Rise Up Heads Full Field in Indiana's Centaur
Rise Up, winner in five of 10 races lifetime and more than $876,000, heads the field of 10 entrants in the ninth running of the Grade II $200,000-added Centaur Stakes at Indiana Grand Racing & Casino. The Listed one-mile race is one of three on the card that will kick off turf racing for the 2014 season Wednesday, July 2.
Scheduled to start from post three, Rise Up comes into the race off a fifth place finish in the Grade III Matt Winn Stakes at Churchill Downs in which Tapiture, 2014 Belmont Stakes champion, was a winner. Trained by Tom Amoss, the Graded Stakes winning three-year-old son of Rockport Harbor won most of his impressive bankroll in the $1 million Grade III Delta Downs Jackpot last fall. Leandro Goncalves gets the call aboard Rise Up for his first start over the turf in the Centaur Stakes, which is slated as the seventh race on the card with a post time of approximately 5 p.m.
Joining Rise Up on the list of Centaur Stakes entrants is Laddie Boy from the Chuck Peery barn. The grey Graded Stakes placed son of War Pass completed last year with a second place finish to Tapiture in the Grade II Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes at Churchill Downs. With four starts this season, he will be searching for his first win of 2014 with rider Stewart Elliott aboard from post eight.
The entire Centaur Stakes field, in post position order with jockey, includes Sportscaster (Jeremy Rose), Louies Flower (Jesus Castanon), Rise Up (Leandro Goncalves), Wallyanna (Mario Pino), Here’s Johnny (Malcolm Franklin), Captain Dixie (Carlos Marquez Jr.), Broadway Zen (Corey Lanerie), Laddie Boy (Stewart Elliott), Got Shades (Brian Hernandez Jr.), Broadway Missile (Miguel Mena) and General Jack (Robby Albarado). Two also eligibles are included on the list and may draw in if a late scratch occurs or if the race is moved to the main track. Those horses are Pablo Del Monte (Malcolm Franklin) and Harry’s Holiday (Robby Albarado), both Triple Crown starters this year in the Preakness and Kentucky Derby, respectively.
Joining the Centaur Stakes on the 10-race program is the fifth running of the $100,000-added J. Kenneth Self Shelby County Boys & Girls Club Stakes. Carded as the fifth race, the well-matched field of 12 will go one and one-sixteenth miles over the turf course. Heading the list of entrants is Set the Sail from the Charles LoPresti Stable. The five-year-old Graded Stakes placed gelding has earned a majority of his $217,000 over the turf and turned in a second place finish in the Grade III River City Handicap at Churchill Downs last fall. Julien Leparoux is scheduled to ride from post four.
Also joining the field for the Listed stakes race is Donoharm with rider Jesus Castanon. The five-year-old son of Lemon Drop Kid comes into the race off a second place finish in the Grade III Lone Star Park Handicap at Lone Star Park. He makes his second career start over the turf for trainer Bret Calhoun in the Boys & Girls Club Stakes.
Another potential top contender for the title is the Irish bred That’s Plenty from the Kellyn Gorder Stable, who begins his race from post 11 for rider Ricardo Santana Jr. The five-year-old will make his first start on American soil in the Boys & Girls Club Stakes and has won five of his 22 career starts with earnings in excess of $118,000.
The entire field for the Boys & Girls Club Stakes, in post position order with jockey, includes Flashy Kid (Fernando De La Cruz), Quick Wit (Corey Lanerie), O’Prado Ole (Malcolm Franklin), Set The Sail (Julien Leparoux), Donoharm (Jesus Castanon), Quiet Force (Robby Albarado), Red Strike (Leandro Goncalves), Ol Army (Stewart Elliott), Big Blue Spirit (Chris Landeros), Gentleman’s Kitten (Miguel Mena), That’s Plenty (Ricardo Santana Jr.) and Leadem in Ken (Robby Albarado).
Racing begins at 2:05 p.m. during Centaur Stakes Day. HRTV’s Peter Lurie will be on location for the day to help provide on-track coverage of the event.
Live Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse racing continues through Saturday, Nov. 1 offering racing Tuesday and Wednesday at 2:05 p.m. with Friday and Saturday action beginning at 5:05 p.m. Thursday racing will be added at 2:05 p.m. July 17. For more information, visit the Website at indianagrand.com.