(Ownership team and friends of Courageous Clay)

Date Race Horse Result Bet Total Gross Payoff Total Amount Earned
4/15/25 1st Mondavila 1st $5 W-P-S $21.75 $21.75
4/16/25 1st Galpin Sunday 1st $5 W-P-S $58.00 $79.75
4/22/25 6th Renoir 2nd $5 W-P-S $19.50 $99.25
4/23/25 Scratched
4/24/25 Scratched
5/6/25 4th Sir Bahjy 1st $5 W-P-S $35.50 $134.75
5/7/25 5th Captive Heart 2nd $5 W-P-S $15.60 $150.35
5/12/25 6th Whatnowdaddy 5th $5 W-P-S $0.00 $150.35
5/13/25 4th Sakra’s Quest 1st $5 W-P-S $39.50 $189.85
5/19/25 1st Don’t Miss Out 2nd $5 W-P-S $13.00 $202.85
5/26/25 Couragous Clay 5th $50 W-P-S

We started a new feature on the Opening Day of the Horseshoe Indianapolis meet last week. To give honor to both the track’s amazing Vice President and GM, Eric Halstrom, and his father, who served honorably and distinguishably in our country’s military, I am doing a bet for most of the dates this year to help raise money for Homeless Veterans in the area.

We are now over $202 and we have all the way to November to add to our ledger. Want to join in? It’s a great cause.

Here’s hoping we can keep the dream alive and the earnings growing. Not a bad start.

And, here’s today’s selection…

Courageous Clay in the 5th: $50 Win-Place-Show Bet

Before I explain why I love OUR horse today at “The Shoe,” I have to let you know a little about OUR horse and the person that he is named after.

When “Clay” — the horse — was just barely 2 years old, my daughter, Alex, called me and asked if I had a horse which had not been named yet. Rarely does that happen, but I told her that I did. And, I asked her “Why?”

She went on to explain.

Her college friend, Brandon, had a son about the same time as Alex’s oldest boy, Mac. Unfortunately for Brandon and his little son, Clay was born with a heart defect and was immediately rushed into surgery soon after birth. Since then, for the past 4+ years, little Clay has had countless surgeries and a heart transplant. Very little has worked. Very little has helped. Until recently, and little Clay has gotten to spend a lot more time out of the hospital and in his home with his siblings and his parents.

And, my Alex, wanted to know if we could possibly name a horse after Clay.

It didn’t take a single breath before I told her yes. And, she told me about the little boy’s FACEBOOK page — “Courageous Like Clay.”

As soon as I could, I submitted the name Courageous Clay to The Jockey Club and we got permission to name our 2-year-old after this little boy.

Clay — the horse — is now a 3YO gelding. And, he is running today at “The Shoe” in the 5th race. He has had a great start to the career, in our view. He has run 2nd twice and 3rd twice. He has faced some really good horses. He ran against Final Gambit — who won the G3 Jeff Ruby Stakes and just was third in the G1 Kentucky Derby. He ran against Giocoso, who has run in several Graded Stakes, as well and is now a 2-time winner. He ran in front of Minaret Station, who broke his maiden at Horseshoe Indianapolis last September before winning the G2 Castle & Key Bourbon Stakes at Keeneland. That horse had a nice breeze at Keeneland this morning and is working his way back to the races.

Today, we hope to run in the 11/16-mile turf race at “The Shoe.” And, I love our chances almost as much as I love OUR horse and the boy for whom he is named.

I think you can toss the race at KEE. He has run there twice and apparently dislikes that track so much. One time, he caught it hard as a rock. Last time, it was slushy as could be. He has trained well. And, we get a rider who is red hot at “The Shoe,” winning at a .25% clip this meet.

I’m going to bet $50 to win-place-show for the “Donation Play of the Day.” And, we are hoping for our 2nd win of the meet, too.

Let’s go.