C.J’s Storm thunders home in $100,000 Nobody Listens at Horseshoe Indianapolis

There is a lot of history with the race now named in honor of two-time winner Nobody Listens. Many former state champions added their names to the history list for the event which began in 1997 as the Brickyard.

This year, a new champion is emerging as a force on the Indiana circuit as C.J’s Storm and Amir Mendoza took home top honors in the $100,000 event at Horseshoe Indianapolis.

C.J’s Storm began from post five and was not one of the six horses who were vying for the top spot in the six furlong race. The lead eventually was taken by Sleepy and Alberto Burgos on the inside with Molly’s Town and Alexander Crispin to their outside. Tiz Eddie and Sammy Bermudez were even wider with Goldwyn and Irving Moncada also in the early mix heading down the backstretch.

Eventually, it was just Sleepy and Molly’s Town, who were not giving in an inch to one another all the way around the lone turn of the sprint.

In the stretch, the battle continued for Sleepy and Molly’s Town. Midway through the stretch, a horse was gaining ground along the inside. It was C.J’s Storm who was in full gear, powering through and getting the lead in the last few strides to take home the title. Sleepy was second over Molly’s Town.

“It was pretty tight in the stretch, and I really didn’t think we would get the room to move through,” said Mendoza, who is riding in his first year at Horseshoe Indianapolis. “But we just waited and some room opened up, so we just went for it.”

C.J’s Storm was a bit of a surprise to bettors, paying $18.20 to win. The six-year-old son of Storm’s Eye, who passed away last year, is owned by Haran Thoroughbreds and Janet and Charles Watt of Southern Illinois. Haran also trains the gelding, who was a $6,200 purchase from the Indiana Mixed Fall Sale as a yearling.

“I am very thankful to the owners for letting me ride this horse,” added Mendoza through an interpreter. “I get on him in the mornings. This was the second time I rode him in a race, and I knew he finished strong. He is definitely a long distance horse, and he makes it look easy. He’s been training great in the mornings, so I was feeling pretty good about his chances today.”

A native of Panama, Mendoza also had something else riding with him on his victory with C.J’s Storm. It was the win that sealed the deal for Team Panama to win the 12^th annual World Jockey Challenge.

“I’m very happy we won this (World Jockey Challenge),” added Mendoza. “It was a great team effort. I’m glad to add some points for us.”

Mendoza is only in his second year of riding, coming to the United States last November. To date, he has won 44 races and is still an apprentice. The win aboard C.J’s Storm was his first premier victory and the richest to date for the 21-year-old.

Mendoza was the leading jockey in his graduating class of 2025 at the Laffit Pincay Jr. Technical Jockey Training Academy in Panama. He relocated to Indiana at the conclusion of the Oaklawn Park meet in Arkansas where he was the leading apprentice jockey. He finished the meet in Arkansas in the top 10 among all riders.

Although it was the first premier racing victory for Mendoza, it was not the first for C.J’s Storm, who is closing in on a half million in earnings. He is now a three-time premier racing winner for his connections at Horseshoe Indianapolis.

Both Janet and Charles Watt, who is retired from the printing business, were trackside for the victory. They never miss an opportunity to drive up and watch their stable star compete. And, Charles always has his black C.J’s Storm hat on for good luck.

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