Ivar comes off long break to win Schuster Memorial

Ivar asserted his Grade 1 class and won the $100,000 Jonathan Schuster Memorial Stakes on Saturday at Horseshoe Indianapolis by one length.

Scratched from the Maker’s Mark Mile in April because trainer Paulo Lobo felt Ivar still was a work away from being ready, then scratched again from the May 7 Turf Classic at Churchill because of an untimely but minor foot injury, Ivar was making his first start since a third-place finish Nov. 6 in the Breeders’ Cup Mile.

Normally, the class drop down to the Schuster would have been massive, but this was a strong group for the class level.

The task for Ivar and jockey Joe Talamo became easier when four horses (who went into an allowance race next week) allowed Ivar to move into post 8 from his draw in post 12, and Talamo worked out a good trip for his mount. Getting over toward the inside of the course, Ivar settled in sixth as Gray’s Fable and Duke of Hazzard, stacked three wide, applied surprising pace pressure to rail-drawn speed horse Somelikeithotbrown.

Duke of Hazzard backed off down the backstretch run but Gray’s Fable prodded Somelikeithotbrown into a demanding pace as Cavalry Charge got a perfect trip hugging the rail a couple lengths behind the pacesetters. Talamo gave his mount some rein going into the far turn and got an immediate response from Ivar, who came wide, reached contention at the quarter pole, pounced on the leaders and made the lead just past the furlong marker.

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Talamo gave a quick glance back, saw Ivar was home, and took his foot off the pedal through the final few strides.

“We had a beautiful trip. Every time this horse runs, Paulo has him ready to go,” said Talamo.

Cavalry Charge nipped a game Somelikeithotbrown to earn the place. Winning time for the 1 1/16 miles on firm going was officially 1:39.49, which would be a course record. The early splits in the race, 22.39 and 45.50, are somewhat difficult to believe, and there had been turf timing issues through the Saturday card at Horseshoe Indianapolis.

Several opening quarter-miles were implausibly fast and the posted fractions and final time (which would have been a course record by more than two seconds) were discarded in the Indiana General Assembly Stakes.

Ivar, bred on Southern Hemisphere time in Brazil, is a 6-year-old horse by Agnes Gold out of May Be Now, by Smart Strike. He’s owned by Bonne Chance Farm and Stud R D I. A two-time Group 1 winner in Argentina, where he began his career, he won the 2020 Grade 1 Shadwell Turf Mile at Keeneland before finishing fourth there the next month in the BC Mile.

Lobo said a third start in the BC Mile, which will be at Keeneland again this year, is the major goal for Ivar.

“We haven’t decided yet if he runs once or twice before the Breeders Cup. I was very happy there was rain yesterday – it helped him a lot,” said Lobo.

And on Saturday, it was Ivar who made it rain.

Mr. Wireless rings up another Indiana win

Mr. Wireless won the 2021 Indiana Derby and on Indiana Derby Day in 2022 he captured the $100,000 Michael G. Schaefer Memorial Stakes.

Shuffled back on the first turn after vying for the early lead after breaking from post 1, Mr. Wireless, full of run around the far turn, split Runnin’ Ray and pacesetting Thomas Shelby just before the quarter pole, dashing to the front and holding firm under a fine ride from jockey DeShawn Parker.

“We had a little trouble on the first turn, but he was running down the backside so easy,” said Parker.

Mr. Wireless ($7.80) won by two lengths over Helium, who had made a wide sweep into the homestretch to reach contention. Runnin’ Ray finished third and Spa City was fourth as 2-1 favorite South Bend couldn’t do anything with a good stalking trip and 3-1 third choice Thomas Shelby had no response when challenged for the lead.

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Mr. Wireless was timed in 1:41.31 for one mile 70 yards over a “good” main track.

Bret Calhoun trains Mr. Wireless for Jon Lapczenski and JIL Stable. Mr. Wireless, a 4-year-old gelding by Dialed In out of Voussoir, by Arch, went on to win the West Virginia Derby after his Indiana Derby score but went on a long hiatus after a fifth-place finish Sept. 26 in the Oklahoma Derby.

Calhoun gave him a prep, a one-turn mile allowance race at Churchill, where Mr. Wireless was a fading sixth, and had his horse spot on for more Horseshoe Indianapolis success.

* Jeopardy Theory aced his stakes debut, winning the $100,000 Snack Stakes for Indiana-bred 3-year-olds by 2 3/4 lengths. Marcelino Pedroza gave Jeopardy Theory a beautiful ground-saving trip from the back of the pace, moving to the far outside to mow down the competition in the homestretch.

Tim Glyshaw trains Jeopardy Theory ($7.80) for Ironhorse Racing. The son of Santiva and Holladay Dixie, by Dixie Union, was timed in 1:36.30 for one mile on a firm course.