The improving Sir Bahjy and the streaking Mackadoo will clash Saturday in the $250,000 Unreachable Star, the richest of four Thoroughbred stakes on the card at Horseshoe Indianapolis.
The races are restricted to Indiana-breds by registered Indiana stallions and are worth a total of $650,000. There also are two $55,000 overnight stakes for Thoroughbreds on the card and six stakes for Quarter Horses.
The Unreachable Star is for 3-year-olds at one mile and 70 yards. It’s drawn a field of 12 that includes Rapid Justice, who won the $100,000 ITOBA Stallion Season Handicap by a neck over Sir Bahjy in their last starts Oct. 1.
Sir Bahjy has been improving the last several months, and his co-owner and trainer, Genaro Garcia, likes how he’s coming into the Unreachable Star.
“He’s been doing really good in the mornings, and I’m excited for the race,” Garcia said Thursday. “He ran good the last time. I just expect him to run a little better this coming Saturday. He’s just been doing really, really well.
“He’s been improving a lot. He’s more mature mentally and, physically, he’s more strong. He’s a late foal and they take a little while to fill out, and I would say now are his best moments as a 3-year-old.”
Sir Bahjy, who races for his breeders, Bruce Murphy and Lori Murphy, will break from post 9. He will again be ridden by Marcelino Pedroza Jr.
“There’s speed in the race,” Garcia said. “There’s a couple of horses that have good speed. I think if we could sit third, fourth, that’s going to probably be the perfect place. The good thing is that the horse, it’s easy to work with him. I’m sure Marcelino will do a really good job.”
Mackadoo will be looking to win his fourth consecutive race. The stakes-placed runner is moving back to dirt and the straight 3-year-old ranks after building his streak against older horses on turf at Horseshoe Indianapolis.
“He’s obviously improving,” said Travis Foley, son and assistant of trainer Greg Foley. “His dirt numbers are kind of right there. We would choose for it to be on the turf if that was an option, obviously. But he’s just a game, feel-good horse and the race is right in front of us.”
Travis Foley has seen Mackadoo develop as a racehorse over his last several starts.
“It took us a couple of races to get him on the turf, that was the kind of initial move up,” he said. “If you watch a couple of those races, he wants to do it. He’s got a big heart. If it ends up being kind of a fight down the lane, you’d feel good about it. He’s just put it all together, won three in a row, looks like he likes winning.”
Mitchell Murrill has the mount from post 6.
Mackadoo is named for Travis Foley’s son Mack. Greg Foley calls his young grandson Mackadoo. Mack Foley is nearly 2.
“We’ve got a 2-year-old cheering on a 3-year-old,” quipped Travis Foley. “It’s been a pretty fun family story. He’s got his win pictures and a couple of those stakes saddle towels up in his room.”
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Mack Foley has been to some of Mackadoo’s races, but it’s yet to be determined whether he will be in town Saturday.
“That’s the one thing, we’re fighting Baby Mack’s nap schedule and traveling isn’t always conducive,” Travis Foley said. “Troubleshooting is in at Keeneland [on Saturday]. He’ll be in one of the two places.”
Juveniles for Garcia
Garcia has a pair of capable 2-year-olds running in stakes, led by Q’s Topnotch in the $100,000 Crown Ambassador at six furlongs. He’s 3 for 4 and coming off a win in the local Circle City Stakes.
“I really like that horse a lot,” Garcia said. “He’s been improving lately, like really good. He’s pretty big for a 2-year-old, got really good size. It looks like he’s going to fill out really well, going to be a nice 3-year-old as well.”
Pedroza was aboard last time and has the mount again from post 5. Garcia said he likes the confidence with which Pedroza rides Q’s Topnotch.
Relentless Chick goes in the $100,000 Indiana Stallion for 2-year-old fillies at six furlongs. She was a debut winner last out, romping by 6 1/2 lengths in a maiden special weight sprint on Oct. 8.
“That day, she showed that she can run,” Garcia said. “She’s a really nice 2-year-old, nice filly, has a lot of speed. And I think she’s going to try pretty hard, too.”
Garcia has won 40 races at the meet and is highly invested in the Indiana program.
“I’ve been racing in Indiana since 2006,” he said. “I just try to improve my horses, and last year I bought around 10 yearlings. Every year, I just try to improve and try to buy more Indiana-breds.”
◗ Spooky Ridge recently defeated a number of the same rivals she will face in the $200,000 Lady Fog Horn Handicap for 3-year-old fillies at one mile and 70 yards. She comes off an 8 3/4-length stakes win at Horseshoe Indianapolis, and the Beyer Speed Figure of 65 she earned is the co-highest last-race number among the nine fillies in the field. Spooky Ridge shares the distinction with allowance winner Get Even Kid.
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