Just Call Kenny headed to Indiana Derby

Just Call Kenny will run in the Grade 2, $500,000 Indiana Derby next Saturday, according to trainer Patrick McBurney. Paco Lopez will ride at Keeneland that day and then hustle to Indiana Downs for the evening card and his mount on Just Call Kenny.

Just Call Kenny made the lead at the quarter pole of the Grade 3 Smarty Jones in his last start before tiring to sixth.

“He dragged Paco to the lead way too soon in that race,” McBurney said. “We’ll try and make sure that doesn’t happen again.

Just Call Kenny won the Spectacular Bid Stakes at Gulfstream Park in January. Following a five-month layoff, he was second in the Long Branch Stakes at Monmouth Park in July.

Navarro repeats as Monmouth champ

Jorge Navarro will wrap up his second consecutive Monmouth Park training title on Sunday. Coming into the weekend, Navarro had won with 40 of 151 starters, a 26 percent average.

Eddie Plesa Jr. will finish second. He had 33 wins coming into Saturday’s card.

Ramona Barney dies at age 86

Owner-breeder Ramona Barney died on Monday at age 86. She is survived by her husband, New Jersey trainer Ed Barney.

In 2013, the Barneys won the Charles H. Hesse III Handicap for New Jersey-breds at Monmouth Park with Sierra Ancha, whom they owned and bred.

The Barneys also operated Tourelay, a horse farm in Colts Neck, N.J., and had a pony business, which provided racetrack services.

◗ Tony Black, 63, has resumed riding at Parx after breaking his arm in a July training mishap. Black, who has more than 5,200 wins, rides sparingly these days but enjoys exercising horses in the morning and picks up an occasional mount.