Bendoog became Gun Runner’s 12th stakes winner of the year Saturday at Horseshoe Indianapolis with his powerful victory in the $100,000 Michael Schaefer Memorial.
A few hours later over the same oval Gun Runner’s undefeated colt Leading Change earned a hard-fought victory in the Indiana Derby (G3) in what was his first stakes start.
Bendoog, a 7-year-old with over a $1 million in earnings coming into Saturday’s 1 mile and 70 yard race, was several lengths off the early pace set by First Division, who got a half-mile in :46.53. Coming up the rail on the final turn, Bendoog moved into second turning for home. When he came alongside First Division in midstretch, the pacesetter tried unsuccessfully to savage him twice, and Bendoog quickly cleared off to win going away by 2 ½-lengths.
“I’m very happy for (owner) Mr. Fletcher,” said Kenny McCarthy, Bill Mott’s assistant trainer. “He stepped up and bought this horse, along with Bill, and this horse has just been a hard-knocking horse. Very close every single time we lead him over here. He just likes to drop back and come with one big run at the end. Sometimes he doesn’t quite make it, but today he did. He always tries.”
Racing under the Frank Fletcher Racing Operations banner, Bendoog is 7-12-5 in 29 starts and has earned $1,113,476. The bay veteran, who was second in the 2024 Suburban (G2), was bred by Calumet Farm.
