IN Horse Racing: Megan Arszman

From The Starting Gate

INDIANA THOROUGHBRED HORSE RACING NEWS

By Megan Arszman | Indiana Thoroughbred Alliance | http://www.indianatb.org/

Fundraising Efforts for Springcliff Farm Fire

The Indiana horse racing industry suffered a great loss in early January when Springcliff Farm, Martinsville, was destroyed by an early morning fire. Springcliff Farm was home to Thoroughbred broodmares preparing for a busy foaling season. Some horses were able to be rescued, unfortunately, many were not. Fundraising efforts to help the Cagle family recover and rebuild are still ongoing. Donations are being accepted through GoFundMe (search “Help Springcliff Rebuild”) and t-shirts featuring Springcliff Farm’s logo are being sold, with proceeds going directly to recovery efforts. If you are interested in ordering a t-shirt, you can order and pay online at: https://springcliffstrong.link/or4ebg2

Breeding and Foaling Season Ramps Up

All across Indiana, farms are busily readying for foaling season and breeding season. Most stallion farms are still accepting mares for breeding, especially with new stallions joining rosters and incentives through the Indiana Thoroughbred Breed Development Program enticing mare owners. The Indiana Thoroughbred Alliance has a list of member farms and their stallions standing. View available stallions online at:

http://www.indianatb.org/category/stallions/

QURBAAN

SLEEPY EYES TODD

Some stallions of note in Indiana:

AMERICAN PASTIME | Standing: Swifty Farms, Seymour (Tapizar – Ryan’s Inheritance, by Valid Expectations) Earner of more than $280,000 lifetime, Graded Stakes Winner. CALCULATOR | Standing: Breakway Farm, Dillsboro, IN (In Summation – Back to Basics, by Alphabet Soup) Grade 3 stakes winner, First foals born in 2022. CHARMING KITTEN | Standing: Breakway Farm, Dillsboro (Kitten’s Joy – Iteration, by Wild Again) Stakes winner at 3, 4, 5 & 6, First foals born in 2022. QURBAAN | Standing: IN Stallion Station, Anderson, IN (Speightstown – Flip Flop (FR), by Zieten) Earner of more than $850,000, Two-time graded turf stakes champion. SPEIGHTSTONG (ON) | Standing: Midwest Equine & Veterinary Clinic, Trafalgar, Indiana (Speightstown – Song of the Lark, by Seeking the Gold) First foal crop due 2022, Hit Equibase Speed Figure of more than 106 at four separate tracks.

SLEEPY EYES TODD | Standing: Swifty Farms, Seymour, IN (Paddy O’Prado – Pledge Mom, by Wild Rush) More than $2 million earned, Multiple Graded Stakes Winner. SOMBEYAY | Standing: Swifty Farms, Seymour, Indiana (Into Mischief – Teroda, by Limehouse) Multiple Graded Stakes Winner, Earner more than $480,000.

2022 Race Dates for Indiana Grand

The Indiana Horse Racing Commission (IHRC) approved racing dates for the 2022 racing season. Indiana Grand will host a total of 127 racing days with 12 Saturdays set aside for live action. Racing is set to get underway Tuesday, April 19 and conclude Wednesday, November 23, 2022. “We have established a great spot for our racing cards during the week and wanted to keep those intact, but we also wanted to accommodate our local racing fans with some Saturday racing cards,” said Eric Halstrom, Vice President and General Manager of Racing. “We feel our racing schedule offers a great balance that will appeal to a wide range of racing fans in 2022. We want to thank both the Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse racing organizations for their input and assistance with finalizing the request for dates.” The bulk of the schedule will fall on Monday through Thursday. First post Monday through Wednesday will be at 2:30 p.m. with racing beginning at 3:30 p.m. on Thursdays. A total of six days are dedicated to Quarter Horse racing beginning at 10 a.m. with an additional day set aside for the AQHA Bank of America Challenge Championships coming to Indiana Saturday, October 22, 2022. Five Saturdays will include Thoroughbred racing with the first set for Saturday, May 7 on Kentucky Derby, historically a large day of activity for Indiana Grand. The final Saturday of racing is set for Saturday, October 29 featuring Indiana Champions Day. The event will play host to 10 stakes races with purses exceeding $1 million. The afternoon card, which begins at noon, showcases the top Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse athletes in the state surrounded by numerous giveaways, contests, and promotions. Indiana Grand will offer holiday racing programs for Memorial Day Monday, May 30 and Monday, July 4 beginning at 12 p.m. The racing season will conclude Wednesday, November 23 with a special racing program the day before Thanksgiving. Dates for stakes races next season, including the Indiana Derby, will be announced at a later date.