Courtier prevails in Centaur Stakes

Bill Mott doesn’t start a lot of horses at Indiana Grand, but when he does, he prefers to win.

In July, Mott sent Tiz Shea D to win the $500,000 Indiana Derby, and on Wednesday, the Mott-trained Courtier bagged the $200,000 Centaur Stakes, a one-mile grass race for 3-year-olds. Courtier got a great trip under Joel Rosario and beat Granny’s Kitten by 1 1/4 lengths, with Quality Bird another nose back in third and Saham a head farther behind in fourth.

Another East Coast-based trainer, Graham Motion, has found similar Indiana success this summer. He’s had five runners at this meet, all in stakes, and has won three times, with Tiger Ride scoring her second six-figure stakes win of the meeting, capturing the $200,000 Indiana Grand earlier on the Wednesday program.

Courtier, racing on Lasix for the second time in his seven-start career, won his first stakes race after finishing fourth in the Grade 2 Hall of Fame and second in the $100,000 Kitten’s Joy this past winter at Gulfstream. Helped by a quick and contested early pace as well as expert piloting from Rosario, he got a favorable setup Wednesday and made the most of it.

As Sailthehighseas and Storm Advisory ripped through a half-mile in a strong 46.81 seconds, Courtier raced eighth of nine while one or two paths from the fence, and as the leaders began coming back to the trailing pack around the far turn, Rosario kept to the inside for his rally.

He came between rivals into the homestretch, and Courtier athletically rifled to the outside, rushing past all the horses in front of him as his momentum carried him down toward the inner rail. Rosario straightened his course, and the race was over by the sixteenth pole, Courtier cruising home easily the best. He stopped the timer in 1:35.74 on firm turf and paid $4.80 to win.

Granny’s Kitten had less luck in the running, moving outside Courtier and getting forced wide around the far turn as he passed horses. Granny’s Kitten lacked the winner’s explosion but finished resolutely for second once straightening into his homestretch rhythm. Quality Bird finished right with the runner-up while making his turf debut, while Saham was the only horse near the pace to come home with any zest.

Courtier, a half-brother to Grade 1 winner Emollient bred and owned by Juddmonte Farms, is by Pioneerof the Nile and out of Soothing Touch, and he won for the third time in seven starts.

Andy Po Po, Conquest Pacemaker, Classy Cam, and One Go All Go were scratched.

Tiger Ride, meanwhile, won the July 17 Ta Wee Stakes at Indiana Grand after the race was rained from turf onto dirt, and she ran back on dirt last month, finishing fourth in the Monmouth Oaks.

But Tiger Ride looked equally effective on turf, beating the favored Mighty Souper by one length Wednesday. Both horses came from midpack off a 47.09-second half-mile split, but Tiger Ride got first run, and Mighty Souper, second by a half-length to her at the stretch call, could make no late headway, coming home one length behind the winner.

Alex Cintron rode Tiger Ride, a Dixiana Farms homebred by Candy Ride–Royal Tigress who won for the fourth time in eight starts. She got her grassy mile in 1:35.99 and paid $10.20 to win.

Mighty Souper was three-quarters of a length better than Lady Zuzu, who changed her running style Wednesday and raced effectively stalking the pace rather than setting it.

Lady Fog Horn, Needmore Cash win Indiana-bred stakes

The 3-year-old Lady Fog Horn overcame a wide draw and beat older rivals in the $89,750 Florence Henderson Stakes for Indiana-breds.
Lady Fog Horn broke from post 11 and was caught wide on both turns but still rallied decisively under Albin Jimenez, taking the lead before the stretch call and going on to a 1 3/4-length win over Wild Swava, the 4-5 favorite. The top two were much the best, with Annamonarchos nine lengths farther back in third.

Lady Fog Horn, a daughter of Zavata bred and owned by The Elkstone Group and trained by Tony Granitz, ran 1 1/16 miles on grass in 1:42.34 and paid $10.80 to win.

Needmore Cash scored a $54.40 upset for owner Sherri Greenhill, trainer Jeff Greenhill, and jockey Perry Outzts in the $90,000 A.J. Foyt for Indiana-breds. The favored New Cat Rib got through along the rail in midstretch and appeared to be on the way to victory, but Needmore Cash, racing three wide, surged late to win by a neck.

Needmore Cash, timed in 1:42.30 for 1 1/16 miles on turf, was bred by the Greenhills and is by Saintly Look and out of their remarkably productive broodmare Pay the Toll.