(Willy D’s captures the Michael G. Schaefer Memorial at Horseshoe Indianapolis on Saturday / All Photos by Coady Media)

From the Horseshoe Indianapolis Media Team:

Willy D’s sets track record in $100,000 Michael G. Schaefer Memorial at Horseshoe Indianapolis

Story by Jennie Rees, Eclipse Award Winning Turf Writer

 

SHELBYVILLE, Ind. (Saturday, July 5, 2025) —Trainer Mike Maker added to his long record of winning stakes races with horses he had claimed as favored Willy D’s went wire-to-wire to take Saturday’s $100,000 Michael G. Schaefer Memorial by 4 1/2 lengths over This Is Uscar.

In doing so, Willy D’s set a track record of 1:37.98 for a mile and 70 yards on a day when several marks fell on the showcase Indiana Derby card.

“Visually impressive, for sure,” Maker said by phone from Saratoga. “Looked like he wasn’t going to get there. Then he re-broke.”

It was Maker’s second stakes victory on the card, both with Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez, who also won the $300,000, Grade 3 Indiana Derby with the Todd Pletcher-trained Tip Top Thomas. Maker and Velazquez first won the $100,000 Indiana General Assembly Distaff with Dana’s Beauty.

Willy D’s laid down fractions of 23.49 seconds for the quarter-mile, 1:09.53 for six furlongs and 1:33.90 for the mile, the last 70 yards going in 4.08 seconds. He paid $5.20, $3.60, and $2.80.

“It was pretty simple: for a big horse, he was pretty fast,” said Velazquez, who won his first races at Horseshoe Indianapolis. “He got to the first turn with a loose rein. From then on, just sit against him, let the other horses come to him, and he put up a good fight.”

This Is Uscar, ridden by Edgar Morales, was closest in pursuit throughout but had to settle for second, a half-length in front of Midnight West. Kupuna, Moonlight, Speed Bias, Track Phantom and Warrior Johny rounded out the field of older horses.

Willy D’s had been in stakes races last summer. But after a poor showing in a January 5 allowance race at Oaklawn Park, he was dropped into a $50,000 claiming race. Maker snapped up the 4-year-old gelding for Peter Proscia’s Paradise Farms Corp. In four races for his new team, Willy D’s finished third, second and then first against allowance company before going back into a stakes.

A bay son of Preakness winner Lookin At Lucky (who won the 2010 Indiana Derby when it was at Hoosier Park), Willy D’s now is 5-5-2 in 21 starts, earning $341,968 with the $59,597 payday.

The 23rd season of live Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse racing runs through Thursday, Nov. 13. For more information on racing at Horseshoe Indianapolis, visit www.caesars.com/horseshoe-indianapolis/racing or find details on social media @HSIndyRacing.