Patience pays off with Chicory Blaze in $250,000 Governors at Horseshoe Indianapolis

Chicory Blaze and jockey Rodney Prescott weren’t even in the conversation early on, but they became the headline news in the final strides of the 22^nd running of the $250,000 Governor’s Handicap.

The duo pulled away for an open length win, giving trainer Robert Dobbs Jr. a sweep of premier racing action Wednesday at Horseshoe Indianapolis.

Chicory Blaze wasn’t on point from post 10 when the gates opened, next to last out of 12 starters from the gate. Prescott was able to get him into position and save ground early on as Dr. Alex is In and Alex Achard moved into the lead before the first turn arrived in the one mile, 70-yard route race.

Once on the lead, Dr. Alex is In was very comfortable and content and held position with Mondavila and Joe Ramos stalking in second on the outside with Slam Dunk Justice and Santo Sanjur traveling in third along the inside.

Midway down the backstretch, Dr. Alex Is In opened up by multiple lengths without any urging and had a big lead on the field heading into the final turn. The field began to close the gap on Dr. Alex Is In with many horses closing in, including Chicory Blaze and Prescott making a big sweeping move on the far outside.

Once in the stretch, Chicory Blaze established himself as the one to catch. The sophomore gelding hit another gear and increased his advantage to two and one-quarter lengths at the wire as the favorite of the field. Sir Bahjy and Marcelino Pedroza Jr. closed for second over Rapid Justice and Alberto Burgos, who also found speed late in the race to finish third.

"He's a little high-strung and lightly raced,” noted Prescott, who is one of the state’s all-time leading jockeys and only one of two with more than 1,000 career wins solely in Indiana. “Rob (Dobbs) has been taking his time with him. Rob has a lot to do with how good he is. He's got a lot of talent. He can be a handful at times, the gates being a problem with him. He does just enough at just the right time to get himself left. He gets a bit wound up during a post-parade. He's got a lot of talent for an Indiana-bred; hopefully, he's around for a long time. Dirt, turf, there is still room for improvement if he can relax and save a little more for the race instead of the post-parade.”

Chicory Blaze is now a two-time Indiana premier racing winner, piecing the title in the Governor’s Handicap with his win in his last start in the $100,000 Snack Handicap. Chicory Blaze more than doubled his bankroll, increasing his earnings to more than $238,000 for owner-breeder Joseph Hickman.

Dobbs Jr. noted his thankfulness to Hickman for being patient and allowing him to take his time with the progress of Chicory Blaze, who is now two for three in 2025 after a late start on the year. Overall, the chestnut colt is three for five without having a start worse than a runner up finish in his young career. Patience is truly a virtue with Chicory Blaze.

The 23^rd season of live Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse racing runs through Nov. 13.

For more information on racing at Horseshoe Indianapolis, visit www.caesars.com/horseshoe-indianapolis/racing or find details on social media @HSIndyRacing.

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