Horseshoe Indianapolis Picks for Indiana Derby Day, 7/11/26

Key Takeaways:

• Summer racing continues with a loaded stakes card. Indiana Derby Day features competitive fields across multiple stakes races, giving bettors plenty of opportunities beyond the two graded headliners.
• Weather and scratches could reshape the card. Rain remains a possibility, making late changes and off-track specialists worth watching before placing wagers.
• Instant Replay offers value against a vulnerable favorite. His versatility, proven class, and strong return from a layoff make him an appealing alternative to Bendoog in the Schaefer Memorial.
• Five a Side and Yes It Tiz fit a fast-paced Mari Hulman George. Both have tactical running styles that should play well if the expected early speed sets the race up for stalkers.
• Betty's Pearl and Maximum Offer look primed in the Indiana Oaks. Betty's Pearl has upside stretching back out, while Maximum Offer gets class relief after the Acorn and returns to her preferred distance.

The Horseshoe Indianapolis meet reaches its crescendo Saturday, June 11, with a 13-race card including two stakes races. Those races include the only two graded stakes of the meet: the Indiana Derby (G3) and the Indiana Oaks (G3). Both of those races drew a mix of proven stakes runners and new faces looking to make an impact in big races through the second half of the year. But, they’re not the only stakes, and the entire card is full of competitive races for horses of all ages, on dirt and on turf.

Live racing gets underway at Horseshoe Indianapolis at noon EDT on Saturday, with stakes action starting at 2:23 p.m. EDT. There is excellent racing all over the country: it is also Iowa Derby day at Prairie Meadows, and the summer meet at Saratoga is in full swing, too. Make plans to watch all day and be a part of the action by betting on the races at FanDuel!

Make sure to check the scratches, since those can affect pace and class balances. There is a chance of rain on Saturday in Shelbyville, Indiana, meaning there could be scratches as a result, or possibly even shifts of turf races to the dirt. So, check the fields on race day, and if the rain is happening, make a note of horses who like the mud because there could be value on the board!

Horse Racing Picks: Horseshoe Indianapolis Tips

These are free Horseshoe Indianapolis tips for some of the stakes races on the Indiana Derby card:

Race 6: Michael G. Schaefer Memorial Stakes, one mile and 70 yards on the dirt - Instant Replay, First Division

FanDuel Odds: 6-1 and 4-1

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Especially on the win end, this should be a solid betting race. After all, morning-line favorite Bendoog often performs well at this distance category – but at this trip, and in general, he finishes second a lot. He is 28: 6-12-5 lifetime, and 6: 1-5-0 at races of a mile and 70 yards or 1 1/16 miles. Especially at a short price in the win pool, this is exactly the kind of horse to leave out of the top spot – backwheel him in intra-race exotics, but toss him in multi-race wagers.

Brad Cox entered a pair in this race: Encino is his shorter price on the morning line, but his second-stringer Instant Replay (6-1) deserves a long look. He was off for nine months from September to June, but returned in winning fashion in an allowance June 3 over this same distance at Horseshoe Indianapolis. This is a step up in class, but not an unreasonable one – he is Grade 2-placed and piled up three ungraded stakes wins last year. He is versatile enough to win from a stalking trip, midpack, or even closing, giving Irad Ortiz plenty of options for placing him behind a likely contested pace. Finally, if it rains, he has a pair of strong efforts over sloppy tracks, meaning he should take to the conditions.

First Division (4-1) makes his first start since moving to the barn of Whit Beckman. He is Indiana-bred, but showed plenty of form in rich allowance races and restricted stakes over the winter at Oaklawn, meaning he doesn’t need to be up against only Hoosier horses to run well. Though he was well beaten in his only start at Horseshoe Indianapolis, that was a six-furlong sprint – that’s not his bailiwick, two-turn races are. He has the tactical speed to get a good trip, and although he has been off since April, new trainer Whit Beckman shines, bringing horses back from layoffs.

Race 9: Mari Hulman George Memorial Handicap, 1 1/16 miles on the dirt - Five a Side, Yes It Tiz

FanDuel Odds: 8-1 and 9-2

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This race drew a full and well-matched field of 12 distaffers, meaning it should be one of the best betting races of the day. In terms of pace, it should be a sharp one: Queen Azteca and Kapoor have to go to the front to do their best work, and Anna’s Promise, Clairita, and Top have to be at least close by.

Five a Side (8-1) has strong price appeal in this spot. She found her stride over the winter at Turfway, but she’s as good on the dirt as she is on the Tapeta, as she has shown in a pair of allowance starts at Churchill Downs, where she held her form nicely. Those allowances came at a one-turn mile, but she was effective at the two-turn mile configuration at Turfway as well. She is tactical enough to stalk or even rally from midpack and run a winning race, and experienced Horseshoe Indianapolis jockey Fernando de la Cruz should be able to judge how best to use her. Furthermore, if it rains, she has run second in both her starts over an off track, suggesting she’ll handle it just fine.

Yes It Tiz (9-2) hasn’t had her stakes breakthrough yet, but this could be the spot where this Brad Cox trainee finds it. An improving four-year-old, she comes into this race off of a nice three-length allowance score at Churchill Downs over the same distance as this race. She stalked a perfectly modest pace that day, but has been able to win from a little further back, as well, when the pace has been hotter. She also has upside if it rains: she won an allowance at Churchill over good dirt, and ran a good third in the Houston Ladies Classic (G3) in January in muddy conditions at Lone Star.

Race 11: Indiana Oaks (G3), 1 1/16 miles on the dirt - Betty’s Pearl, Maximum Offer

FanDuel Odds: 9-2 and 7-2

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The Indiana Oaks is likely to go with a field of five; Bob Baffert cross-entered Mizumi in this race and the Iowa Oaks, but she is likely to run in Iowa. The race is still interesting from a betting perspective: Prom Queen will be a well-defined favorite for trainer Brad Cox, but with all her best form coming at Gulfstream Park, she still has to prove that she can take her race with her.

On the other hand, even though Betty’s Pearl (9-2) has tables to turn on Prom Queen from the Gulfstream Park Oaks, she ran well in her debut at Keeneland last fall and has come into nice form at Churchill Downs recently. She was gaining second after some early trouble in a two-turn allowance two back, and then won a one-turn mile at the same level there last out. She stretches back out to two turns for this, and though she hasn’t won at a two-turn trip yet, her effort two back is good enough to give her another chance – especially given how well she rallied late into a downright sluggish pace, and given all of the two-turn stamina in her dam-side pedigree. And, if it rains? She has never tried an off track, but being by Munnings out of a Tapit mare, she has every right to thrive.

Maximum Offer (7-2) found the Acorn to be a little too much last out, but drops back to a more fitting level for this. She won a first-level allowance at Churchill Downs two back, going 1 1/16 miles, the Indiana Oaks distance. She hounded the pace and kept going that day – a similar trip to what she may get this time around with the speedy Nahla drawn just to her inside. Aggressive rider Luis Saez should be a good fit for her. And, if it rains, she has a good chance to handle it – she is by Maxfield, whose foals are so far 9-for-37 in the slop.

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.