--- title: "Indiana Derby Runners, Post Positions, Betting Odds and 1-2-3 Picks" canonical: "https://readhorseracing.com/2026/07/11/indiana-derby-runners-post-positions-betting-odds-and-1-2-3-picks/" type: "post" language: "en-GB" author: "Steve Yarmouth" section: "Features" published: "2026-07-11T15:35:28Z" modified: "2026-07-11T15:35:28Z" --- # Indiana Derby Runners, Post Positions, Betting Odds and 1-2-3 Picks **The 32nd running of the Grade III Indiana Derby serves as the midsummer crown jewel of Midwest racing.** Headlining a massive 13-race card at [Horseshoe Indianapolis](https://www.caesars.com/horseshoe-indianapolis/racing), this event brings together an exciting mix of hard-knocking stakes veterans and lightly raced, high-upside sophomores looking for a signature graded stakes breakthrough. With nine entries for the race, however, the latest news is that the Bob Baffert-trained Desert Gate has been scratched – preferring to run in the Iowa Derby at Prairie Meadows. See the remaining runners, positions and the latest Indiana Derby [horse racing odds](https://www.betus.com.pa/racebook/) below. ## **Indiana Derby Race Logistics and Details 2026** - Date: Saturday, July 11, 2026 - Post Time: 6:40 PM EDT (Race 12) - Purse: $300,000 - Distance: 1 1/16 miles (dirt) - TV Coverage: FOX Sports (FS2) ## **Indiana Derby Runners 2026** The 2026 edition features a highly competitive 9-horse field testing their mettle over the 1 1/16-mile stretch. The draw showcases a nice variety of running styles, featuring raw closing speed from the outer posts balanced by tactical pace presences on the inside rail. **Lighter:** A longshot looking to break out from the rail. Needs a perfect tactical trip to hit the board. **Mister T:** The local Indiana-sired favorite coming off a strong second-place effort in the Sagamore Sired Stakes. **Zihnal:** Strikingly bred son of Quality Road who ships in for high-percentage turf/dirt crossover trainer Jonathan Thomas. **Our Moneyman:** A very consistent Louisiana-bred who loves to stay close to the early lead and has targeted this race specifically for an upgrade. **Bricklin:** Ships in with an extra weight assignment (124 lbs) after proving he can trade blows with true stakes company. **Creole Chrome:** Bringing plenty of early zip to the middle of the starting gate for trainer Joe Sharp. **Out of the Woods:** A California shipper who possesses high cruising speed and carries the high weight of 124 lbs under jockey Luis Saez. **Leading Change:** Highly regarded half-brother to multi-millionaire mare Shedaresthedevil. Making his highly anticipated stakes debut. **Desert Gate:** The heavy morning-line favorite representing West Coast royalty. ***(SCRATCHED)*** ## **Indiana Derby Betting Odds 2026** The track handicapper has established the baseline morning-line prices, setting up an excellent wagering board with plenty of depth. - 1 Lighter – 20/1 (Marcelino Pedroza, Jr. /Rodolphe Brisset) - 2 Mister T – 30/1 (Mitchell Murrill/Justin Bailey) - 3 Zihnal – 12/1 (Umberto Rispoli/ Jonathan Thomas) - 4 Our Moneyman – 4/1 (Axel Concepcion /W. Bret Calhoun) - 5 Bricklin – 8/1 (Fernando De La Cruz / Rodolphe Brisset) - 6 Creole Chrome – 6/1 (Junior Alvarado / Joe Sharp) - 7 Out of the Woods – 9/2 (Luis Saez / Philip D’Amato) - 8 Leading Chang – 5/1 (Irad Ortiz, Jr. / Brad H. Cox) - 9 Desert Gate – 5/2 (Florent Geroux/Bob Baffert) ***(SCRATCHED)*** *Note: Odds are subject to change* ## **Bob Baffert Loves To Win The Indiana Derby** ![Bob Baffert, trainer of Los Alamitos debut winner Hughes](https://media.readhorseracing.com/readhorseracing/2026/05/Bob-Baffert-1024x682.jpg) May 1, 2026: Bob Baffert has won the Kentucky Derby six times as a trainer. The 73-year-old also had Medina Spirit cross the finish line first in the 2021 race, but that horse failed a post-Derby drug test. – ZUMAm67\_ 20260501\_zaf\_m67\_002 Copyright: xRyanxC.xHermensx Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert holds the ultimate trump card when shipping to the Hoosier State. He is the all-time winningest trainer in Indiana Derby history with 4 victories. Baffert first conquered the race in ‘back-to-back’ years at its old Hoosier Park home with **Misremembered (2009)** and Preakness winner **Lookin At Lucky (2010).** He followed up with dominant scores at the current Shelbyville track via **Power Broker (2013)** and **Cupid (2016).** Baffert clearly understands the exact blueprint required to ship a Southern California sophomore across the country to secure midwestern gold. However, Baffert WON’T be winning a fifth as his big hope **Desert Gate** has been scratched. Preferring to run in the Iowa Derby at Prairie Meadows. ## **Indiana Derby Picks 2026: 1-2-3 Best Bets** **🥇Our Moneyman (4/1) (Win)**\ **🥈Leading Change (5/1) (Place)**\ **🥉Out Of The Woods (9/2) (Show)** **Our Moneyman** inherits the mantle of the horse to beat, and he is perfectly poised to capitalize on it. He enters this race with an elite foundation of class, having just finished a highly credible second in the Grade III Matt Winn Stakes at Churchill Downs behind Further Ado. He handles distance with ease, possesses the ideal tactical early speed to secure a prime tracking position just off the leaders, and has targeted this specific race for months. Without a West Coast speedster forcing blistering early fractions, jockey Axel Concepcion can time his move flawlessly as they hit the far turn. [Calhoun hoping Our Moneyman follows sire Mr. Money as Indiana Derby winner (embedded)](https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/Z3-7O4qH1GI?feature=oembed) The clear wildcard of the field, **Leading Change** slides into an incredibly advantageous position following the scratch. The Brad Cox-trained colt will now break from what is effectively the furthest outside post, allowing five-time Eclipse Award winner Irad Ortiz Jr. to sit back. Watch the early speed unfold inside him, and carve out a perfect stalking trip. As a half-brother to multi-millionaire champion Shedaresthedevil, his pedigree screams routing talent. And while this is his stakes debut, his raw ceiling is arguably the highest in the field. **The West Coast** presence remains alive through Out of the Woods, shipping in for trainer Phil D’Amato. This gelding has finally put things together as a three-year-old, notably defeating Our Moneyman in a high-calibre allowance race earlier this spring before a gutsy second-place finish in the Delaware Derby. He carries top weight at 124 lbs, but with Luis Saez in the irons, expect him to maintain a high cruising speed and fiercely battle in the stretch to round out the trifecta. ### ***The Exotic Wagering Angle:*** With Desert Gate out, the win pool value has shrank on the favorites, making the Trifecta the best way to extract cold hard cash from this race. Key Our Moneyman (#4) on top, and play a ticket using Leading Change (#8), Out of the Woods (#7), and the explosive class-dropper Creole Chrome (#6) underneath. ## **Who Won The 2025 Indiana Derby?** The 2025 Indiana Derby was won by **Tip Top Thomas**, trained by Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher and ridden by jockey John Velazquez. He won the race in spectacular fashion on July 5, 2025, turning back a stretch challenge from Coal Battle to win by a half-length and setting a blistering new track record of 1:41.15 for the 1 1/16 miles at Horseshoe Indianapolis. [2025 $300,000 Indiana Derby (G3) at Horseshoe Indianapolis (embedded)](https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/G6gZ8TxMjYc?feature=oembed)