Saturday is the biggest day on the racing calendar at Horseshoe Indianapolis. It is Indiana Derby Day and horseplayers have a 12-race card to sink their teeth into, headlined of course by the Grade 3 event for 3YOs, which is scheduled to go to post at 6:41 PM eastern.

As we know, finding horses to key in on can be any important step every day, but particularly on these big days where the last thing you want is to go broke before Race 8. At the same point, saving your entire budget for stakes races later in the day is never the correct move if you have a strong opinion or two earlier in the afternoon.

With that said, here are a few horses I will be leaning on Saturday afternoon in Indiana:


Race 6: Jonathan B. Schuster Memorial S.

The pace should be hot in this 1 1/16th mile event for 4YOs and upward, which bodes well for #11 Me and Mr. C. The Khozan gelding has not won in three starts in 2024 and there are certainly questions about whether he is the same horse as he was when he won this event last year, but he is likely to get a great setup in his second start of the form cycle. Jockey Ricardo Santana Jr, should be able to avoid a wide run into the first turn given the presence of several early zip and tactical speed types to his inside. I am hopeful the Florida-bred can find the form he had in 2023 and come from well off the pace to win the Schuster in back-to-back years. The price should be right to find out.

Play: #11 Me and Mr. C (6-1 ML)



Race 10: Indiana General Assembly Distaff S.

#9 Misread scratched out of the Anchorage Overnight on Closing Day at Churchill Downs opting to run as a much shorter price in this $100,000 event for fillies and mares conducted at 8.5-furlongs over the Indiana sod. The daughter of Blame makes her third start off the layoff after an even fifth-place effort over the yielding going against better in the Mint Julep (G3) in Louisville. The Claiborne Farm homebred has the tactical speed to find a comfortable spot a few lengths off the early pacesetters and should have plenty of run when they turn for home under Kentucky Derby and Oaks winning jockey, Brian Hernandez Jr. Misread will not be a huge price but hopefully we can get somewhere right around the morning line offering.


Play: #9 Misread, 7-2 ML




Race 12: Indiana Derby (G3)

#2 Stronghold rattled off back-to-back victories out west in Kentucky Derby prep races, including the Santa Anita Derby (G1) but has not raced since a well-beaten seventh-place finish in the “Run for the Roses”. He merits serious respect off the freshening and on the drop for trainer Phil D’Amato but I prefer the price and recency of #7 E J Won the Cup in this years’ Indiana Derby despite being bested by Stronghold out west a few months ago.

E J Won the Cup was caught wide throughout in his third-place finish in the Santa Anita Derby to Stronghold, so losing by a few lengths to the morning line choice is not too concerning. Especially because he bounced back in a big way when out finishing a field of 10 last out in the Texas Derby. In that $300,000 event at Lone Star Park, the son of Omaha Beach was shuffled back considerably on the far turn but was able to relax professionally and re-rally to run down Dimatic in the final strides. The Doug O’Neill trainee hopefully will be able to avoid significant traffic issues this time around given his tactical speed and outside draw. If so, he should be set for a big effort for a barn that has won this event twice dating back to 2003.

Play: E J Won the Cup, 5-2 ML


Good luck on Indiana Derby Day!