Rigney homebreds sweep Indiana-bred juvenile stakes

Richard Rigney, the Louisville-based Thoroughbred owner and breeder, had never won a race at Indiana Grand until this year. Wednesday, closing day of the 2018 Indiana Grand meet, he won two. Two big ones.

At 4:33 Eastern, Fireball Baby won the $100,000 Miss Indiana Stakes for 2-year-old fillies. Thirty-one minutes later, it was Snicker Cookie by a pole in the $100,000 Indiana Futurity. Rigney bred and owns both horses and both came out of the barn of his private trainer, Phil Bauer.

It is one thing to identify the target and shoot at the target, and another to hit a bullseye – twice in a row.

Fireball Baby is by Noble’s Promise out of Bubbles and Babies, by A.P. Indy, and she had to work a bit to win the Miss Indiana by a half-length under Fernando De La Cruz. Stalking the pacesetters from third, Fireball Baby took over before the quarter pole, had clear lead with a furlong to run, and held off a late run from The Beauty’s Tale, who got second by 1 3/4 lengths over favored Discreet Beauty. Fireball Baby, who had won a division of the $103,000 Indiana Stallion Stakes on Oct. 9, ran one mile 70 yards in 1:43.65 and paid $5.80 to win.

Snicker Cookie had a much easier time of things. Another horse sired by Noble’s Promise, Snicker Cookie was produced by the Quest mare, Cookie, and he entered the Indiana Futurity a twice-started maiden. But in his second race, the Crown Ambassador on Oct. 9, Snicker Cookie had tipped his hand, nabbing second with an eye-catching run from the back of the pack in a six-furlong sprint.

One-run sprint performances often don’t translate to two-turn routes, but that was how things worked for Snicker Cookie. Jockey Alex Canchari settled him in fifth down the backstretch, racing in the clear behind a strong pace, and when Canchari gave the relaxed Snicker Cookie his head, he launched himself past the three horse in front of him and took aim on pace-setting Flowerpecker around the turn and past the three-furlong pole. Snicker Cookie ate him up before the quarter pole and ran alone through the stretch to win by 7 1/2 lengths, stopping the timer in 1:42.51 for one mile 70 yards. Toss of Fate finished second, Comes N Threes third. Snicker Cookie paid $6.60 to win – and paid Rigney back handsomely for deciding to dabble in Indiana-breds.