One year later, Joyous Lady wins Shelby County Stakes

In the 2015 Shelby County Stakes at Indiana Grand, the 3-year-old filly Joyous Lady could not match strides with the mare Higher Logic and faded to third.

A year older and more experienced, Joyous Lady on Wednesday won the race she could not in 2015.

Sitting off two dueling leaders, she easily surged past them and drew off by 4 1/4 lengths in the $100,000 Shelby County Stakes for Indiana-sired fillies and mares.

A 4-year-old daughter of Kela trained by Randy Klopp and owned by Klopp and Dennis Claramunt, she notched her first stakes victory. She completed six furlongs on a good track under Tommy Pompell in 1:10.90, and paid $5.40 in a field of six which was diminished by three scratches.

Hay Little Bit finished second, followed by Short and Sassy in third.

A race later at Indiana Grand, Sucess Is Racing utilized a similar stalking trip to win the $100,000 William Henry Harrison, the male counterpart race to the Shelby County, beating Operation Stevie and Still Chief. Trained by Kim Hammond and ridden by Eduardo Perez, he finished six furlongs in 1:10.29.

Charles Watt and Willowbrook Stables own Sucess Is Racing, a 6-year-old gelded son Major Success who returned $4.40 as the favorite.