Named after one of the most beloved Quarter Horse figures in the state, the 11th running of the $100,500 Harley Greene Derby was recorded by Apollitical Mission Saturday, May 31. It was one of three stakes on the program to kick off all Quarter Horse racing at Horseshoe Indianapolis.
Apollitical Mission wasn’t the first name heard out of the gate as the big son of The Transmission took a few strides to get in gear during the 350 yard dash. Jess a Beach Man and Martin Munoz were the first to get the advantage out of the gate, holding their ground in the center of the track. Apollitical Mission finally hit another gear midway through the race and was gaining ground on the outside with every step. He hit the wire at the precise time to grab the win in :17.700 seconds. Zoomin Feature and Edgar Diaz finished a neck back in second followed by Jess A Beach Man for third in the seven-horse photo. Both Zoomin Feature and Jess a Beach Man are trained by Claudio Barraza.
“He (Apollitical Mission) hung for a little bit, but I think he realized he needed to get going,” said Pina, who recorded his second win of the day. “He responded and was really closing in.”
Apollitical Mission paid $5.40 for his efforts in the Greene Derby. He is owned by Phillip Harrison and trained by Tim Eggleston. The homebred gelding was bred by Phillip’s father, Dick, prior to his passing a few years ago. Apollitical Mission came into the race as the fastest qualifier from the trials, which gave him race favorite status.
Apollitical Mission boosted his career earnings to more than $140,000 with the win, nearly doubling his previous tally. He now has four wins in 10 career starts and is two for three in 2025.
For Eggleston, it was his fourth win on the card. For Harrison, it was his second win of the day, connecting with Miss Coronarita earlier in the day in maiden action. Eggleston leads all Quarter Horse trainers in wins and earnings through the first 25 days of racing in 2025 at Horseshoe Indianapolis.
“It’s been a pretty good day,” smiled Eggleston. “This horse (Apollitical Mission) was good as a two-year-old, but something would go wrong every time. We had some offers to sell him earlier this year, but I told them let’s hold off because I think he’s going to be a good one. We made some changes in his rigging and it has really helped.”
The 23rd season of live Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse racing runs through Thursday, Nov. 13. For more information on racing at Horseshoe Indianapolis, visit www.caesars.com/horseshoe-indianapolis/racing or find details on social media @HSIndyRacing.
