Fireball Baby in top form for Lady Fog Horn Stakes on Indiana Champions Day
Fireball Baby’s most recent company line is one of a number of reasons the five-time stakes winner could go favored Saturday when she attempts to win the $150,000 Lady Fog Horn for the second year in a row at Indiana Grand.
The Lady Fog Horn, a mile and a sixteenth race for Indiana-bred or Indiana-sired fillies and mares, is one of the highlights of Indiana Champions Day. It goes as the seventh race on a 13-race program that features four restricted stakes for Thoroughbreds and five for Quarter Horses.
Fireball Baby enters the Lady Fog Horn off a runner-up finish to Piedi Bianchi, the New York-based runner who ranks as one of the richest Indiana-breds of all-time with a bankroll of $823,497. The pair met at Indiana Grand in the $150,000 Cardinal, with Fireball Baby prominent throughout while finishing 4 1/2 lengths behind Piedi Bianchi in the slop Oct. 6.
“There’s no shame in losing to that one,” said Philip Bauer, who trains Fireball Baby. “We tried her the last two years and were second best, and that’s fine.”
Prior to this year’s matchup with Piedi Bianchi, Fireball Baby won the $101,000 Hoosier Heartland by 5 1/4 lengths Sept. 15 at Indiana Grand. She was always prominent while defeating a number of the 11 rivals she faces Saturday. Fireball Baby earned a career-high Beyer Speed Figure of 81.
“We’re excited,” Bauer said. “We feel like her last two races have just been really good, and the filly continues to thrive. In a perfect world, we hope to see a similar trip for her.
“I’m pretty sure she’ll show up this weekend. She’s training as well as she has all year. We’ve been trying to key on these sired events and she’s cooperated with us.”
Fireball Baby is a daughter of Noble’s Promise who was bred in Indiana by her owners, Rigney Racing. She is a six-time winner from 23 starts and has earnings of $453,013.
“We’d definitely like to see her get over the half-million mark with a win,” said Bauer.
Marcelino Pedroza, Jr., has the mount from post 7.
Hungarian Princess, who is looking for her fourth straight win, breaks from post 8. She is making a rare two-turn appearance after winning both dirt and turf sprints this meet at Indiana.
◗ Holy Justice will attempt to win her fourth straight race in the $100,000 Indiana Stallion Stakes for 2-year-old fillies at six furlongs. The daughter of Harry’s Holiday has won a maiden special weight and two stakes this meet at Indiana.
◗ Cash Logistics, who has won three of five starts this meet, will be chasing after his second consecutive stakes win in the $150,000 Unaccounted Star for 3-year-olds and up over a mile and a sixteenth.
◗ Mr Chaos will be looking to back up his seven-length debut win with a stakes victory in the $100,000 Crown Ambassador, a six-furlong race for 2-year-olds that drew 11.
California Angel works for BC
California Angel, who is pre-entered in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf, breezed five furlongs in 1:01 at her Indiana Grand base Wednesday. Trainer George Leonard told track publicity the filly will be flown Monday to California via Fed-Ex.
California Angel won the Grade 2 Jessamine at Keeneland in her last start. She runs for Indiana-based owner Chris Walsh.