(Tip Top Thomas wins the 2025 Indiana Derby at Horseshoe Indianapolis / Photos by Coady Media)

From the Horseshoe Indianapolis Media Team / Tammy Knox:

Grade 3 $300,000 Indiana Derby draws 29 nominations at Horseshoe Indianapolis

SHELBYVILLE, Ind. (Wednesday, July 1, 2026) – Nominations are in for the 32nd running of the Grade 3 $300,000 Indiana Derby set to run Saturday, July 11 at Horseshoe Indianapolis. A total of 29 names are on the nomination list headed by third place finisher Ocelli in this year’s Kentucky Derby. Seven starters from the first leg of the Triple Crown can be found on the nomination list for Indiana’s richest horse race, which heads up a program featuring purses in excess of $1.1 million.

After finishing third in the Kentucky Derby, Ocelli tried his luck in the second leg of the Triple Crown, finishing fourth in the Preakness. His last start was a second place finish in the Grade 3 Ohio Derby at Thistledown in mid-June. Tyler Gaffalione has been consistently riding the grey son of Connect for trainer D. Whitworth Beckman. He may be the richest maiden ever, seeking his first career win with more than $829,000 in career earnings.

Joining Ocelli searching for a win in the Grade 3 $300,000 Indiana Derby is Our Moneyman, who has a unique twist for his quest of the Indiana title. The three-year-old is a son of Mr Money, 2019 Indiana Derby winner for the same connections. Trained by Bret Calhoun and owned by Allied Racing Stable, Our Moneyman comes into the Indiana Derby off a second place finish in the Grade 3 Matt Winn at Churchill Downs in early June. Axel Concepcion has ridden him in all eight of his career starts. He has never finished worse than third in those outings with a career bankroll of more than $332,000.

Incredibolt from the Riley Mott Stable is also on the nomination list. After finishing sixth in the Kentucky Derby, the Bolt d’Oro colt traveled to the Preakness at Laurel in Maryland where he finished fifth. He has not started since that outing for Mott and Jaime Torres, who has ridden him in all seven of his career starts.

Joining the Grade 3 Indiana Derby will be the 31st running of the Grade 3 $200,000 Indiana Oaks, Indiana’s first Graded Stakes race. The richest filly on the list is Search Party, who competed in the Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks in her last start. The Gun Runner daughter earned the lion’s share of her bankroll with a second place finish in the Grade 2 Fantasy Stakes at Oaklawn Park prior to the Kentucky Oaks. She hails from the Mark Casse Stable with more than a half-million on her card.

Two undefeated and lightly raced fillies are on the list, including speedster La Rascasse from the William Walden barn. The Maxfield filly was unraced last year at two and broke her maiden at Keeneland before winning the $175,000 Monomoy Girl Overnight Stakes at Churchill Downs in mid-June.

Mizumi is in a similar category with La Rascasse as an unraced two year old. Trained by Hall of Famer Bob Baffert, the Justify daughter has won both of her starts at Santa Anita this year, including her last outing in the Grade 3 Summer Oaks Stakes.

The Grade 3 Indiana Derby and Oaks will headline a full day of racing beginning at 12 p.m. Saturday, July 11 at Horseshoe Indianapolis. A total of eight premier races are on the card, which has become Central Indiana’s biggest summer sporting event, highlighting the 2026 racing season at Horseshoe Indianapolis.

The 24th season of live Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse extends through Friday, November 13. For more information on racing at Horseshoe Indianapolis, visit www.caesars.com/horseshoe-indianapolis/racing or find details on social media @HSIndyRacing.

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