racetrack and earnings of more than $300,000. The multiple stakes-winning Indiana-bred is reunited with Emmanuel Esquivel for the 5 1/2-furlong sprint.
Mr Chaos, also a multiple stakes-winning gelding, makes his 2025 debut from post 7. Orlando Mojica is set to ride the Turbo Compressor gelding for owners Judy Dorris and Ken Sentel and trainer Bob Dobbs. Mr Chaos comes into his 6-year-old season with nine wins and more than $623,000 in earnings.
Best Cupcake and Gavin Ashton return to Indiana for the Roberts Handicap. The stakes-winning 4-year-old filly from the Mike Lauer barn had one previous start this year at Colonial Downs to prep for her Indiana debut. By Oscar Performance, Best Cupcake begins from post 4.
Louder Than Words returns to Indiana off a few starts at Tampa Bay Downs, the winter home for the Athony Granitz Stable. The 6-year-old daughter of Mr Speaker is a multiple stakes winner in Indiana and will start from post eight. Marcelino Pedroza Jr., three-time Indiana leading jockey, will guide the mare owned by Michael Wern, Bob Dhondt, and Granitz.
Another horse of note on the program is Cupid’s Runaway. The 5-year-old Cupid gelding from the Randy Klopp barn won seven of eight starts last year and was named Horseshoe Indiana's 2024 horse of the year. He completed his racing season in 2024 on a five-race win streak for Reese Ranch. Cupid’s Runaway is slated to start from post 4 in the afternoon’s second race with new arrival Luis Contreras aboard.
One quarter-horse race will close out the season opener featuring 10 Indiana-bred maidens running at a distance of 250 yards.
Live racing will be on an abbreviated schedule through April. Racing is set for Saturday, May 3, running in conjunction with the racing program from Churchill Downs for the Kentucky Derby. Racing then will begin its Monday-through-Thursday weekly schedule with first post at 2:10 p.m. Select Saturday racing programs begin in June.
The 23rd season of live Thoroughbred and quarter-horse racing runs through Thursday, Nov. 13.