Flippant, Hendy Woods dead-heat in Indiana General Assembly Stakes

The early stakes races Saturday at Horseshoe Indianapolis featured female photo finishes, and the $100,000 Indiana General Assembly Stakes was so tight it ended in a tie.

Flippant, who rallied between horses, looked on live video to have fallen just short of favored Hendy Woods in this 1 1/16-mile grass race, but the photo told a different story, with Flippant getting a favorable head bob to salvage a dead heat. Lake Lucerne finished one length back in fourth as 5-2 second choice Navratilova pressed the pace and faded to fifth.

One race earlier, Semble Juste ($10.60), who looked beaten at the furlong grounds, surged in the final strides to get up by a nose over Lovely Ride in the $100,000 Mari Hulman George Stakes. Misty Veil, the 13-10 favorite, made an easy lead, went her first half mile in a moderate 48.19 but was swallowed up past the three-furlong marker while racing over a drying-out surface that appeared to be favoring outside paths.

Pace-pressing Lovely Ride took command before the quarter pole and opened a mid-stretch lead before getting nipped on the line as the top two pulled more than three lengths clear of third-place Lady Frosted.

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Winning time for 1 1/16 miles over a muddy, sealed surface was 1:45.82. Brian Hernandez Jr. rode the winner for trainer Kenny McPeek and owners Catalyst Stable, Patty Slevin, Paul Greenberg, and Magdalena Racing. Four-year-old Semble Juste, bred in Ireland, is a daughter of Shalaa and Serisette, by High Chaparral. This was her first stakes win.

For Hendy Woods, the General Assembly Distaff marked her second turf-stakes success at Horseshoe Indianapolis; she captured the $150,000 Indiana Grand Stakes over the course two summers ago. Ridden by Florent Geroux for owner-breeder Stonestreet Stables and trainer Mark Casse, Hendy Woods ($3.20) is a 5-year-old mare by Uncle Mo out of Separate Forest, by Forestry.

The race was officially timed in 1:40.15 for 1 1/16 miles on firm turf after a timer malfunction showed incorrect in-running times.

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Flippant, taking a nice step forward for trainer Victoria Oliver following a decent 2022 debut May 30 at Monmouth Park, was ridden by Rafael Bejarano, who gave the 4-year-old filly a sweet trip. Bred and owned by G. Watts Humphrey, Flippant ($4.40) is by Tapit out of Frivolous, by Empire Maker.

* Mamala Kamala ($11.80) cruised past her favored Tony Granitz-trained stablemate Louder Than Words in upper stretch and went on to a comfortable win in the $100,000 Ellen’s Lucky Star for Indiana-bred 3-year-old fillies.

Holy Justice ran on late to grab second from Louder Than Words as the winner clocked 1:37.01 for one mile on turf. Owned by The Elkstone Group, Mamala Kamala is by Exaggerator out of Mandolin, by Midnight Lute.