News and Notes for March 22, 2019

FIELDS SET FOR TEXAS CHAMPIONS DAY AT SHRP ON SATURDAY
Sam Houston Race Park is proud to host Texas Champions Day on Saturday, March 23. Post time for Saturday’s card is 7:15 pm (CT) with six $50,000 stakes for accredited Texas-breds on the eight-race program.

Carded as race #2, the Yellow Rose Stakes for fillies and mares 4 and up going 6 six furlongs has drawn a field of six.  The 6-5 favorite is Shes Our Fastest (Oratory – Dawali), bred by Eureka Thoroughbred Farm.  Trained by Scott Gelner for Mark Norman and Norman Stables LLC, she had a good work on Sunday and is well suited to the distance.

Billy Clevenger’s homebred Zarelda (My Golden Song – Tiz Tiz) won her last out here by 3 ¼ lengths on March 9th.  She is trained by Beverly Burress and had odds of 3-1.

At 7-2 is Dark Desert Wine (Daaher – Lady Countdown), a homebred for Charlie Smith and Terry Propps.  Smith is also the trainer.

Completing the field are Mighty Ferrari (Special Rate – Hermighty), Sing Prada Sing (Sing Baby Sing – Kimbell’s Pride), and True Confession (Broken Vow – Ruby’s Big Band).

The first turf feature of the evening is the mile and one-sixteenth San Jacinto Stakes for fillies and mares. Leading the field of six is 4-5 favorite Texas Belle (Angliana – Inthemiddleofitall), trained by Mindy Willis. Bred by Eureka Thoroughbred Farm and owned by Richard Chandler, she is looking for her third consecutive turf victory.  

Sarah Delany will saddle Ian Yarnot’s homebred Corluna (Unbridled’s Heart – Red Moon Cat), who is coming off a win on February 16th and has odds of 5-2.

At 5-1 is Henry Witt Jr.’s homebred Witt’s Town (Drums of Thunder – Fortunistic), trained by Amanda Barton.

Rounding out the field are My Royal Rocket (Sing Baby Sing – Count My Nichols), Seven Violets (Four Sevens – Mattie M), and Sexy Dance (Voyagers Quest – Sexy Saint).

As part of a field of seven, Supermason and Direct Dial will renew their rivalry in the Spirit of Texas Stakes for 4-year-olds and up going six furlongs. Several of the most accomplished Texas-breds will make this one of the most competitive features on the card.

Bred in partnership by W. S. Farish, Supermason (Grasshopper – Folksy) is a multiple-stakes winner, capturing the Bluebonnet Stakes and Assault Stakes last summer at Lone Star Park. He is owned by Brad Grady and trained by Joe Sharp.

Though Supermason has been installed as the even money choice on the morning line, he will likely have his toughest test from W. S. Farish’s homebred Direct Dial (Too Much Bling – Fast Find). Trained by Steve Asmussen, Direct Dial will be honored by the TTA on Saturday evening as the 2018 Champion 3-Year-Old Colt/Gelding and Horse of the Year.

Bred by Larry S. Huntsinger, Galactica (Uncle Abbie – Castelli’s Ace) runs for Carl Moore Management LLC and Brad Grady.  Also trained by Joe Sharp, he has odds of 9-2.

A M Milky Way (Elusive Bluff – Actress E), He’s So Zazzy (Oratory – Super Delicious), Kats Second Silver (Silver City – Red Thread), and Texas Long Bow (Crossbow – Determined Daria) complete the field.

A field of nine 3-year-old fillies will compete over six furlongs in the Bara Lass Stakes.  Karl Broberg will saddle 2-1 favorite Ima Discreet Lady (Discreet Cat – Ima Three Blinger) for owners Raymond Todd White and Duane Coker. Bred by Larry S. Huntsinger, she will make her stakes debut following two solid scores at Delta Downs.

At 3-1 is Golden Lullabye (My Golden Song – Going Away Baby) owned by Sam Sherman and conditioned by Danny Pish. Bred by Magnolia Racing Stable LLC, she exits a second-place finish in the $65,000 Two Altazano Stakes, run here last month.

Others in the field include Awesome Sunset (Expect a Lot – Sunset Sail), Know What I Mina (Special Rate – Stone Cold Crazy); Metallic Silver (Crossbow – Our Royal Saint), Mimi’s Song (My Golden Song – Royal Soup), Miss Perfecta (Run Away and Hide – Perfect Meadow), Sassy Kenzie Girl (Bind – Silver Calling), and Whipum Naenae (Uncle Abbie – Readum N Reap).

Roy Cobb’s homebred Mr Money Bags (Silver City – Miss Photogenic), who dominated in last month’s $65,000 Jim’s Orbit here will face seven colts and geldings in the six-furlong Groovy Stakes. He is the 2-5 favorite.

According to trainer Mike Neatherlin, the original plan was for Mr Money Bags, who is Triple Crown nominated, to make his next start in this weekend’s Sunland Derby.

“I would have liked that, but Mr. Cobb is struggling with some health issues and the trip to Sunland would have been very difficult,” said Neatherlin. “He loves this horse and will be here Saturday.”

His rivals include 6-1 My Bling (Too Much Bling – My Girl Bess) and 15-1 Truly Bling (Too Much Bling – Mazzy), who ran second and third, respectively, in the Jim’s Orbit.

Final Exam (Hold Me Back – My Girl Gabby), Kenai Bob (Shackelford – Blue Ivy), Moro Chief (Moro Tap – Harbor Chief), Trumps Revenge (I Want Revenge – Cookin’s Cast), and With the Band (Too Much Bling – Funny Tune) complete the field.

A contentious field of eight turf specialists will compete in the Richard King Stakes, for 4-year-olds and upward at a mile and one-eighth.

Highway Song (My Golden Song – Terrific Speed), winner of the mile and one-sixteenth $50,000 Houston Turf Stakes here on January 27, has been installed as the 8-5 choice in the Richard King. Danny Pish bred, trains and co-owns Highway Song with Dennis Foster.

Pish, who has won six previous editions of the Richard King, reports that this 4-year-old homebred is training well for Saturday’s return.

At 2-1 is Bonjour Baby (Sing Baby Sing – Secret Sweep), trained by Larry Stroope for Alvin Wong. Bred by Tom Durant, he won his last out here on March 2nd.

Other competitors are Gottherightonebaby (Sing Baby Sing – Foxy Jill), Kingsville (Street Move – Day Lily), Mav Master (Mizzen Mast – Annie Savoy), who was last year’s winner of this race, Redatory (Oratory – My Silver Song), Right Lane Lukasz (Temple City – Wrenice), and Uncle Witt (Uncle Abbie – Chromedoll).

HIGHLANDER TRAINING CENTER ANNOUNCES GRADUATE INCENTIVE FUND PROGRAM AT LONE STAR
According to a press release, Highlander Training Center located in Sulphur Springs has announced the launch of the HTC “Graduate Incentive Fund Program” hosted at Lone Star Park. The program is designed to help the HTC customer’s racehorse earn a faster return on investment. The program pays the graduate an additional 10% of the total purse money going to the highest finishing graduate, 4th through 1st place. If the purse is $24,000, an extra $2,400 is offered to the graduate qualifying for HTC program money.

The Graduate Incentive Fund Program is offered in eight straight 3-old-races and four 2-year-old races at Lone Star Park for the 2019 Thoroughbred meet. It applies to turf and dirt surfaces along with different distances for all types of horses. In order to provide prep races for upcoming stakes, the races are positioned to be around three weeks prior to the stakes. 

Highlander Training Center is very involved and passionate about the straight 3-year-old races. HTC believes in lengthening and protecting the longevity of the racehorse. By offering straight 3-year-old races, HTC feels its goals of achieving a long racing career in our graduates is a step in the right direction. A longer productive racehorse earns a higher return on investment. HTC welcomes and encourages horsemen to spread the word about the HTC Graduate Incentive Fund Program and straight 3-year-old races at Lone Star Park. It’s a new era, so HTC wants to grow racing in Texas at Lone Star Park.

For further information on the Graduate Incentive Fund Program, contact Scooter Dodwell at 903-450-7153 or Nancy Wilde at 315-447-6368. Learn more about Highlander Training Center at highlandertrainingcenter.com.

NOTES: House Bills 1995, 2463 and 3366 are scheduled to be heard by the House Licensing and Administrative Procedures Committee at 8am on Tuesday, March 26th.  To listen to the hearing online, go to https://house.texas.gov/video-audio/ and select that committee hearing…Congrats to Texas stallion Expect a Lot, whose first starter Awesome Sunset recently scored a 1 ¼-length victory in his career debut in a maiden special weight race at Sam Houston Race Park…The date for the Texas 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale has moved to Wednesday, April 10 at Lone Star Park.  The undertack show remains as scheduled on Sunday, April 7 at 10a.m.