Former claimers Injunction, Money Supply take down pair of stakes

Injunction, making his first start after being claimed for $80,000, and Money Supply, making his first start on turf, each won $100,000 older-horse stakes races Saturday at Horseshoe Indianapolis.

Under Edgar Morales, Injunction pressed Five Star General’s hot pace in the Michael Schaefer Memorial, a one mile and 70-yard dirt race where the half-mile split was recorded in an improbable 45.05, a sprint pace. The leaders dueled into upper stretch, Five Star General hanging tough along the rail until the final furlong, where Injunction edged away to win by 1 1/4 lengths. Mr. Wireless, the 11-10 favorite, bid mildly through the stretch and nipped Five Star General for second.

The Schaefer field was reduced to six runners after five scratches, and Injunction ($14) clocked 1:39.29 over a fast track, just .04 off the course record.

:: Bet with the Best! Get FREE All-Access PPs and Weekly Cashback when you wager on DRF Bets.

A son of Skipshot and Valid Valencia, by Northern Afleet, Injunction made his first start under a claiming tag May 3 at Churchill, and while he won, the gelding was claimed by owner Michael Foster and trainer William Cowans for $80,000. The new connections patiently awaited this spot, and the 6-year-old rewarded them with a $60,588 paycheck.

Money Supply might have won the Schaefer too, a race from which he was scratched. Instead, owner Jordan Wycoff and trainer Joe Sharp sent Money Supply out for his turf debut in the Jonathan Schuster Memorial, and the 5-year-old horse got up by a head under Jaime Torres.

Money Supply also is a former claimer, haltered by Wycoff and Sharp for $35,000 last summer at Saratoga. The horse, by Practical Joke out of Evita’s Sister, by Candy Ride, since has gone 6-1-1 from eight starts, winning on fast tracks and sloppy tracks, capturing a rich Claiming Crown race and the Mineshaft Stakes at Fair Grounds, and finishing third in the New Orleans Classic. Sixth last out in the Grade 2 Alysheba at Churchill, Money Supply has banked more than $560,000 since being claimed.

“We tried the turf today kind of as an experiment with hopes of opening up some doors, possibly at Kentucky Downs in the fall,” Sharp said. “To have a horse that can win on a fast track, slop, [and] now the grass, there’s nothing more you can ask for.”

Torres gave Money Supply a good ride and had a willing mount beneath him. Still just sixth at the stretch call, Money Supply turned in what was easily the race’s fastest finishing time to nip pacesetting Runaway Storm at the wire. Runaway Storm, racing for the first time since October in his 4-year-old debut, turned in a fine comeback performance, while Masteroffoxhounds, racing for the first time since November, was just a neck farther back in third.

Money Supply was timed in 1:41.60 for 1 1/16 miles over a course rated “yielding” but seemingly firmer than that classification.

Whatever the course condition, Money Supply has been a money machine.

:: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.