Joyous Lady, Zoned In seek stakes wins over statebreds

With Wednesday’s Shelby County and William Henry Harrison stakes at Indiana Grand being for statebred horses by Indiana-registered sires, the class-determining process for horseplayers is less straightforward than for standard stakes races.

The restrictive conditions mean that horses coming out of open company, even for modest purses, may actually be taking class drops by running in these two stakes, which both carry $100,000 purses and are run at six furlongs.

Joyous Lady is one such example in the first of the two stakes, the Shelby County, for fillies and mares. She exits three consecutive optional claimers that were open – not restricted to Indiana-breds. And she performed well each time, with two seconds and a victory sandwiched in between.

All five rivals she faced in her last race, a second-level allowance with a $40,000 claiming price July 30, were Kentucky-breds. And she held her own, finishing in front of four and just a half-length short of the victorious Misleading Lady.

A 4-year-old daughter of Kela, Joyous Lady is trained by Randy Klopp and co-owned by Klopp and Dennis Claramunt. Tommy Pompell rides.

Unlike Joyous Lady, Easy Victory and Carmalley Chrome have already notched stakes victories, though not out of their specific age group. Both are 3-year-olds facing older stakes horses for the first time.

The William Henry Harrison Stakes provides similar challenges for class handicappers in the eighth race, in which the morning-line favorite, Zoned In, is coming off a victory in a starter $7,500 race at Prairie Meadows.

A shrewd claim by trainer Aaron Shorter and owner Gary Tussey for $75,000 at Prairie Meadows on July 4, he could earn back his claim price many times over with a victory.

Sucess Is Racing, a two-time stakes-winning Indiana-bred sprinter, looms a formidable adversary despite being winless in three races this year. This marks the first time he has faced Indiana-sired horses in 2016, and he is now back to his preferred surface of dirt after running sixth last out on turf.

He won this race in 2014 and was third as the favorite in 2015.

Shelby County Stakes

Key Contenders

Carmalley Chrome, by Cat Dreams
Last 3 Beyers: 74-NA-73

◗ Led throughout Aug. 3 in taking the First Lady Stakes, a statebred route stakes limited to 3-year-olds but one that was not Indiana-sire restricted.

Easy Victory, by Lost Victory
Last 3 Beyers: 67-74-40

◗ A 3-year-old, she is 5 for 6, with her only defeat coming May 25 when fifth in her seasonal debut.

Joyous Lady, by Kela
Last 3 Beyers: 78-78-67

◗ Finished third in this race last year at age 3 but has gotten faster as a 4-year-old.

William Henry Harrison

Key Contenders

Zoned In, by Wild Zone
Last 3 Beyers: 67-74-40

◗ Although invading from Prairie Meadows, he is no stranger to Indiana Grand, having won 4 of 11 starts on dirt there in 2014-15.

Strong Composition, by Mancini
Last 3 Beyers: 65-53-46

◗ Showed he could run quickly in winning the Sagamore Sired Stakes four starts ago May 25 with an 84 Beyer Speed Figure when racing against 3-year-old Indiana-sired runners.

Sucess Is Racing, by Major Success
Last 3 Beyers: 73-83-77

◗ Is an experienced top performer at Indiana Grand, with 8 wins, 8 seconds, and 3 thirds in 25 starts on the main track.