Zeis is based at Turfway, which recently announced it would be open year-round for training. He also races horses at Indiana Downs and River Downs, both of which open in April.
With only three racing days left in the Turfway Park meet, the connections of the top Thoroughbred in North America by victories are deciding what to do with the gelding, a former stakes competitor who won his sixth race of the year April 1.Indy Energy, a 7-year-old Indiana-bred by Presidential Order out of the Procida mare Kadija, is now six-for-seven this year, with all of his starts on Polytrack at Turfway. On April Fool's Day, Indy Energy comfortably disposed of a starter allowance crew by 1 1/4 lengths and covered the five furlongs in :58.90 under leading rider Julien Leparoux, who has ridden him to all but one of the six wins this year.During the Turfway meet, Indy Energy has won three $5,000 claiming events, two starter allowance events, and one $10,000 claimer. He has earned $32,590 in the first three months of the year to push his career earnings to $199,276 on a record of 16 wins, 11 seconds, and 11 thirds in 66 starts.In the North American standings compiled by Equibase, Indy Energy is the only horse with six wins. Twenty-three others have four wins so far this year.Indy Energy is owned by Rolf Obrecht, who was a part owner of group I winner Caller One and grade II winner Western Pride. The gelding is trained by Art Zeis, who now has 10 wins at the Turfway winter/spring meet. Obrecht and Zeis lost Indy Energy at the claim box for $4,000 in late 2004 but claimed him right back for the same price in his next start.Indy Energy won the 2003 William Henry Harrison Stakes for Indiana-breds, and finished second twice and third twice in other Indiana-bred stakes.Obrecht said he and Zeis are discussing what to do with the gelding, who has developed a fondness for the synthetic racing surface at Turfway. Obrecht said Indy Energy could race at Indiana Downs and laughed when asked if he might just lay him off until Turfway reopens in September.