Priceless effort by Doncho in $100,000 William Garrett Handicap at Horseshoe Indianapolis

The highly decorated Doncho lived up to his name Friday in the sixth running of the $100,000 William Garrett Handicap (BT) at Horseshoe Indianapolis.

Guided by Jaime Torres, the five-year-old son of Mo Town held off a game field of contenders to win his fourth career premier event for trainer Michelle Lovell.

Doncho began from post five and despite a tough start, he was able to maneuver out and get the early lead with Mondogetsbuckets and Marcelino Pedroza Jr. tracking him closely in the preliminary stages of the $100,000 five-furlong turf event. Heart Headed and Joe Ramos sat inside early on with Can’t Deny It and Rodney Prescott sitting to the outside.

In the final turn, Can’t Deny It was on the move, but Doncho buckled down and found another gear. When the field turned for home, he was on top by one and one-half lengths and well in control of the race. Mondogetsbuckets was holding his ground inside as Heart Headed began to also close in.

At the wire, Torres looked under his shoulder and realized he was home free aboard Doncho, a winner by two lengths with Mondogetsbuckets getting the edge by a nose over Heart Headed in a time of 55.00 seconds.

Doncho was the favorite, paying $4.00 for the win. The gelding has now won two premier races in a row for owners JAL Racing. It was close to a track record for the highly decorated Kentucky bred, just a couple of ticks slower than last year’s winner, Coppola, who set the mark at :54.39.

Doncho left the winner’s circle with a customized blanket noting his world record effort last summer at Ellis Park (photo).

“I’m a little shy about him (Doncho) wearing it, but I figured he earned it,” said trainer Michelle Lovell of Doncho’s world record performance for five furlongs on the turf last summer at Ellis Park. “After he set that mark, the publicity crew at Churchill Downs had that blanket made for him, so I’m always glad when he can wear it. We take it with him everywhere he goes.”

Doncho also set a course record in his previous start before the Garrett Handicap, winning the Mighty Beau at Churchill Downs in a record time of 55.0 for five furlongs. Torres, who has ridden him in five of his seven career wins, was aboard for that win as well.

“The team did a great job with him (Doncho) today and I was just a passenger,” noted Torres, who won the 2024 Preakness aboard Seize the Grey. “He is such a classy horse and loves to race. Before we went to the gate, he was ready to go. He didn’t do anything crazy, but he was ready. He had a bad step out of there, and luckily, I stayed on. I wasn’t sure if I would be there for a minute. But after that and once he got the lead, it was just about sitting and waiting. I had a lot of horse left at the end.”

Doncho, a $72,000 purchase from the Ocala Breeders Sale for 2Yos and Horses of Racing Age, has been with the Lovell barn his entire career. His win in the Garrett Handicap pushed him over the half million-dollar mark in earnings. Named after a traditional Bulgarian and Macedonian masculine name for priceless or invaluable, he is now two for three in 2026.

The William Garrett Handicap is named in honor of local basketball legend William Garrett. Members of his family (photo) were trackside to help present the trophy to Lovell and the connections of Doncho.

Garrett led the Shelbyville High School basketball team to a state championship in 1947 and was named Mr. Basketball that year. He went on to become the first African American to play in the Big Ten and was drafted by the Boston Celtics before being drafted into the Army. Garrett returned to his roots in Indiana and was later the state championship winning basketball coach of Crispus Attucks in 1959.

A 25-foot mural of Garrett is showcased in downtown Shelbyville.

“It’s really great to see so many things around town in honor of William Garrett,” said James Garrett III, the great nephew of William Garrett. “The murals downtown are very nice along with the gym at Shelbyville High School named in his honor. We enjoy coming out for this race every year to honor him.”

Clarksville Handicap

It may have taken the last stride of the race, but Big Trouble (photo) proved to live up to his name in the sixth running of the $100,000 Clarksville Handicap (BT) Friday at Horseshoe Indianapolis. Ridden by Mitchell Murrill, the seasoned mare inched closer to a half-million in earnings with her latest win.

Big Trouble was tagged as the favorite from post two and was in no rush in the early stages of the six-furlong event over the turf. La Puma and Santo Sanjur led early on through early fractions of the one-turn race. Around the final turn, horses from the back began to close in, but La Puma was still fierce on the lead.

Midway through the stretch, La Puma was still holding onto the lead as the gap narrowed between her and the rest of the field. The late closers proved to be too much for La Puma and got by her in the final strides. Big Trouble was tucked in behind the final wave before moving out.

Four horses were across the track at the wire with Big Trouble widest of all to pick up the victory. Slang and Joe Ramos finished a tad ahead of Shirley Ann and Amir Mendoza for second with Paynt Ya Later and Evin Roman right there for fourth.

“She (Big Trouble) is a horse that breaks a little slow, so you just have to take it step by step during a race,” said Murrill, who was aboard for the first time. “But we got lucky and she got a good trip today and the horse showed up.”

Big Trouble paid $4.60 for the win. The five-year-old daughter of Kantharos is a home bred, owned by the Ball family’s Donamire Farm of Lexington, Ky. Greg Foley trains the mare. She earned her first win of 2026 and her fourth overall for her connections as she is just under the $500,000 mark in career earnings.

“She (Big Trouble) is super consistent and has to come from the right trip because of how she races,” said Travis Foley. “She’s tough when she doesn’t get stopped, and sometimes that happens because she is always back early on. Mitch did a great job riding her today and getting her in the right spot. I’m very happy for Donaire Farm for getting this win.”

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