(Nobody Listens, with Joe Ramos up, captures the Brickyard Stakes on Wednesday / All Photos by Coady Photography)

From the Horseshoe Indianapolis Media Team / Tammy Knox:

Nobody Listens and Joe Ramos had the loudest roar in the final strides of the 27th running of the $100,000 Brickyard Wednesday, July 5 at Horseshoe Indianapolis. The grand grey gelding powered home in a time of 1:09.55 for the win and earned back-to-back victories in the Brickyard, his third premier race win of his career.

 

Starting from post two, Ramos had a straight shot to get Nobody Listens to the top spot in a matter of steps. They were joined by New Year’s Fever and Marcelino Pedroza Jr. on the outside. Nobody Listens had his full attention locked in on the six-furlong sprint and maintained a speedy pace through the single turn race. In the stretch, he had opened up on the field by more than two lengths as the late chargers got in gear. Latigo and Orlando Mojica led the biggest charge from the center of the track, but Nobody Listens had the advantage, fending off Latigo by a head at the wire. Fortin Hill and Gerardo Corrales finished third a half-length back, also in a late closing push.

 

“He is one of my favorite horses,” said Ramos, who has been aboard for all 11 wins. “I see him every day. He was calmer today and more relaxed in the paddock and even in the post parade. I think he may be maturing a little. He’s usually the type that will start jumping around in the post parade, but he didn’t do that today. I started talking to him and getting him ready for the race. Once we broke out of the gate, he was the same horse I have always known. He took off.”

 

Nobody Listens was the favorite, paying $4.60 in the 12-horse lineup. The flashy grey son of Conveyance earned his 11th victory in 23 career starts. Overall, he has only finished off the board four times in his career. Tim Eggleston oversees the training duties. Matt Kwiatkowski, Jason Kaylor and Roger Browning have owned the five-year-old since acquiring him from the Ocala Breeders Two-Year-Old Spring Sale in 2020 for $40,000. Since that purchase, he has brought in nearly $500,000 in career earnings, joining an elite group of Indiana breds with a half million on their card.

 

“He caught Brandon Stauble’s eye at the Ocala sale,” said co-owner Roger Browning, who is a native of Shelbyville. “We have had good luck with horses from the Dodds (breeders Karen and Greg Dodd of Southern Chase Farm), so we made arrangements to have Brandon bid on him and we got him. He’s just the type of horse you always want to have. He wants all the attention and he’ll whinny when we walk in the barn because he knows we have carrots. It’s not too often when you find a horse like him. He can run on the turf, dirt, synthetic. He’s just a great all-around horse.”

 

Browning, who is retired from construction, and his partners, Kwiatkowski and Kaylor, both State Farm Insurance agents, have traveled with the horse wherever he runs. They were rewarded with their trip to Turfway Park this spring when Nobody Listens won the $125,000 Big Daddy Stakes, earning the win by a neck with Ramos aboard.

 

“All of these races are exciting, but that win at Turfway was especially great because it was unexpected,” added Browning.

 

Nobody Listens has a full team to keep him on his game. Eggleston’s longtime assistant trainer Jordan Hash oversees his schedule and ensures the gelding gets all the right care. The gelding’s barn partner, Ozzie the goat, also keeps him prepped for his job.

 

“He really likes it here,” said Eggleston of Nobody Listens. “This is his home track. He’s the type of horse that gives it his all every start, regardless of the adversity. Jordan (Hash) has been with him the entire way. Jordan and this horse’s groom, Pinky (Pedro Roman), do a great job with him. He’s raced at four different racetracks this year and it’s pretty special to have an Indiana bred move outside the state and be competitive. He runs great everywhere you unload him. We’ve had others that have done well, but he’s a once in a lifetime horse.”

 

For Ramos, it was an especially good day. In addition to his win aboard Nobody Listens in the Brickyard, he won two other races earlier, scoring his 500thwin of his young career aboard Undismayed. Now up to 502 wins, Ramos was the leading apprentice jockey at both Horseshoe Indianapolis and Belterra in 2019. He also won the Leading Jockey title at Horseshoe Indianapolis last season. The native of Puerto Rico is always quick to be thankful for his success.

 

“First and foremost, I thank the Lord,” added Ramos. “I am very grateful that the Lord keeps me healthy and lets me do what I love to do. Plus, I’m very thankful to this team for opportunities like this. Riding good horses for owners and trainers like this is a blessing.”

 

The 21st season of live Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse racing extends through Friday, Nov. 17. Live racing is held Tuesday through Thursday with Saturday racing added in during the summer months. First post Tuesday and Wednesday is 2:30 p.m. Thursday racing begins at 2:10 p.m. The Summer Saturday Racing Series includes four more all-Quarter Horse dates July 22, Aug. 12, Sept. 2, and Oct. 7 beginning at 10:45 a.m. Indiana’s featured event, the Grade 3 $300,000 Indiana Derby is set for 12:10 p.m. Saturday, July 8. For more information on live racing at Horseshoe Indianapolis, visit www.caesars.com/horseshoe-indianapolis.