Indiana Downs: Baffert has favorites for Indiana Derby, Indiana Oaks

Trainer Bob Baffert swept the Indiana Derby and the Indiana Oaks in 2010, and he will have the favorite in both races again this year.

Baffert entered Power Broker in the Grade 2, $500,000 Indiana Derby and Fiftyshadesofhay in the Grade 2, $200,000 Indiana Oaks when entries were taken and post positions drawn Tuesday for those two Saturday races at Indiana Downs, both at 1 1/16 miles on dirt. Power Broker was installed as the 3-1 morning-line favorite, while Fiftyshadesofhay could be odds-on in her race.

The 12-race derby card with more than $1.3 million in stakes purses will be run for the first time this year at slots-enhanced Indiana Downs, moving from its traditional location at Hoosier Park. All Indiana Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse races now are conducted at Indiana Downs; Hoosier Park hosts harness racing.

Power Broker is one of 12 entrants in the main body of the Indiana Derby field, with three more horses on the also-eligible list. Power Broker, who drew post 5 and will be ridden for the first time by Martin Garcia, is set to make his first start since the July 28 Haskell Invitational, in which he finished a distant second to Verrazano. Power Broker, a three-time winner of more than a half-million dollars, scored his most important victory last fall in the Grade 1 FrontRunner Stakes. His only stakes win this year came in the $150,000 Easy Goer at Belmont, where he beat Micromanage, another Indiana Derby entrant.

Micromanage is one of two entrants, along with Midnight Taboo, trained by Todd Pletcher, who has never won the Indiana Derby. Both drew poorly on the outside, with Midnight Taboo assigned post 11, Micromanage post 12. Horses breaking from post 9 and wider have won only 13 of 166 (7 percent) two-turn dirt races at Indiana during a meet that began in April.

Also in the derby field is California shipper Holy Lute, who won the El Cajon last out at Del Mar in his stakes debut and races for the first time on dirt. Edge of Reality exits a victory in the Grade 3 Smarty Jones at Parx Racing, a race in which return rival Uncaptured finished third. Ruler of Love was second last out in the Grade 2 Super Derby, while Fordubai makes his first dirt start since finishing second to Departing in the Illinois Derby. The speedy colts Bradester and Take It Like a Man, both drawn toward the outside, should ensure a solid tempo.

Fiftyshadesofhay, who drew post 2 and also will be ridden by Garcia, was flattered last weekend when Princess of Sylmar defeated Royal Delta in the Beldame Stakes. Fiftyshadesofhay won the Black-Eyed Susan at Pimlico and the Iowa Oaks at Prairie Meadows before finishing second to Princess of Sylmar in the Grade 1 Alabama. She faces seven opponents in the Indiana Oaks.

There are seven other stakes (four restricted to Indiana-breds) on a card with a first post of 1:55 p.m. Eastern. Neck ’n Neck, winner of the 2012 Indiana Derby, makes his first start since last November in a highly competitive edition of the $100,000 Michael G. Schaefer, while Don’t Tell Sophia will see racing action in the $100,000 Mari Hulman George for the first time since finishing third in the Grade 1 Apple Blossom this past spring.

Post time for the Oaks is 6:05, with the derby scheduled for 6:45. Rain is possible at the track throughout the latter part of the week, including a 40 percent chance of thunderstorms Saturday.