Ace of Aces, Fireball Baby hang on to win stakes

Ace of Aces and Fireball Baby captured Indiana-bred and -sired 2-year-old stakes races Tuesday at Indiana Grand.

Ace of Aces, the 2-5 favorite, led all the way but worked to prevail by a half-length over 37-1 shot Snicker Cookie in the $103,500 Crown Ambassador.

Ace of Aces broke from the rail under Alex Canchari and didn’t work out an especially good trip but still managed to land his second six-figure stakes late this meet for owners Hillerich Racing and L T B Inc. and trainer Bernie Flint.

Ace of Aces ($2.80), a son of Unbridled Express and Miss Carmelite, by Mutakddim, ran six furlongs over a fast track in 1:10.41.

In the $103,800 Indiana Grand for 2-year-old fillies, Fireball Baby made an early lead, went clear mid-race, and held on to win by a neck over Stormy Lives, as odds-on favorite Unbridled Brooke faded to fourth.

Fireball Baby, a homebred trained by Phil Bauer for Rigney Racing, had been fourth last month after breaking poorly in the City of Anderson Stakes but got away alertly under Fernando de la Cruz and, racing on Lasix for the first time, won a stakes for the first time.

Fireball Baby is by Noble’s Promise and out of the A.P. Indy mare Bubbles and Babies. She ran six furlongs in 1:11.60 and paid $5.60 to win.