Lucky Jeremy charmed in Caesars at Horseshoe Indianapolis

Lucky Jeremy and Jaime Torres turned in a charming performance to score the win in the 19th running of $150,000 The Caesars Saturday at Horseshoe Indianapolis. Rescheduled from a previous date, The Caesars was joined by the Horseshoe Indianapolis as the richest races over the turf in the state of Indiana.

Lucky Jeremy and Jaime Torres turned in a charming performance to score the win in the 19th running of $150,000 The Caesars Saturday at Horseshoe Indianapolis. Rescheduled from a previous date, The Caesars was joined by the Horseshoe Indianapolis as the richest races over the turf in the state of Indiana.

There were a lot of firsts for Lucky Jeremy (main photo, right) coming into the Caesars race. It was his first start in Indiana. It was the first time jockey Jaime Torres had been aboard, and it was his first start on turf. But the confidence level of both Lucky Jeremy and Jaime Torres did not waiver as the duo moved out for the early lead from their post two starting position.

Lucky Jeremy set the tempo of the one-mile race over the turf course as Conspiractherapist and Fernando De La Cruz sat at their heels through most of the race. Horses began to move in for the challenge around the final turn and it was Beyond Stoked and Walter Rodriguez who had the most momentum coming out of the turn.

In mid-stretch, Beyond Stoked actually got a head in front of Lucky Jeremy, but Lucky Jeremy dug in and came back on him. The two horses fought all the way to the wire before Lucky Jeremy got the edge in the last few strides to win by one-half length. Beyond Stoked was a length ahead of third place finisher Aspenite and Cristian Torres, who maintained ground for third.

Lucky Jeremy paid $8.40 for the win. The three-year-old is the son of Lookin at Lucky, 2010 winner of the Indiana Derby. John Stewart’s Resolute Racing owns the colt, who was a $210,000 purse from the Keeneland April Horses of Racing Age Sale this past spring.

Mike Maker trains as he was making his second start for his new connections.

“I really didn’t know anything about him (Lucky Jeremy) but a saw his book and watched his replays,” explained Jaime Torres, winning jockey of this year’s Preakness Stakes aboard Seize the Grey. “I saw he had some speed and the turf here was holding speed pretty good. I put him in a spot I thought he could win.”

The victory in The Caesars was the second lifetime start for Lucky Jeremy’s current connections. He increased his career bankroll to more than $273,000.

$150,000 Horseshoe Indianapolis

Charlene’s Dream and Evin Roman reunited in a new state Saturday but produced the same results as they had in California with an upset win in the 16^th running of the $150,000 Horseshoe Indianapolis. The duo covered the one mile turf event in a time of 1:37.18 in the Black Type race.

A start from post nine was no deterrent for Charlene’s Dream and Roman (photo, far right leading), who rushed out to grab the early lead heading by the grandstand for the first time. The duo settled in nicely to lead the field of 11 three-year-old fillies into the first turn.

Charlene’s Dream relaxed down the backstretch as Stylish Sue and Jaime Torres, this year’s winning Preakness jockey, tracked them in second. Heading into the final turn, horses began to vie for positioning and move wide to prepare for the stretch run.

Charlene’s Dream still looked strong on the lead as several horses set their sights on the leaders. Buttercream Babe and Alberto Burgos split horses along the inside and went inside Neom Beach and Cristian Torres to pick up the second spot late, but it was all Charlene’s Dream through the finish line, winning by one length. Buttercream Babe finished a half length ahead of Neom Beach for third.

“It’s my first stakes win here in Indiana and I’m very happy,” said Roman, who relocated to Indiana this spring from Golden Gate Fields where he was a leading jockey. “I thank the trainer (Ed Moger Jr.) for giving me the opportunity all the time to ride his horses like this one all the way back to California. I began working with this filly in the beginning and I told him he had a really good filly here. She can do anything. She can go to the front, or she can come from behind.”

Charlene’s Dream, a Texas bred, was one of three fillies in the race with double digit odds, paying $74.80 for the win. The Qurbaan chestnut filly with the white blaze earned her first win of 2024 in only her second start. She is owned by Domeyko Taylor LP and trained by Ed Moger Jr., who was making his first start in Indiana after relocating from Golden Gate Fields earlier this season.

“I have 16 horses at Turfway, and she is one of them,” noted Moger Jr., who has been a fixture on the California racing circuit for the past four decades. “She’s not Cal (California) bred, so there are a lot more opportunities for her here. I’ve been high on her ever since the first time I ran her, so this win doesn’t surprise me today.”

Moger Jr. is 15 wins away from 2,000 career wins. He had his first Triple Crown starter last year as Chase the Chaos ran in the Preakness. Moger Jr. is a multiple Graded Stakes trainer with Stilleto Boy, who earned more than $1.5 million, including the Grade 1 Santa Anita Handicap.

The sire, Qurbaan, now stands at stud at the Indiana Stallion Station in Anderson, Ind. Charlene’s Dream was his first stakes winner last year in California at Golden Gate Fields. This is his second year standing in Indiana.

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