King Zachary among nine in Indiana Derby

King Zachary raised his game to new heights with a highly rated win June 16 in the Grade 3 Matt Winn Stakes at Churchill Downs, and he will try to repeat that performance and win the Grade 3, $500,000 Indiana Derby on Saturday night at Indiana Grand.

King Zachary was one of nine 3-year-olds entered Wednesday in the Indiana Derby, the most important race of the Indiana Grand season. Blame the Rider was cross-entered at Indiana and in the Kent Stakes on Saturday at Delaware Park. The others in the 1 1/16-mile Indiana Derby, from the rail out, are Trigger Warning, Givemeaminit, Dark Vader, The Money Dance, Axelrod, Title Ready, and Funny Duck.

King Zachary drew post 8 and has Robby Albarado named to ride for trainer Dale Romans and owner Thomas Conway. A Curlin colt, King Zachary won a Gulfstream Park maiden race by almost eight lengths on March 18, finished a distant sixth in the Wood Memorial less than three weeks later, but bounced back to win a Churchill allowance race before a career-best performance in the Matt Winn, where he earned a 98 Beyer Speed Figure.

Trigger Warning and Title Ready finished third and fourth in the Ohio Derby on July 23. Ohio Derby winner Irap won the 2017 Indiana Derby.

Funny Duck and Givemeaminit were first and third in the Pat Day Mile on the Kentucky Derby undercard before failing to reproduce that sloppy-track form in the Matt Winn.

Axelrod finished second last out in the Affirmed Stakes at Santa Anita. Blame the Rider’s recent form is all turf, while The Money Dance will be the longest price in the race.

The Indiana Derby is the last of six stakes on the card and is scheduled for 9:48 Eastern as race 9.

Eight horses were entered in the Grade 3, $200,000 Indiana Oaks, where Talk Veuve to Me will be a heavy favorite.

Before the two graded races come four $100,000 stakes, all routes and split between turf and dirt. Easily the best-known horse in any of these races is Seeking the Soul, who will be favored in the Michael G. Schaefer Stakes. Seeking the Soul won the Grade 1 Clark last fall at Churchill and makes his first start since finishing fifth in Gun Runner’s Grade 1 Pegasus World Cup on Jan. 27. Brian Hernandez Jr. rides for trainer Dallas Stewart and owner-breeder Charles Fipke.

First post for the 10-race card is 5:30. The high temperature Saturday is forecast to hit 93 degrees with a low Saturday night of 71 and no rain expected.