Stamina a question mark in juvenile stakes

Handicapping the pair of 2-year-old Indiana-bred stakes on Thursday at Indiana Grand is all about projecting.

There is ample established form in the $100,000 Miss Indiana for fillies and in the $100,000 Indiana Futurity, which has no sex restriction, but almost none of it has come around the two turns these youngsters must negotiate Thursday. Only one horse in each of the races, both carded for one mile and 70 yards, has made a two-turn dirt start.

The Miss Indiana (race 7, post time 4:53 p.m. Eastern) drew an overflow field of 14, and trainer Mike Lauer has three horses in the main body of 12. All appear to have a chance.

Flurry was beaten a head in her career debut, then won second time out, on Sept. 29, by more than 18 lengths, a massive margin in a 5 1/2-furlong sprint. Flurry, by Old Fashioned, is the first foal to race produced by Dreamin Big, who finished second in the 2010 Miss Indiana and was a capable two-turn runner. Flurry, however, breaks from the rail, showed speed in both races, and is almost certain to face pressure going to the front end in the early stages.

Dreamin Big, Flurry’s dam, is a sister to another Lauer entrant, Bibbidibobbidi Boo, who has started her career with two open-length wins, including a last-out score in the $106,000 City of Anderson Stakes. Bibbidibobbidi Boo, though, is another front-running type who faces the daunting task of crossing over from post 12 and preserving enough energy to stay this two-turn trip.

Lauer’s third entrant is Obsolete, whose well-beaten fifth in the City of Anderson can be somewhat excused by serious trouble early in the race.

The horse with the two-turn dirt experience, Snapperette, shouldn’t be overlooked. Snapperette twice raced in turf routes before going to dirt Sept. 29, when she won an Indiana-bred maiden mile by two lengths. Trainer Brendan Walsh must believe there is still more to the filly since he has been permitted to race her in blinkers Thursday after a win.

Ella T and Regal Wildcat also merit consideration.

Because he won the $105,000 Crown Ambassador Stakes on Oct. 4 at Indiana Grand, Mo Money will be well supported in the Indiana Futurity, but Mo Money got a dream setup in that sprint race and is no sure thing to stay two turns. The same distance concern holds with Jersey Justice, a front-running winner of the $105,000 Hillsdale on Sept. 13.

The lone Indiana Futurity entrant with two-turn dirt experience, Santisteban, rallied for third in the Crown Ambassador after a one-mile maiden win. Santisteban hasn’t gone off lower than 14-1 in his three races and should be a fair price again.

Jova also might offer value. Jova won the first 2-year-old race of this meet on May 5, struggled in two subsequent starts, but looked much better winning a $40,000 nonwinners-of-two claimer earlier this month at Keeneland while racing on Lasix and with blinkers for the first time. His pedigree is somewhat obscure but hints at a horse that might stay the trip.