The Indiana-breds ran to form in the $150,000 Piedi Bianchi Stakes on Wednesday at Horseshoe Indianapolis. In the $150,000 To Much Coffee, the Piedi Bianchi’s brother race – not so much.
Corningstone, a fair price as the 7-5 favorite, made a strong bid around the far turn and won the Piedi Bianchi by 2 1/4 lengths. No one celebrated the victory more than jockey Joseph Bealmear, who raised his crop arm triumphantly after posting the first stakes score of his career.
In the To Much Coffee, nobody knew anything. Home first at odds of 27-1 was C. J’s Storm, who ran down pacesetting 12-1 shot Chocolate Moose to win by 1 1/2 lengths. Follow the Money, a 26-1 shot, checked in third, and the trifecta paid big money, more than $4,100 for 50 cents. Chicory Blaze, favored at 9-5, never looked like a winner, in part compromised by a slow pace, but in the end just a flat seventh. Second choice Kingsbury Road was fifth at 7-2.
C. J’s Storm paid $57 not because he is an especially slow horse, but because after 34 starts he appeared to be a sprinter who couldn’t truly see out a route trip like the 1 1/16-mile To Much Coffee. He stayed meaningfully better than Chocolate Moose, who put up a slow 49.06 half-mile split but couldn’t hold his lead. Alberto Burgos rode the winner, who clocked 1:46.09 on a fast track, for trainer John Haran, who owns C. J’s Storm in partnership with Janet Watt and Charles Watt. A 5-year-old gelding by Storm’s Eye out of Perfect List, by Peaks and Valleys, C. J’s Storm was bred by Triple D Partners.
Corningstone ($4.80) shipped from Kentucky for trainer Kenny McPeek and ran her Horseshoe Indianapolis mark to 8-5-2-1. Third in this race at odds of 1-5 a year ago, Corningstone launched a sharp bid into a quick 47.62-second half-mile split, and comfortably outfinished Louder Than Words despite the runner-up getting through along the rail turning for home. Corningstone, who clocked 1:46.40 for her 1 1/16 miles, races for Payson Stud and RTA Trust. By Kantharos out of Ice Woman, by Street Sense, she was bred by Deann Baer and Greg Baer. Corningstone’s career earnings now stand at about $940,000.
Q's Topnotch, Spirited Justice take juvenile stakes
Q’s Topnotch and Spirited Justice won Wednesday’s two Indiana-bred stakes for 2-year-olds.
Q’s Topnotch ($11) stalked the pace under Marcelino Pedroza Jr. and proved two lengths best in the $100,000 Circle City, bouncing back from a distant seventh-place finish facing open stakes company at Prairie Meadows on Aug. 19. Young Angus came from eighth to nab second over longshot See You Later as Q’s Topnotch ran six furlongs on dirt in 1:13.30. Unattainable Love, who might have gone favored, was an early scratch.
Genaro Garcia trains Q’s Topnotch for Southwest Racing Stables, Bruce Murphy, and Lori Murphy. Bred by the Murphys, Q’s Topnotch is by Qurbaan out of Chargingonby, by Charging Indian.
Spirited Justice won her third in a row, beating Eltinge by 2 3/4 lengths in the $100,000 Back Home Again for Indiana-bred 2-year-old fillies. Showing good speed under Luis Contreras, Spirited Justice broke out to a clear lead within the race’s first furlong, had close to six lengths on her nearest pursuer turning into the short homestretch, and never faced an anxious moment. She ran six furlongs in 1:12.93 and paid $6.60 as the favorite.
Trained by Thomas Medina for Keeley Chay Justice, Spirited Justice is by Lantana Mob out of She Fox, by Into Mischief. She was bred by Justice Farm and Greg Justice – a spirited winner in the last of four Indiana-bred stakes Wednesday at Horseshoe Indianapolis.
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