Breeder, owner, and trainer Tony Duran will have a special angel in his corner Saturday when he starts a handful of runners on the Indiana Champions Day card at Horseshoe Indianapolis, led by Dattts Life in the $250,000 Unreachable Star Handicap. The race is the richest of the card’s four Thoroughbred stakes for Indiana-sired and Indiana-bred runners. There’s also a pair of $55,000 overnight handicaps on the 13-race card and six stakes for Quarter Horses. Duran in April lost his brother-in-law, Roberto Prado. The 53-year-old was a well-known businessman in the North Texas area where Duran once worked as part of Nelson Bunker Hunt’s team that developed more than 100 yearlings a season to race throughout North America and Europe. Duran would go on to launch his own Thoroughbred operation with a focus on the Indiana breeding program. Dattts Life, whom he owns and trains, looks like one of the chief threats to 124-pound co-highweights Hoosier Daddy Now and Kingsbury Road in the Unreachable Star for 3-year-olds. Dattts Life was second to Kingsbury Road in the IOTBA Stallion Handicap on Oct. 20, closing from last in the field of 10. He lagged behind by 13 lengths at one point after issues at the start and could be somewhat closer to the pace when he returns at the same distance of one mile and 70 yards on Saturday. Dattts Life, who is weighted at 120 pounds, will start from post 10 in the field of 12. He will be ridden by Deshawn Parker. Kingsbury Road and Hoosier Daddy Now are the most accomplished runners in the field as stakes winners. Kingsbury Road breaks from post 4 under Eduardo Perez, while Hoosier Daddy Now, a stakes winner on turf, starts from post 3 under Marcelino Pedroza. Hoosier Daddy Now is moving back into the restricted ranks after running second in a first-level allowance on dirt Oct. 2. He has more natural speed than most of his rivals, which might give him a tactical advantage. In the $200,000 Lady Fog Horn for 3-year-old fillies, The Kid Pataky and Crosley are co-highweighted at 124 pounds. They are the only stakes winners in the field of 10. :: Bet the races with a $200 First Deposit Match + FREE All Access PPs! Join DRF Bets. The Kid Pataky is making the move to two turns after winning three of her last four starts. She gets good pedigree support for the additional distance demands as a daughter of the Rockport Harbor stallion Pataky and the Ghostzapper mare Zappita. The Kid Pataky has used her natural speed to win sprinting and as such could be showing the way Saturday when she breaks from post 3 under Samuel Bermudez. Anthony Cunningham trains the filly for her breeder, Swifty Farms. Crosley is unbeaten in three starts. She made the move to two turns last out and won the ITOBA Fillies Handicap. Crosley raced with the pace and figures to again be prominent. Pedroza has the mount from post 9. Crosley’s half-sister, Spooky Ridge, goes in the $100,000 Indiana Stallion Stakes for 2-year-old fillies at six furlongs. The race drew 11. Spooky Ridge should get good support for both her pedigree and the fact that she was a clear maiden winner last out with a Beyer Speed Figure of 50, the best dirt Beyer in the race. Spooky Ridge, who rallied from off the pace in her win, will start from post 7. She will be ridden by Pedroza. Duran will counter with homebreds Miss Candela and She’s a Whirlwind. Both runners won maiden special weight races at Horseshoe Indianapolis. She’s a Whirlwind, whom Duran bred in partnership with Jeremy Cobb, is a half-sister to 2-year-old stakes winner Shes the Cause. Miss Candela, who earned a Beyer of 49 for her maiden win in July, will be ridden by Parker. The Flint Express is out of the Lear Fan mare Rose Medallion, who won 18 races in her career while earnings $284,884. Sweet Heat is back in the restricted ranks after racing on turf last out at Keeneland. Slam Dunk Justice is looking to nail down his first stakes win in the $100,000 Crown Ambassador for 2-year-olds at six furlongs. He was stakes-placed at the distance in his most recent start, and the Beyer of 48 he earned is the best last-race number in the field. Mondavila, who finished right behind Slam Dunk Justice last out, was a more than five-length debut winner in September. Dr. Alex Is In finished in front of Slam Dunk Justice in an entry-level allowance in September. The maiden Trusted Image is a half-brother to Max Express, a multiple stakes winner of $500,000, while Duran saddles a maiden who just missed last out in Imminent Forecast. Duran homebred Verry Amelia is among the contenders in the $55,000 Gary Patrick, an overnight handicap for fillies and mares at 5 1/2 furlongs. Shanghai Express was a supplement to the race. Chipofftheoldblock, a multiple stakes winner, should get good support in the $55,000 Kim Hammond, an overnight handicap for 3-year-olds and up at the same distance. :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.