Indiana Grand Picks & Analysis for June 9
Indiana Grand hosts a fantastic, 10-race card on Wednesday that features two stakes races restricted to Indiana-breds. Our in-house handicapper is on the case with picks for the whole card, as well as additional analysis of his strongest opinions throughout the day.
If you're looking for picks elsewhere around the country on Wednesday, be sure to check out our Free Horse Racing Picks via the gold button below.
Most Likely Winner: Sharp Prospect (Race 5) - With scattered thunderstorms in the forecast there’s no guarantee this race remains on the turf, but if it does Sharp Prospect should be very tough as he makes his second start off a long layoff for trainer Joe Sharp. This horse was running quite well over turf at the start of 2020, and after his year was cut short due to injury he picked up right where he left off in his 2021 debut over this turf course. The 84 Beyer Speed Figure he earned in victory that day makes him a standout, and there’s always the possibility he moves forward with that race under his belt.
Best Value: Rocky Rush (Race 1) - Gambler’s Fallacy is the horse to beat in the day’s first race, but he’s been off for a couple months now, so I’m not going to just automatically assume he gets back to his solid Oaklawn Park form. Rocky Rush isn’t the most reliable win candidate, however he’s already run well twice at the meet and should appreciate stretching out in distance on the main track. He also happens to be catching a field with very little early speed, so he could be in a prime position to wire this group at a square price.
Other Races of Interest: Race 6 - The venerable Expect Indy (#3) is going to be the favorite in the Shelby County, however you have to wonder if this 8-year-old mare’s best days are now behind her. She ran pretty well in 2020, including a fast-closing third in this same race, but the campaign was a noticeable step back for her and her works leading up to this comeback try aren’t very inspiring on paper. I think Expect Indy is due to regress even more in this spot, which is why my top pick is the up-and-coming Hungarian Princess (#2). This 3-year-old filly is coming off a stakes win against fellow sophomores that looks relatively slow, but I wouldn’t be surprised if she takes a step forward here as she meets older rivals for the first time. Her tractability always makes her dangerous, and there’s no doubt she’s the most in-form horse in this bunch.
Race 8 - The William Henry Harrison presents an almost identical situation to the Shelby County. Double Tuff (#2) is a returning 8-year-old that is going to be a decisive favorite, but I just can’t bring myself to take him in this spot at a short price, though I do have more confidence in him than Expect Indy in the Shelby County. Instead, I prefer Unbridled Beast (#1) as he makes his 4-year-old debut. This horse made steady strides throughout his sophomore year, and although he tailed off precipitously to close out his 2020 campaign, he showed more than enough as a 3-year-old to make him a legitimate threat in this spot. If he comes back running, I think he can take down the favorite.
*If you're interested in seeing payouts for these races, you can find them and others on our Results page linked to below*