Indiana Grand Race Course Picks – Thursday, August 20, 2020

Indiana Grand Race Course in Shelbyville, Indiana brings us a ten-race card of thoroughbred races–and even a quarter horse stakes race–on Thursday, August 20, 2020.

The Thursday forecast in Shelbyville calls for a near-perfect summer day, including sunny skies, a very slight chance of rain, highs in the low 80s, and winds barely noticeable at six mph.

Post time for the first race on Thursday 2:20 PM (EDT), so let’s not waste any more time and get right to my Indiana Grand picks and tips.

This is an allowance race for Indiana-bred fillies and mares three years old and upward running 5-1/2 furlongs for a purse of $36,500.

It’s almost a coin-flip between the top two morning line choices, but I’m sticking with the 5/2 favorite: Da High Commission, with Jose Montano in the irons. This four-year-old filly moneyed four of her 11 career starts, winning two of them.

And I found a hidden gem in the 8/1 An Indiana Night with Rodney A. Prescott aboard. This three-year-old filly moneyed two of her three career starts, both of those wins. Initially, I thought a show bet here, but the more I considered, the more I realized an across-the-board wager wasn’t out of the question.

This is a maiden special weight race for three-year-old Indiana-breds running one mile on turf for a $35,000 purse.

I’m going with the morning line on this race and buying a win ticket for the 7/5 Our Neighbor Boys, ridden by Santo Sanjur. This gelding moneyed in three of his six career starts.

Sadly, of the eight entries in this field with morning line odds at 12/1 or longer, there is not a single one worthy of even a show bet.

This is the Bob Woodard Memorial Classic Final Stakes for Indiana-bred quarter horses four years old and upward running 400 yards for a purse of $94,000.

This will be a tight race, but I like the second-favored (4/1) Beach Treat for this race, ridden by Samuel Mendez. This five-year-old gelding finished in the money 27 of his 35 career starts, winning 16 of them.

I like the 15/1 Yadi 1, with Erik Esqueda aboard for a show ticket. This four-year-old gelding moneyed 12 of his 19 career starts, winning three of them.

Indiana Grand isn’t the only horse racing track I cover. Here are the others I’ve analyzed for Thursday, August 20, 2020: