Horseshoe Indianapolis offered their premier events for three-year-olds Saturday, the $300,000 Indiana Derby (G3) and $200,000 Indiana Oaks (G3).
Juddmonte Farms’ homebred Dragoon Guard looks poised to make a serious impact in the three-year-old division following a smashing success in the Indiana Derby, dominating his stakes debut on the front end. The exciting son of Arrogate sprinted to the fore at the break and drew off powerfully entering the stretch, winning by 2 1/2 lengths with Florent Geroux.
Brad Cox trains the gray colt, and Dragoon Guard stretched his win streak to three while making his first two-turn start in the 1 1/16-mile event. A neck second when making his career debut last September, Dragoon Guard returned this year to capture a seven-furlong Keeneland maiden by 3 3/4 lengths and one-turn mile allowance at Churchill Downs by 3 1/4 lengths on June 2.
After establishing opening fractions in :23.74, :47.24, and 1:10.77 on a half-length lead, Dragoon Guard drew off in the stretch to win Saturday as the 9-5 second choice among seven runners. He finished in 1:42.26.
Santa Anita Derby (G1) winner and 6-5 favorite Stronghold, making his first start since a seventh in the Kentucky Derby (G1), offered a bid leaving the far turn but was no match for the winner. He wound up three lengths clear Informed Patriot. It was another gap to E J Won the Cup in fourth and next came Real Men Violin, Woodcourt, and Kitty Hawk.
Dragoon Guard is the first stakes winner out of the Filimbi, a Grade 2-winning and multiple Grade 1-placed daughter of Mizzen Mast. The Kentucky-bred colt counts multiple Grade 1-winning millionaire Flute as his second maternal dam.
Chatalas used frontrunning tactics to win the Indiana Oaks one race earlier, but she needed to dig deep and rerally after being passed in the stretch by Little Jamie, getting up late to prevail by a head in her seasonal debut. Unraced since a neck second in the Blue Norther S. on Santa Anita’s turf in late December, Chatalas registered her second graded win while making her first start for new trainer Grant Forster.
Antonio Fresu, who was up for Chatalas’ previous win in the Chandelier (G2) last October, retook the assignment aboard the 10.90-1 fifth choice, and the bay daughter of Gun Runner hustled to the front from her innermost post, establishing splits in :23.72 and :47.48 on a clear lead. Chatalas came under nearing the conclusion of the far turn from Little Jamie, who stalked the pacesetter in second before advancing to take a short lead in upper stretch.
Eight Belles (G2) runner-up Impel, the 3-10 favorite, was in position to challenge behind the top two while straightening for home but lacked the necessary finishing kick. Chatalas courageously battled back along the inside to register the upset, and 9.50-1 Little Jamie held second by a half-length on Impel, who was followed by Band of Gold, Neon Icon, and Dancing Princess.
Owned by Rancho Temescal Thoroughbred Partners, Dan J. Agnew, and William Chatalas, Chatalas was bred in Kentucky by Agnew. She’s the first stakes winner from the Indian Charlie mare Indian Safari, and Chatalas improved her record to 6-3-1-1 when completing 1 1/16 miles in 1:42.93.
On the undercard, older horses squared off over a mile and 70 yards in the $102,000 Michael G. Schaefer Memorial S. and older females contested the $100,000 Indiana General Assembly Distaff at 1 1/16 miles on turf.
Injunction yielded immediate dividends for owner Michael Foster and trainer William “Doug” Cowans in the Michael G. Schaefer Memorial S., driving to a 1 1/4-length decision in his first start for new connections since being claimed for $80,000 from a convincing win on the Kentucky Oaks undercard.
Edgar Morales was up on the six-year-old gelding, who tracked the pace in second before taking a short lead in upper stretch, and Injunction got the upper hand in deep stretch on 11-10 favorite and 2022 Schaefer winner Mr. Wireless, who held second by a half-length on pacesetter Five Star General. War Campaign, Kupuna, and Trademark completed the order finish.
Winner of the R.A. “Cowboy” S. at Ellis and runner-up in the Ack Ack (G3) at Churchill in 2022, Injunction snapped an eight-race losing skein when making his first start for a tag in his previous outing, and Foster and Cowans celebrated a day after winning the Brooklyn (G2) at Aqueduct with stable star Next.
Injunction was off as the 6-1 fifth choice and stopped the teletimer in 1:39.29. He’s a Kentucky-bred son of Skipshot.
Farfellow Farms’ Fuente Ovejuna closed with a rush on the far outside to earn her first stakes win in the Indiana General Assembly Distaff, scoring by a head. The five-year-old mare left the starting gate as the 9.40-1 sixth choice in the 10-horse field, and Corey Lanerie was up for Brendan Walsh.
The chestnut English-bred daughter of Lope de Vega mare was exiting sixth in the June 2 Mint Julep (G3) at Churchill, and she recorded her first victory since taking an entry-level allowance eight starts ago. Fuente Ovejuna was timed in 1:42.29.
She prevailed in a tight finish. Stir Crazy offered a bold late move up the inside but came up a neck short in second. It was another neck to Bolivie and Join the Dance, who dead-heated for third.
