Indiana Derby at Hoosier Park

Las Vegas, NV - Hoosier Park in Indianapolis, Indiana will host the Grade 2 Indiana Derby this Saturday, October 6. A nice purse of $500,000 will be on the line for three year olds willing to go 1 1/16 miles on Hoosier Park's dirt track.

The Indiana Derby has attracted a very strong field of 12 for race 12 on Hoosier Park's Saturday card - many of which are looking for their second consecutive graded stakes win. Post time is 6:15 PM. Let's take a look into the recent performances of all 12 combatants and what brought them to this Grade 2 race.

2012 Indiana Derby Race Favorites

Bourbon Courage - after two wins to start his career, Bourbon Courage finished a respectable fourth in his third start in the Grade 3 Derby Trial Stakes and followed that up with a fifth in the Grade 2 Woody Stephens Stakes at Belmont on June 9 and a decent second in the Grade 2 West Virginia Stakes at Belmont back in June. Last time out was an impressive score at the Grade 2 Super Derby at Louisiana Downs to put him back in the win column. After some unflattering results in the summer Bourbon Courage appears back to form ahead of the Indiana Derby.

Neck `n Neck - he had a pair of fifths and a fourth place finish in his first three graded stakes races of the year but in his last three had looked much better before a disappointing sixth last time out in the Grade 1 Travers - a win in an Allowance on May 10 was followed by another sharp win in the Grade 3 Matt Winn Stakes at Churchill Downs on June 16 and very good second in the Grade 2 Jim Dandy behind Travers favorite Alpha - those results directly before that sixth place finish last time out. In 12 careers starts Neck `n Neck has three wins and two second place finishes. He will need to get back to his summer form in order to compete this week.

Indiana Derby 2012 | Remaining Field Entries

Easter Gift - comes into the Indiana Derby with little experience but a ton of hype. He has three wins in five starts - the last coming in his last start at the Grade 3 Smarty Jones. In his other graded stakes action Easter Gift has a second in the Grade 2 Pegasus three back and a fourth in the Curlin two back. His result last time out served notice that this is a colt to contend with.

Stealcase - won the Grade 3 Ontario Derby last time out to follow a disappointing seventh before that in the competitive Travers. Before the Travers Stealcase looked good this year - a win in an Allowance Optional Claiming at Churchill Downs in May was followed by an OK second in the Grade 2 Matt Winn Stakes on that same track on June 16 and a decent third in the Grade 1 Haskell. Stealcase is tough and is just another of the ones to watch Saturday.

Second City - has four career starts and four wins - mostly against lesser competition. But his win last time out in the Grade 3 British Columbia Derby served notice that he could surprise.

Indiana Derby betting at Hoosier Park with OffTrackBetting.com

O'Prado Again - hasn't raced since a nice win in the Grade 2 Ramsen last November which was his second win in a row. Race rust may be a factor for this Dale Romans trained colt but he has shown form in the past.

Fed Biz - Bob Baffert trained colt has three wins in four career starts including both this year - the El Cajon Stakes last time out August 31 at Del Mar followed an Allowance Optional Claiming score at Santa Anita way back in February.

Junebugred - won the Smarty Jones Stakes at Oaklawn in January. Since then Junebugred has posted a distant sixth in the Grade 3 Southwest Stakes in February, a seventh in an Allowance Optional Claiming at Saratoga after a five and a half month layoff and an OK fourth last time out in the Grade 3 Smarty Jones Stakes here on September 3.

Adirondack King - has seven starts this year with only a pair of thirds, one being the Grade 3 Southwest Stakes at Oaklawn in February. Since that race it has been a struggle with a third in an Allowance Optional Claiming last time out being the best result in a while.

Morgan's Guerrilla - Morgan's Guerillas has raced six times in 2012 with one win at a Maiden Special Weight race at Aqueduct on March 3, three seconds - the Grade 2 Illinois Derby on April 7, a Maiden Special Weight race at Gulfstream on February 11 and an Allowance Optional Claiming at Churchill Downs along with a third last time out in the Grade 2 Dwyer at Belmont on June 30. That makes five placings in six career starts for Morgan's Guerilla.

Tritap and Afford are the long shots in the race but each have earned victories in their short racing careers. They don't figure to be contenders in this strong field.

2012 Indiana Derby Entries & Odds

Race 12 on Hoosier Park's Saturday card with a Post Time of 6:15 PM.