Familiar Thoroughbreds from the 3-year-old stakes scene will line up to contest the $300,000 Indiana Derby (G3) July 5 at Horseshoe Indianapolis. Besides Chunk of Gold, Coal Battle, and Publisher—ninth, 11th, and 14th in the May 3 Kentucky Derby (G1) at Churchill Downs—the 1 1/16-mile Indiana Derby includes dual stakes winner Instant Replay, who ran third in the Louisiana Derby (G2) in his only start in graded company.
The Indiana Derby and its sister race, the $200,000 Indiana Oaks (G3) for 3-year-old fillies, are among eight stakes Saturday at Shelbyville, Ind., track.
A tepid morning-line favorite in the Indiana Derby at 7-2 odds is Norman Stables' Coal Battle, a close third in the Matt Winn Stakes (G3) at Churchill Downs June 8 in his lone post-Derby start. Closer to the pace than usual owing to limited speed in the Matt Winn, he chased victorious front-runner East Avenue before flattening out late to finish 1 1/4 lengths back under Corey Lanerie. Burnham Square would rally to finish three-quarters of a length ahead of him in second.
He has to deal with neither grade 1-winning rival in the Indiana Derby, with East Avenue and Burnham Square pointed to other races.
Trainer Lonnie Briley opted to pursue the Indiana Derby with Coal Battle, training him at Churchill Downs under the oversight of assistant trainer and morning rider Bethany Taylor. Two of his four stakes wins have come at the Indiana Derby's 1 1/16-mile distance, including this winter's Rebel Stakes (G2) and Smarty Jones Stakes, both at Oaklawn Park.
"It's tough to judge a horse's talent by the (Kentucky) Derby," Taylor said of Coal Battle, who lost by 17 lengths. "We ran with 19 horses. Half the field can say they didn't get the trip they wanted. You can't judge anything off of that.
"Every race up to the Derby, he didn't disappoint us. It's still a fun ride, and we're hoping for good things in the Indiana Derby."
Chunk of Gold, adding blinkers on Saturday, and Publisher, the Arkansas Derby (G1) runner-up but still a maiden, were also humbled by Sovereignty in the Kentucky Derby, losing by 15 3/4 lengths and 32 1/4 lengths, respectively. While Publisher is unraced since, Chunk of Gold returned to finish a wide second to Mo Plex in the June 21 Ohio Derby (G3).
Both receive a weight break under the conditions of the Indiana Derby, carrying 118 pounds, six pounds less than the duo of Coal Battle and Wathnan Racing's Instant Replay. The latter, trained by Brad Cox, won the April 19 Bathhouse Row Stakes at Oaklawn Park before winning the May 26 Texas Derby at Lone Star Park in advance of the Indiana Derby.
Woody Stephens Stakes (G1) third-place finisher Big Truzz, cross-entered in the Iowa Derby Saturday night, is more likely to run in the Indiana Derby, according to trainer Brian Lynch.
Horseshoe Indianapolis, Saturday, July 5, 2025, Race 12Entries: Indiana Derby (G3)
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L 1 1Publisher (KY) Mike E. Smith 118 Steven M. Asmussen 5/1 2 2Master Controller (KY) Christopher A. Emigh 118 Brittany A. Vanden Berg 15/1 3 3Coal Battle (KY) Corey J. Lanerie 124 Lonnie Briley 7/2 4 4Shan (KY) Evin A. Roman 118 Ed Moger, Jr. 30/1 5 5Chunk of Gold (KY) Jareth Loveberry 118 Ethan W. West 6/1 6 6Tip Top Thomas (KY) John R. Velazquez 122 Todd A. Pletcher 6/1 7 7Big Truzz (KY) Declan Cannon 118 Brian A. Lynch 9/2 8 8Brotha Keny (KY) Joseph D. Ramos 118 William E. Morey 12/1 9 9Instant Replay (KY) Luan Machado 124 Brad H. Cox 4/1
Clicquot Gets Stakes Test in Indiana Oaks
The six-filly Indiana Oaks, also at 1 1/16 miles, is led by Clicquot, who steps into the stakes ranks after rattling off two sharp victories against maiden and first-level allowance optional claiming company in Kentucky.
Heavenly Sunset, runner-up to Clicquot May 31 at Churchill Downs, is likely to be her principal rival if she competes. She is cross-entered in Saturday night's Iowa Oaks at Prairie Meadows.
Horseshoe Indianapolis, Saturday, July 5, 2025, Race 11Entries: Daily Racing Form Indiana Oaks (G3)
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L 1 1Sturgeon Moon (KY) John R. Velazquez 124 William Walden 15/1 2 2Clicquot (KY) Edgar Morales 124 Brendan P. Walsh 8/5 3 3Deloraine (KY) Mike E. Smith 118 Eoin G. Harty 6/1 4 4Top (KY) Fernando De La Cruz 118 Michelle L. Elliott 5/1 5 5Heavenly Sunset (KY) Luan Machado 118 Brad H. Cox 9/5 6 6Goldeneye Magic (KY) Fernando Salazar Becerra 124 Jason DaCosta 6/1
