Shackleford and Caleb’s Posse ready for the Indiana Derby at Hoosier Park on 1 October
Second in the Grade 1 Haskell Invitational at Monmouth Park, and bounced to an eighth place finish in the 1 ¼ mile Grade 1 Travers Stakes at Saratoga, and now Shackleford is among the 3-year-olds to race in the Grade 2 $500,000 Indiana Derby on 1 October
at Hoosier Park.
Another 3-year-old colt is among the ranks to fight it out in the Indiana Derby. Donnie Von Hemel trained Caleb’s Posse will be looking to build on his good form.
The Posse colt, is coming off two wins, first in the Grade 2 Amsterdam Stakes where he downed Wine Police and Redeemed over a distance of 6 ½ furlongs on 1 August, 2011.
His second win on the trot came in the Grade 1 King’s Bishop Stakes, where he nosed out the 2010 juvenile champion, Uncle Mo, at about 7 furlongs.
Both wins came in the summer Saratoga meet under jockey Rajiv Maragh.
As far as Shackleford is concerned, his trainer, Dale Romans, is expecting much out of the 2011 Preakness Stakes winner, as he turned in a breeze of five furlongs in 59.80 seconds for the preparation of the Indiana Derby, over a sloppy track at his Churchill
Downs' base.
Meanwhile trainer Bob Baffert is still unsure to send his Haskell Invitational winning 3-year-old colt, Coli cross country from California for the Indiana Derby in the suburban Indianapolis.
Coil won the 31 July Haskell Invitational by a neck over the Preakness Stakes winner Shackleford, was scheduled to turn in a workout ahead of the race at Santa Anita.
Bob Baffert would assess the colt’s workout session and then decide whether to send him or not. Coil in his last start finished 10th, to places behind Shackleford in the Grade 1 Travers Stakes.
The Grade 2, $250,000 Goodwood Stakes could also turn out to be the next start for coil after Baffert discusses it with the colt’s trio of owners, Mike Pegram, Paul Weitman and Karl Watson.
Indiana Derby has also reeled in Windswept, Wilburn, Populist Politics, Manicero and Decisive Moment.
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