The 23rd season of Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse racing gets underway Tuesday, April 15 at Horseshoe Indianapolis. First post for the nine race card is 2:10PM.
Two premier races are featured on the opening day program, paying tribute to two former Thoroughbred participants. The Brian Elmore Overnight Handicap and the $55,000 Merrill C. Roberts Overnight Handicap are set as races seven and eight on the card. Several Indiana standouts from 2024 are included in both races, including Molly’s Town from post two in the Elmore Handicap.
Molly’s Town from the Genaro Garcia Stable makes his four-year-old debut in the race. The Mo Town gelding, also owned by Garcia’s Southwest Racing Stable, has six wins over Indiana’s racetrack and earnings of more than $300,000. The multiple stakes winning Indiana bred is reunited with Emmanuel Esquivel for the five and one-half furlong sprint.
Mr Chaos, also a multiple stakes winning gelding, makes his 2025 debut from post seven. Orlando Mojica is set to ride the Turbo Compressor gelding for owners Judy Dorris and Ken Sentel and trainer Bob Dobbs. Mr Chaos comes into his six-year-old season with nine wins and more than $623,000 in earnings.
Best Cupcake and Gavin Ashton return to Indiana for the Roberts Handicap. The stakes winning four-year-old filly from the Mike Lauer barn had one previous start this year at Colonial Downs to prep for her Indiana debut. By Oscar Performance, Best Cupcake begins from post four.
Louder Than Words returns to Indiana off a few starts at Tampa Bay Downs, the winter home for the Athony Granitz Stable. The six-year-old daughter of Mr Speaker is a multiple stakes winner in Indiana and will start from post eight. Marcelino Pedroza Jr., three-time Indiana leading jockey, will guide the mare owned by Michael Wern, Bob Dhondt, and Granitz.
Another horse of note on the program is Cupid’s Runaway. The five-year-old Cupid gelding from the Randy Klopp barn won seven of eight starts last year and was named 2024 Horse of the Year. He completed his racing season in 2024 on a five-race win streak for Reese Ranch. Cupid’s Runaway is slated to start from post four in the afternoon’s second race with new arrival Luis Contreras aboard.
One Quarter Horse race will close out the season opener featuring 10 Indiana bred maidens running at a distance of 250 yards.
The season opener will feature a magnetic calendar giveaway to racing guests beginning at 1 p.m. while supplies last. Under the 2025 theme “Feel the Thunder” many contests and special events are set for the 123-day meet.
Live racing will be on an abbreviated schedule through April. Racing is set for Saturday, May 3 running in conjunction with the racing program from Churchill Downs for the Derby Celebration. Racing will then feature its Monday through Thursday weekly schedule with first post at 2:10 p.m. Select Saturday racing programs begin in June.
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.
