HorseRacingNation.com NewsWire

Indiana Downs Play of the Day!

Mon, 06 May 2013 18:07:45 GMT

Indiana Downs is heating up with the start of turf racing, which began this past Saturday. Grass racing in the Hoosier State gives bettors a great opportunity to cash in on full fields and extremely salty betting races.

If you’ve been reading this blog of late, then your “Hoosier State of Mind” has been on cashing tickets! Our first “Play of the Day,” Toe Tapping Teddy crushed the field to win at odds of 3-1. Our $10.00 Win, Place, Show bet returned a total of $84.00 on a $30.00 investment.

This blog also profiled and selected Orb as your 2013 Kentucky Derby winner and predicted his possible Triple Crown victory. (A little toot of the horn (Toot Toot) for this Hoosier Handicapper.)

What does Hoosier State of Mind have in store for you next? Well an Indiana Downs play of course!

The first race on tomorrow’s card is a highly contested Maiden Special Weight on the turf for 3, 4, and 5 year old colts and geldings at the 1 mile distance. At first glance this race might be confused with one of the Kentucky Derby undercard races wi

From Secretariat to Orb ... History Awaits

Fri, 03 May 2013 01:03:31 GMT

There are moments in our lifetime and moments in history where time stands still and where the pure brilliance of one person, one event, or one horse exceeds the seemingly unbelievable.

For Secretariat, the unbelievable lasted for not just a waking moment and not just the 35 days of the Triple Crown but it has lasted forever etched in the American culture and carved in the hearts of all horse racing and non-horse racing fans.

This Sunday will mark the 40^th anniversary of “Big Red’s” Kentucky Derby coronation and the beginning of his incredible Triple Crown dominance.

Much like several of this year’s Kentucky Derby contenders, Secretariat arrived in Louisville with many questions to be answered. Being a son of the great "speed” sire, Bold Ruler, Secretariat had several doubters that challenged if his pedigree could carry him to victory at the grueling 10 furlong distance of the Derby.

The mighty chestnut with the oversized heart would not disappoint his fans as he put on a show under the fabled Twin Spires of Churchill Downs.&nbs

Opening Night and Downes at the Downs!

Mon, 22 Apr 2013 21:25:44 GMT

The NEW Indiana Downs is set to open for the Thoroughbred ONLY meet in Indiana Tuesday night under the new ownership of Centaur Holdings.

Though you might not notice it when you walk into the facility, change is definitely in the air.

Since Centaur finalized the purchase of Indiana Downs on February 20th, several improvements have been made to make Indiana Downs a legitimate race track and a power in the Midwest.

Indiana Downs hired Kevin Greely as Director of Racing. Greely has served as the racing secretary at Hoosier Park for the past 3 seasons. Greely is also the assistant racing secretary at Gulfstream Park. In the past Greely has served on the North American Racing Committee, which assigns an international handicap rating to all horse racing in stakes over $75,000 or more in North America. In the past he also served as racing secretary for Emirates Racing Association/ Dubai Racing Club in Dubai, United Emirates.

Kevin Greely brings positive change to Indiana Downs with holding a level of accountability towards the quality

Eclipse of a Dream

Sun, 24 Mar 2013 21:31:23 GMT

Several factors lead to success in horse racing for owners, trainers, and even the horse but the one common denominator and the one thing all successful individuals in horse racing have in common is the ability to dream.

Not all champions are born into royalty and not all winner’s circles are graced by million dollar sales toppers. The beauty and magic of horse racing is unpredictability. The age old saying of “breed the best to the best and hope for the best” is something we’re all familiar with but isn’t always the key to fulfilling the “Dream.”

The dream of a little gelding named Twilight Eclipse came true this past Saturday with his WORLD RECORD setting performance in the grade II Pan American at Gulfstream Park but that dream didn’t start in the hollowed grounds of the top tracks in America.

Twilight Eclipse started his journey in the barn of owner/trainer John Langemeier. John has a small operation in the Midwest running most of his horses in Indiana and Kentucky. Langemeier purchased Twilight Eclipse for dirt cheap but not without a dream of this ge

Change is in the Air

Sun, 24 Feb 2013 19:46:08 GMT

On February 21^st, Centaur Holdings (Ownership of Hoosier Park) announced the finalization of their purchase of Indiana Grand Casino and Indiana Downs.

Centaur has big plans for both of their “racinos” which could include a 1,500 person music venue in Anderson while proposing the construction of 300 more stalls at Indiana Downs. There are also talks of adding a music venue to Indiana Downs according to the Anderson Herald.

What does this mean for racing in Indiana? Centaur and the IHRC have adopted a “One track, One Breed” philosophy. Hoosier Park will be the only home for Harness racing fans in Indiana. The 160 day meet will open for business on April 2^nd and run till November 9^th.

The excitement of thoroughbred racing will be found only at Indiana Downs. The 116 day meet will open on April 23^rd with a closing date of October 19^th. Indiana Downs was the logical choice for the permanent home of thoroughbred racing in Indiana. The Shelbyville oval offers turf racing along with a 1 mile d

We Are Family

Sat, 22 Dec 2012 19:59:00 GMT

When I think back on the 27 years of my life and all the events, changes, and tragedies I’ve seen in a relatively short time on this earth, I simply just shake my head. In the past 15 years we’ve seen the worst this world has to offer.

I think back to April 20th, 1999. I was merely 13 years old and in my last year of junior high school when two senior students at Columbine High School went on a shooting rampage, killing 12 of their peers and 1 teacher while injuring 21 in total. At the time I didn’t think such evil was possible, I was a naive child, and a preacher’s son, who only thought such evil affected other countries and other people.

I mostly remember my sophomore year of high school for being a year filled with shock, fear, and heart break. On September 11th, 2001 the world as we knew it changed when terrorists used our own planes as bombs to attack the very core of freedom that is America.

Even now, some 13 years removed from Columbine, and 11 years since 9/11, we are killing our own children. In the past year we weren’t attacked by an enemy, a foreig

Tapizar Takes Down the Dirt Mile Crown

Sat, 03 Nov 2012 18:14:07 GMT

The trend of losing favorites in the Dirt Mile continued when Shackleford ran his race in the paddock and in the post parade. The Dale Romans trainee was a complete mess from the moment he was brought over to be saddled. In the past, a washy Shackleford has been a good sign but that was not the case today. Shackleford Nation had to be hoping that his behavior would lead to a “Preakness” like performance but when the gates opened Shackleford went to his knees and was slow into stride.

Disappointment ran through the Shackleford camp but it didn’t change their feelings about the horse they love. Dale Romans said: "It was the start; that’s it." Jockey Ramon Dominguez who was aboard Shackleford said “He stumbled at the break and that was it. There’s no two ways about it, he’s a front runner."

Not to be lost in the disappearance of Shack was the great performance by 15-1 long shot Tapizar. Tapizar was a horse I personally tossed from the moment he was entered. I just couldn’t see him outrunning the class that was in this race but of course I was dead wrong. The Steve Asmussen char

Shackleford Chasing The Dirt Mile Crown

Thu, 01 Nov 2012 18:28:53 GMT

The Breeders’ Cup World Championships is widely known as an event to crown champions. Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile morning line favorite Shackleford is looking for another “Crowning Moment.”

Shack is no stranger to the winner’s circle with 5 wins in 18 starts and career earnings of nearly 3 million dollars. His first crowning moment came in the 2011 Preakness. He pressed the pace in the second leg of the triple crown before making the lead at the top of the stretch, the gutsy chestnut never relenquished it not even when 2011 Kentucky Derby winner Animal Kingdom came running.

The Dale Romans charge is coming into the Breeders’ Cup off two losses but that won’t discourage this son of Forestry. Before the G2 Kelso Handicap fellow Horse Racing Nation blogger Matt Shifman noted that Shackleford was acting a little out of character and didn’t quite make the same imposing “Shackleford” like appearance in the paddock.

In the Kelso, Shack sprinted to the lead while being chased and pressured by Trickmeister, the early fractions were ho

2012 Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile: A Closer Look

Wed, 31 Oct 2012 17:09:14 GMT

The $1,000,000 grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile has quickly become a race known for exciting finishes and big pay-offs. In 5 years since the inception of the dirt mile we have seen great finishes like Dakota Phone out bobbing the gutsy Morning Line, Caleb’s Posse running down and away from this year’s favorite Shackleford, and who could forget Furthest Land blowing up the tote board at odds of 21-1. Though this year’s edition of the Dirt Mile lacks the depth of the past few years there still is an opportunity to find a playable long-shot.

Dirt Mile Contenders

1. Rail Trip 10-1 (Jay Em Ess Stable- Ron Ellis) Jockey: Jose Valdivia Jr.

Rail Trip is the feel good story of this year’s Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile. He recently reunited with his original trainer Ron Ellis which has lead him back to the winners circle for the first time in nearly 2 years with his win in the G2 San Diego Handicap. The son of Jump Start has good tactical speed which he will need to use with the rail draw. The mile distance is right in this home run hitt

Ron Ellis and Rail Trip Back Together Again

Fri, 19 Oct 2012 20:36:18 GMT

The moment when trainer Ron Ellis puts the saddle on Rail Trip for the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile there will be a feeling of accomplishment and pride after a long journey together and at times, apart. The Breeders’ Cup will be an accumulation of hard work, hardship, and perseverance for the unlikely duo.

The Jay Em Ess Stable owned Rail Trip started his career in the barn of Ron Ellis. The gelding’s stardom shined bright from day one. He broke his maiden stylishly under the faithful hands of Ellis’s go-to jockey Jose Valdivia Jr. He dominated the maiden field in his first career start at Hollywood Park while winning by some 3 1/2 lengths in a shocking time of 1:07.94. From that day on Ellis knew he had something special.

Rail Trip under Valdivia Jr. went on to rip off 5 wins in a row at the age 3 and 4. He scored his first stakes victory in the Santana Mile at Santa Anita Park. He tasted defeat for the first time in the grade II Mervyn LeRoy Handicap at Hollywood Park. The son of Jump Start eventually rebounded to win the prestigious grade I Holl