Favorites marooned outside in Governor's Stakes

The favorites in the $150,000 Governor’s Stakes on Wednesday at Indiana Grand are stuck on the outside looking in.

Mind Reader and Retrospection, who finished first and second in the $105,000 Snack Stakes and the $105,000 Hoosier Breeders Sophomore Stakes in their last two starts, both drew wide for the Governor’s, with Mind Reader in post 11 and Retrospection in post 12. Mind Reader, who is 3-1 on the morning line, won the Snack on turf and finished second by a head in the Breeders Sophomore, a dirt race. Retrospection was second in the Snack and overcame trouble to win the Breeders Sophomore.

The Governor’s (race 6, 4:52 p.m. Eastern) is one of two stakes races Wednesday for Indiana-bred 3-year-olds. Both are carded for one mile and 70 yards on dirt, with the filly-restricted Indiana First Lady immediately following the Governor’s.

Retrospection, by Daaher and out of the Silver Hawk mare Atherbest, actually has a turf-leaning pedigree, but he lacked a late punch when outrun to the line by Mind Reader in the Snack. Trained by Mike Maker, and with Robby Albarado named to ride, Retrospection looked like a stronger horse on dirt two races ago, finding the tiniest of seams and accelerating late to win the Breeders Sophomore in a performance that is better than it looks on paper.

With a short run to the first of two fairly tight turns, one might think the outside-drawn favorites could be vulnerable, but post-position stats for the last five years of races like this at Indiana Grand tell a different story: Post 11 is 8 for 66 (12 percent), and post 12 is 4 for 29 (14 percent), both solid numbers. Neither Mind Reader nor Retrospection requires a forward placement, and with pace to their inside, both figure to drop in for position.

Express Lane, who breaks from the rail, holds some appeal at a longer price. Express Lane didn’t handle turf in the Snack, but trainer Bernie Flint took blinkers off the horse three starts ago, and Express Lane ran well enough in winning an Indiana-bred allowance race two starts back to win the Governor’s.

Midnight Boulevard on dirt

Midnight Boulevard is not bred like a turf horse and did not run like one July 19 in the Ellen’s Lucky Star, fading to fifth in her grass debut, but back on dirt in the Indiana First Lady on Wednesday, she should be formidable.

Midnight Boulevard, by Bellamy Road, was a good Indiana-bred 2-year-old last year, probably was best when a very troubled second in the June 21 Hoosier Breeders Sophomore Fillies, and romped in a July 1 allowance race over older horses in her most recent dirt start. She would be a solid gamble at her morning-line odds of 7-2 but could be bet lower by post time.

Whistle Stop, the 2-1 morning-line favorite, finished in front of Midnight Boulevard in the Hoosier Breeders Sophomore Fillies by virtue of a perfect pressing trip, while Midnight Boulevard had nowhere to run in the homestretch. Whistle Stop has won three of six this season but might not even have quite the appeal from a betting perspective Wednesday as her stablemate Accessorizing, who has shown talent in a three-start career and is not at all exposed. Mike Lauer trains both fillies.

Defining Hope is the 5-2 second choice on the line, but her two stakes romps in May and June came in races more heavily restricted than Wednesday’s.