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Flores Wins Debut At Ellis Park
Flores Wins Debut At Ellis Park;
Defending Champ Osorio Wins 4
written by Jennie Rees
HENDERSON, Ky. (July 1, 2016) — Jockey David Flores had never before been to Ellis Park. But he didn’t waste any time earning his first victory at the western Kentucky track on Saturday’s opening card. Flores teamed with trainer Buff Bradley to capture the featured second race, a $40,000 second-level allowance race that the 3-year-old Divine Warrior took by 3 1/2 lengths over Snow Leopard and jockey Chris Landeros.
Flores first had to make sure of the circumference of the track: 1 1/8 miles on dirt and a mile on turf, making it one of the largest in the United States – similar to Saratoga, Aqueduct and the shuttered Hollywood Park. The latter was a track Flores frequented during his many years on the Southern California circuit.
“The track is unbelievable, beautiful,†he said. “It reminds me of Hollywood Park, same mile and an eighth. So for me it was comfortable. It was like home.â€
Of course the backdrop is far different. Hollywood Park had flamingos on its infield lake; Ellis has soybeans. And Hollywood Park was in a very urban area by Los Angeles International Airport, as opposed to nestled amid farmland on the Ohio River.
“I like it,†Flores said.
Flores, 48, said he’s been thinking about his transition into another aspect of the industry when his riding career ends. In that regard, he’d been working in Florida, learning the ropes about breaking babies, buying and reselling young horses and preparing 2-year-olds for the sales.
“There’s so much to learn in this business,†he said. “I’m hoping I can get my own business when the time comes.â€
In the meantime, former jockey turned prominent trainer Wesley Ward told Flores he had a job for him at Keeneland, galloping and working horses.
“At the same time, he said he’d put me on some horses†in races, said Flores, who had to drive back to Lexington to be at Keeneland Sunday morning. “I couldn’t refuse that offer. I’ve been with him in the mornings for the last month. He’s a great guy. I’ve known him a long time, won some good races for him. He probably thinks I shouldn’t quit yet, so I’m going to take his advice.â€
Flores was riding in Singapore in March of 2015 when he was suspended by those racing stewards for “failing to take all reasonable and permissible measures to obtain the best possible placing†in a fourth-place finish. While such an infraction, which Flores strongly denies occurred, generally would have brought a fine in the United States. The Singapore stewards gave him a year’s suspension, which Flores appealed in the United States and was allowed to ride.
Flores says he was getting as much as he could out of his mount, which he thought was showing signs of lameness.
“They said I didn’t ride severely to the wire and that it cost me a placing, which I don’t think it did,†he said. “The horse was lame, in bad shape…. After I got suspended, they ran the horse again and had to stop on him for three months because of injuries…. It’s just very hard to adapt to their system. There are horses you know you have to get aggressive, and some horses you make the best out of them. Sometimes you don’t have to beat a horse to do well.â€
Flores, a three-time winner of Breeders’ Cup races, earned the 3,541 North American victory of his career aboard Divine Warrior, who won an entry-level allowance race at Churchill Downs at 46-1 in his last start. And Saturday he paid $20 to win as the longshot shot in the field of five older horses, with 4-5 favorite Tanner’s Popsicle another head back in third. Divine Warrior’s previous victory came days after the death of Bradley’s father, Fred, who with the trainer and their partner Carl Hurst of Louisville bred Divine Warrior. The colt races for Buff and Hurst.
Bradley said Flores landed on Divine Warrior because his previous jockey, Landeros, was committed to what proved the runner-up.
“I said, ‘Hey, let’s ride a good rider here, and if we can get him, that’s great,’†Bradley said of Flores.
Divine Warrior captured his third start in 10 races overall after taking six attempts to win a race. By Divine Park and out of Town Queen, he’s from the same female family as Bradley’s highly-regarded 3-year-old The Player, who races next in the $500,000 Indiana Derby at Indiana Grand.
“He’s kind of getting back into it,†Bradley said of Divine Warrior, who after winning a $25,000 maiden-claiming race lost his next two before the Churchill score. “This family, they mature a little later most of the time. I’m happy for him to be coming around at the right time. He’s really run big in his last two starts.â€
Osorio wins four: Didiel Osorio, last year’s Ellis Park riding champion, captured the first race of the meet aboard the John Hancock-trained Elona ($13.60 to win) and the last on the Wayne Catalano-trained Optical ($4.20) to finish the day with four victories. He also won the fifth race on Siempre Mia ($14) for trainer Tom Amoss and the seventh on Ange Grise ($12.80) for Richard Finucane.
“I’m excited about that,†said the 22-year-old Osorio. “I’m trying to win the title again this year. There are going to be a lot of good riders here this year who aren’t going to Saratoga. But I always try hard, and we’ll see what happens.â€
His agent, Joe Santos Jr., was lamenting that it might have been a six-pack had he not opted to ride other horses in two races.
“So many people last year gave us a shot so it was easy to kind of look forward,†Santos said of this meet. “It’s a lot of long nights looking for horses. I actually messed up two times today, taking him off two winners. So I guess if he had a better agent he would have won six. But we did what we could today. When you’ve got the right horse, it makes it easy.â€
Osorio said there actually was some family pressure on him, as his brother, jockey Ricardo Santana, won four races Friday at Churchill Downs.
“If my brother can do it, I think I can too,†he said with a laugh.
Racing resumes Sunday at 12:50 p.m. CT, with a special holiday card Monday.
For more information, contact Jennie Rees, Ellis Park publicity, at tracksidejennie@gmail.com.
Plan Ahead For Evansville Fireworks Traffic
Evansville Police are advising motorist to plan ahead for heavy traffic during the riverfront fireworks show.
The fireworks are planned for Monday, July 4th. Should the date change due to weather, the increased traffic on the new date should still be considered by motorist in the downtown area.
The major intersections will be staffed by uniformed police officers who will be directing traffic. Please pay attention to their instructions. There will also be an increase in pedestrian traffic.
For the safety of everyone, please avoid using cellphones or other behavior that would distract you while driving.
The increase in traffic will impact the amount of time it takes to get out of the area, regardless of the route you are using. Please be patient and do your part to ensure everyone has a safe evening.
Hoosier Gubernatorial Candidate Rex Bell Questions New Vaping Law
New restrictions take effect on July 1st. by Rex Bell
Tobacco use is the leading preventable cause of death in the United States, causing more than 480,000 deaths each year and resulting in an annual cost of more than $75 billion in direct medical costs (Source CDC). Many Hoosier smokers realize the health problems associated with smoking and have or would like to quit by doing business with the vape industry. A recent study published in the medical journal Addiction, attributed vaping with helping 6 million people in Europe quit smoking, and another 9 million cut back significantly. However, Indiana Governor Mike Pence signed House Bill 1432 into law which has adversely affected the possible number of successes in Indiana.
We can help achieve a Healthy Indiana but the new law created a monopoly in the vape industry.  Creating the law without fully understanding the product and using fear based politics has caused harm all across Indiana. Vaping has proven it’s helpfulness in bringing smoking numbers down in Indiana but, this law has restricted a market to where only a few businesses will be able to comply with the excessive regulations. I hope to work with the Indiana legislature in the future concerning this piece of legislation and across this industry to help make Indiana a better place to live.
A Libertarian Perspective July 2016 by Rex Bell
Whether you call it Independence Day or simply the 4th of July, it’s a day most Americans acknowledge and celebrate. When I was a kid at Millville, we looked forward to the fireworks that were launched at Memorial Park in New Castle. We seldom got to go to the park, but we discovered that if we watched out of the attic window on the west side of the house, we could at least see the rockets that made it past the tree line. I found out in later years there were also some ground displays involved in the show, but Dad never mentioned those to us, so we didn’t know we were missing anything.
It was a little more exciting whenever I got together with my old buddy Stinky Wilmont around the 4th. Stinky’s Uncle Wilmer lived in Tennessee, and sometimes when he came up for a visit he would bring a trunk load of firecrackers with him. Firecrackers weren’t legal in Indiana back then, unless you had a permit and were putting on a show for everybody at Memorial Park or someplace like that. Later on I think you could buy them in Indiana if you promised you wouldn’t light them here, but I think a lot of people forgot what they had promised when they got home and it got dark.
Anyway, Stinky always had some little firecrackers called Black Cats with the fuses all woven together, and sometimes we took them apart so we could light them one at a time and make them last all night. You could also light them all at once, and it made a lot of noise, and everybody hollered and ran away, but it didn’t last very long that way. He also had some bigger firecrackers called Cherry Bombs and M-80s, but I didn’t like them as much because they were awfully loud, and Uncle Wilmer was missing part of two fingers.
I think you can buy a lot of different types of firecrackers in Indiana now, at least that is what it sounds like over at the neighbors. I kind of lost interest in them as I got older, and since we switched to Daylight Savings Time I’m usually asleep before it gets dark enough to appreciate them anyway.
I did think it was kind of ironic that we celebrated our freedom with items our government told us we couldn’t have. And I guess I’m glad I’ll be able to buy them in Indiana if I want to, and that I won’t have to make up a story about where I’m going to set them off.
Even though we’re allowed to buy firecrackers now, there are a lot of things we’re not allowed to buy. I was informed the other day at the county fair that I couldn’t buy raw milk. I learned if I wanted raw milk, I had to buy part interest in a cow. Then I could pay someone to feed her and milk her, and put the milk in a jar, and I could have a gallon a week. If I wanted more than that, I would have to buy more of the cow. I thought it would be a lot simpler if the government would just let me buy the milk in the first place, but that’s not how the government works
It all reminded me once again how difficult it is to name three things that our government doesn’t tax or regulate, and it made me wonder if maybe I ought to buy a few firecrackers while I still can, and before the government changes its mind again.
It’s all well and good that we get to celebrate our freedoms on the 4th, but we might want to spend a little more time protecting those we still have, and maybe reclaiming some of those we don’t.
Rex Bell is a Wayne County Libertarian that writes a monthly column on events that shape our lives from a libertarian point of view. He is also the author of “Stinky Shorts”, available at www.StinkyShorts.com .If you have a comment or question on a particular subject, you can e-mail him at rex_bell@msn.com or snail-mail him at 17059 State Road 38, Hagerstown.
Robber’s Use Of Debit Card Is Forgery, COA Affirms
Jennifer Nelson for www.theindianalawyer.com
The Indiana Court of Appeals rejected a defendant’s claim that he couldn’t be convicted of forgery under Indiana law because using his robbery victims’ ATM cards did not qualify as “uttering a written instrument.â€
Adrian Anthony and three other men broke into an Indianapolis home and held a couple at gunpoint while robbing them. He took the husband’s debit card and attempted to retrieve money, but was unsuccessful based on the PIN the man provided. Anthony then took the wife to the ATM and used her card connected to a separate account and was able to withdraw $500. In all, Anthony attempted to retrieve money from an ATM 14 times, only being successful once.
Anthony was convicted of 35 counts relating to the burglary by the jury, including 14 counts of forgery. He argued that there is insufficient evidence to support those convictions because the debit cards used were not forged instruments.
Judge Cale Bradford pointed out that it is not an essential element of the forgery statute that the instrument used necessarily be forged or inauthentic. Impersonating someone else in order to use an authentic written instrument belonging to someone else is sufficient to prove forgery.
“Using a debit card to withdraw money from an ATM is essentially the same as writing oneself a check to cash at the bank. If an individual steals a victim’s checkbook, forges the victim’s signature, and attempts to cash a check, then the individual is clearly guilty of forgery. The same logic applies to an ATM transaction,†Bradford wrote. “Like a signature, a personal identification number is a means by which the bank can attempt to verify a person’s identity and assure that they are authorized to access the account. By using the victims’ PINs, Anthony was attempting to defraud the bank by purporting to be the victims. We agree with the State that distinguishing ATM transactions as Anthony suggests would allow defendants to avoid criminal liability due to advances in technology.â€
The case is Adrian Anthony v. State of Indiana, 49A02-1510-CR-1557.
Economic Week in Review: More Strong Economic News for Indiana
Governor Pence Touts State’s International Economy, Tech Sector at Business Summit
Pence Welcomes Israeli Leaders at Business Exchange
Inside Indiana Business
INDIANAPOLIS – Governor Mike Pence hosted the second-annual Indiana-Israel Business Exchange Monday, which was the first stop of an Israeli economic mission to the United States. Pence’s office says conference focused on strengthening global cybersecurity, as well as economic ties and collaboration between the two.
Indiana, Israel exchange economic, cybersecurity ideas at business summitÂ
The Statehouse File
INDIANAPOLIS — For the second year, Gov. Mike Pence joined business and government leaders Monday at the Indiana-Israel Business Exchange in an effort to strengthen economic ties and collaboration between the two states.
Delaware-Based Sallie Mae Chooses Indiana for Growth and Nearly 300 Hoosier Jobs
Sallie Mae brings nearly 300 jobs to Indiana
The Indy Channel
INDIANAPOLIS — Nearly 300 new jobs are coming to Indiana. Sallie Mae, which helps students and their families save, plan and pay for college, announced Thursday that it’s investing $15.7 million to expand its operations in Indianapolis.
Sallie Mae to add up to 278 new jobs in Indianapolis
IndyStar
If you’ve ever called Sallie Mae’s customer service department, an automated system probably directed you to someone in the Philippines. In the near future, that call likely will direct you to an employee in Indianapolis.
Sallie Mae lands $2.4M in tax incentives for local expansion
Indianapolis Business Journal
Student loan company Sallie Mae stands to receive almost $2.4 million in state tax breaks for expanding its Indianapolis operations, officials announced Thursday at the ribbon-cutting for the firm’s new local office.
Sallie Mae bringing hundreds of jobs to Indianapolis
WISH
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) – Sallie Mae will employ up to 300 people over the next few years. The company made the announcement as part of their economic development plan.
Sally Mae Grows Indiana Presence
Inside Indiana Business
INDIANAPOLIS -Delaware-based Sallie Mae (Nasdaq: SLM) has detailed its $15.7 million expansion plans for Indianapolis. The college financing company says it will add nearly 280 jobs over the next 18 months. Sallie Mae recently moved from a nearby office to three floors of a Woodfield Crossing location on the city’s northeast side. The Indiana Economic Development Corp. says the average salaries of the new positions will be 25 percent higher than the state average.
Sallie Mae Will Bring Nearly 300 Jobs To Indiana
44 News
State and local officials joined executives from Sallie Mae to announce its expansion in Indianapolis. The more than $15.7 million expansion will create 278 new jobs within the next two years.
Sallie Mae announces expansion that will bring 278 jobs to Indianapolis
Fox 59Â
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – State and local officials joined executives from Sallie Mae to announce a $15.7 million expansion that will bring 278 new jobs to Indianapolis over the next two years.
Indiana, Kentucky Governors Launch I-69 Ohio River Crossing Project
Pence, Bevin sign agreement for I-69 bridge
IndyStar
It’s still years away from spanning the Ohio River, but an agreement signed by Indiana Gov. Mike Pence and Kentucky Gov. Matt Bevin Thursday is the first step in rebooting plans for an Interstate 69 bridge from Evansville to Henderson.
Collaboration and Commitment: I-69 Bridge Project Receives Big Boost
Tristate Homepage
In the shadows of the Twin Bridges on Thursday afternoon, Indiana Governor Mike Pence and Kentucky Governor Matt Bevin signed an agreement pledging $17 million to launch the I-69 Ohio River Crossing project. Viewed as a critical, missing piece to the entire I-69 corridor, the proposed bridge would connect already completed sections of the interstate in Southern Indiana and Western Kentucky.
Indiana, Kentucky Plan New I-69 Bridge
Inside Indiana Business
HENDERSON, Ken. -Indiana Governor Mike Pence and Kentucky Governor Matt Bevin have signed an agreement to move forward with plans to extend Interstate 69 beyond the state border. The Ohio River Crossing announcement is decades in the making and adds to the ongoing, long-term work to expand I-69. Pence says a Request for Proposals will be issued for the environmental and design stages of the work “within a matter of months.”
Governors agree to launch Interstate 69 bridge project Â
WLFI
HENDERSON, Ky. (AP) — The governors of Kentucky and Indiana signed an agreement on Thursday to begin preliminary work to build an Ohio River bridge along Interstate 69, expanding their states’ infrastructure partnership.
Bevin, Pence agree to launch bridge project
Courier Journal
HENDERSON, Ky. — The governors of Kentucky and Indiana signed an agreement on Thursday to begin preliminary work to build an Ohio River bridge along Interstate 69, expanding their states’ infrastructure partnership.
Indiana, Kentucky Plan New I-69 Bridge
Inside Indiana Business
HENDERSON, Ken. -Indiana Governor Mike Pence and Kentucky Governor Matt Bevin have signed an agreement to move forward with plans to extend Interstate 69 beyond the state border. The Ohio River Crossing announcement is decades in the making and adds to the ongoing, long-term work to expand I-69. Pence says a Request for Proposals will be issued for the environmental and design stages of the work “within a matter of months.”
Mexico-Based Firm Breaks Ground on First US Logistics Hub in Fort Wayne
Intermodal transfer facility breaks ground
FW Journal Gazette
Transpoint Intermodal broke ground Tuesday on a $13.5 million cargo transfer facility on Fort Wayne’s southeast side, where the company plans to create up to 64 jobs.
Transpoint Intermodal LLC breaks ground on $13.5M Fort Wayne facilityÂ
NBC33
FORT WAYNE, Ind. (21Alive) — A Mexico-based logistics company broke ground on its $13.5 million cargo transfer facility on Fort Wayne’s southeast side.
Illinois-Based Manufacturer Expanding in Lake County
Illinois Company Expanding in Hobart
Inside Indiana Business
HOBART -Illinois-based NB Coatings North America has broken ground on its new facility in Hobart. The company, a subsidiary of Japan-based Nippon Paint, is investing $4.7 million in its expansion into the nearly 125,000 square-foot facility, which will create up to 22 jobs by 2018.
Japan-based manufacturer breaks ground on new facility in northwest IndianaÂ
The Statehouse File
INDIANAPOLIS — A Japan-owned manufacturer of automotive coatings for plastics, NB Coatings, broke ground on its new facility in northwest Indiana.
Fitch Ratings Reaffirms Indiana’s AAA Credit Rating
Credit Rating Reaffirmed Based on “Conservative Fiscal Practicesâ€; cites Indiana’s job growth above national trend
Indianapolis – Governor Mike Pence today announced that Fitch Ratings has reaffirmed Indiana’s AAA credit rating for its responsible management of state budgets, revenue, and public debt. Indiana has held AAA ratings with all three agencies, Standard and Poor’s, Moody’s and Fitch Ratings, since April of 2010. The AAA rating is the highest possible rating of the state’s finances. It signals to families and businesses already in Indiana or thinking of moving here that Indiana is a strong and stable environment for investment, growth, and keeping more of what they earn.
“Indiana is truly the fiscal envy of our nation,†said Governor Pence. “Fitch’s affirmation of our fiscal management reflects what Hoosiers have come to expect in state government – balanced budgets, low taxes and a healthy savings account that will protect us in the event of an economic downturn. Our responsible management of the state’s checkbook has also allowed us to make historic investments in education and infrastructure. I’m proud that the most recent budget I signed into law included the largest K-12 education increase in state history. We’ve also committed more than $2.5 billion in additional road and bridge funding, while prioritizing workforce development that will help Hoosiers get the high-wage jobs they deserve. This disciplined management of Indiana’s fiscal health has allowed the Hoosier state to grow our economy, and we have seen record employment and investment in the last few years. I call that the playbook for success.â€
The Fitch Ratings report cited many of the state’s economic and fiscal strengths, particularly its commitments to a balanced budget and fiscal flexibility, while working mindfully with the revenue collections. Fitch Ratings noted Indiana’s job growth is above the national trend, and that in addition to Indiana’s national manufacturing leadership, the state has seen strong growth by diversifying into other industries like the health-service industry.
The report emphasized Indiana’s “conservative fiscal practices†with “ample budgetary reserves,†and “the state’s control over revenues and spending and a demonstrated willingness to take timely budgetary action,†as what sets it apart in weathering economic downturns.