Indiana

Racing dates for the 21st season of Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse racing at Horseshoe Indianapolis were approved by the Indiana Horse Racing Commission (IHRC) at their regular meeting Dec. 1 held at Harrah's Hoosier Park. A total of 123 racing days are on the calendar with six all-Quarter Horse racing days included in the overall total. One of the biggest changes for the 2023 racing season is the addition of several Saturday dates from June 3 through Sept. 2. Five of those dates are allotted for Quarter Horse racing with...

Crestwood Farm's freshman stallion Yorkton (Speightstown) was represented by his first foal in Indiana Feb. 3. A strapping colt out of Bayerly Seen (Bayern) was born at Arrowhead Thoroughbred Center in Fairland. Bayerly Seen is a half-sister to GI Kentucky Derby contender and GIII Lecomte S. winner Call Me Midnight (Midnight Lute). "This colt is very correct, and has been the best foal to be the first one born on our farm," says farm co-owner Brandi Steele. "Momma is a wonderful maiden and handles his feisty attitude very well."

Thumbs Up Racing, LLC's Sleepy Eyes Todd (Paddy O'Prado--Pledge Mom, by Wild Rush), winner of the 2020 GII Charles Town Classic S. and GIII Mr. Prospector S., has been retired and will stand the 2022 breeding season at Swifty Farms in Indiana. The 5-year-old, second in his Charles Town Classic title defense in late August, retires with a record of 20-8-3-1 and earnings of $2,051,725. "[Indiana] is the perfect place for us, and I'm excited to get going with Sleepy's stallion career," owner David Cobb of Thumbs Up Racing said....

An Indiana-bred filly from the first crop of the Florida-based MGSW Bucchero (Kantharos) was hammered down for $48,000 to Roger Speiss, Randy Klopp and Liz McCready Klopp to top the Indiana Thoroughbred Owner's and Breeder's Association's 2021 Fall Mixed Sale held Oct. 16 at Indiana Grand in Shelbyville, IN. The price is believed to be a record for a yearling at the sale. Cataloged as hip 40, the April foal--already named Honey Red--is the fourth from Spousal Privilege (Successful Appeal), who has already produced the Indiana-bred stakes-winning duo of Black...

A proposal from the Indiana Thoroughbred Breed Development (ITBD) to return the purse levels of all Indiana-bred and -sired stakes races to a minimum of $100,000 was approved by the Indiana Horse Racing Commission (IHRC) at a meeting held July 15 has been approved. The increase applies to 22 stakes event and is being made retroactive to the beginning of the stakes season, which kicked off May 19. Ten stakes have already been contested and the winning connections from those races will receive an additional $25,000 coming directly from the...

Cowboy Culture (Quality Road--English Willow, by Smart Strike) will stand the 2021 breeding season at Whitney Farms in Monrovia, Indiana. Undefeated in two starts as a juvenile, Cowboy Culture was a leading turf horse on the Midwest circuit in 2017, highlighted by victories in the GIII Arlington Classic followed by the Centaur S. at Indiana Grand, which sits 40 minutes to the east of Whitney Farms. Cowboy Culture will stand for an introductory fee of $2,500 live foal with an option to breed additional mares at $1,500 each. Breeders who...

The Indiana Horse Racing Commission (IHRC) approved the transfer in ownership of Caesar's Entertainment Corporation and its direct and indirect subsidiaries to Eldorado Resorts Inc. during a meeting at Indiana Grand Racing & Casino in Shelbyville July 13. The meeting concluded with the Commission's conditional approval of the ownership transfer which includes Harrah's Hoosier Park Racing and Casino, Indiana Grand Racing & Casino and all Winner's Circle Off-Track Betting facilities. "While we appreciate everyone's trust in the Commission's ability to maintain Indiana's high caliber racing program, we recognize the relationship...

In conjunction with the State of Indiana and the Indiana Horse Racing Commission, Harrah's Hoosier Park Racing & Casino in Anderson and Indiana Grand Racing & Casino in Shelbyville will allow for live racing beginning July 4. Simulcast operations will also resume at both properties. Both Hoosier and Indiana Grand will operate at reduced capacity, in accordance with State of Indiana and the Indiana Horse Racing Commission guidelines. All guests will be strongly encouraged to wear face masks in all locations, and will be required to wear face masks while...

Owing to the introduction of table games at the state's racinos, the Indiana Thoroughbred Breed Development (ITBD) Advisory Committee has been able to put together a racing program that will reward more breeders with additional races and more money. Thanks to breed development and track contributions, the 2020 program will be valued at over $17.4 million, an improvement of $2.4 million--or nearly 14%--over last year's program. "The 2020 program is a work in progress as we find ourselves in a position of estimating table games revenue this first year," explains...