Lady Fog Horn closes out meet with fourth straight stakes win

The 3-year-old filly Lady Fog Horn closed out a standout season at Indiana Grand by rolling to her fourth straight stakes victory in the $150,000 Frances Slocum for Indiana-bred fillies and mares Saturday night.

Ridden by the meet’s leading rider, Albin Jimenez, Lady Fog Horn ($3.40) romped by 7 ½ lengths over Elegant Model, completing 1 1/16 miles in 1:46.14.

Trained by Tony Granitz for The Elkstone Grou0p, Lady Fog Horn went 5 for 6 at the meet since early June.

“She is a special horse,” said Jimenez. “She is a horse that stands out for me for the meet.”

Despite missing five weeks of the 120-day meet because of injuries, Jimenez won 108 races, 11 more than runner-up Fernando De La Cruz.

De La Cruz picked up two stakes wins on closing night. He guided the 3-year-old old Bucchero ($10.60) to a 1 ½-length victory over defending champion Mister Pollard in the $150,000 To Much Coffee. Runner-up in his stakes debut three weeks ago in the Hoosier Breeders’ Sophomore, Bucchero ran 1 1/16 miles in 1:43.52 for his third win in seven career starts. He is trained by Heather Hall for Ironhorse Racing.

Two races earlier, De La Cruz was aboard when Easy Victory ($2.80) remained undefeated in three starts with a half-length score over Sassy Miss Officer in the $85,000 Miss Indiana for statebred 2-year-old fillies. Stretching out beyond six furlongs for the first time, Easy Victory, trained by Steve Fosdick for Shawn Strain, ran a mile and 70 yards in 1:43.91.

Derby Express ($3.60) cruised to his third straight easy victory, taking the $85,000 Indiana Futurity by 5 ¼ lengths. Trained by Jeff Greenhill for owner Sherri Greenhill, Derby Express covered a mile and 70 yards sin 1:42.27.

Gary Patrick, his wife, Cindy, and their daughter, Cheyanna, all earned honors at the meet.

Gary Patrick, the all-time leading trainer at the track, finished as leading trainer with 40 wins. Cindy Patrick was the top owner for the second straight year, breaking her own single-season record of 33 wins by winning 37 races. She also set a track record for an owner with more than $843,000 in purse money.

Cheyanna Patrick, despite leaving the track to return to college in mid-August, won the inaugural Juan Saez leading apprentice award with 26 wins. Saez died in a racing accident last October.