Exciting Finishes as Multiple Stakes Winners Battle in Both Stakes for Accredited Texas-breds
HOUSTON, TX- Sam Houston Race Park hosted another standout edition of Texas Champions Day on Saturday, March 22, with impressive performances in both the $134,000 Texas Thoroughbred Association Oaks and $134,000 Texas Thoroughbred Association Derby. These two stakes were inaugurated by the Texas Thoroughbred Association (TTA) three years ago as an incentive to owners who purchased a Thoroughbred at either the Texas Yearling Sale or the Texas 2-Year-Old in Training Sale, which are held annually at Lone Star Park in Grand Prairie, Texas.
Jolly Samurai Outduels Hot Gunner to Win the $134,000 Texas Thoroughbred Association Derby
After a thrilling stretch battle, Jolly Samurai captured the $134,000 Texas Thoroughbred Association Derby in the last jump to the wire over runner-up Hot Gunner.
Jolly Samurai ($3.60) was piloted by Rene Diaz, who won his second stakes of the card in the TTA Derby. The duo covered one mile and 70 yards on the main track in 1:44.55 as the 4-5 post-time favorite.
Danny Pish trains the First Samurai gelding.
“He ran an amazing race, which was unreal as he had a brutal trip,” said Pish. “Rene had to change positions two or three times, but did a great job. This horse is not the biggest horse and after the Lecomte, I was worried that maybe he wouldn’t step up again, but it didn’t affect him. I am very grateful to owner Jake Brown for picking him out!”
Now four for seven lifetime, Jolly Samurai has earned $204,696. His earnings have provided a solid return on investment for a horse that passed through the 2023 TTA Yearling Sale ring for just $8,000, a brilliant purchase by Brown.
“I went to the TTA Sale ready to spend $50,000,” Brown explained. “He was on the small side, but I loved his pedigree. What Danny has done with him in the last year is amazing and I don’t want to take too much credit for purchasing him. This was an incredible race and as a Texan, I couldn’t be happier about racing in Texas!”
Jolly Samurai was a deserving favorite as he made his sixth stakes start in the TTA Derby. He broke his maiden at first asking at Remington before winning the $75,000 Kip Deville and $75,000 Clever Trevor stakes. In 2025, he tackled graded stakes company in the Risen Star (G2) and Lecomte (G3) on the Kentucky Derby trail at the Fair Grounds.
David Cobb bred Jolly Samurai out of Jolly Good, by Paddy O’Prado.
Hot Gunner, at 10-1, and Floyd Wethey, Jr. circled the field in the final turn and swung from last place to challenge Jolly Samurai for the lead in the stretch.
The Scott Young trainee is a familiar foe for Jolly Samurai; the pair competed against each other twice at Remington Park last fall. Hot Gunner has been campaigning at Oaklawn this year with appearances in the Rebel Stakes (G2) and the Smarty Jones Stakes.
Hot Gunner was a $1,200 purchase at the 2023 TTA Yearling Sale by 7 Cedars Farm. Erv Woolsey and Ralph Kinder bred the Exaggerator gelding out of You Flatter Me, by Flatter. He has $138,150 in earnings and two wins from 10 starts.
It was a gap of seven lengths back to third-place finisher Countthebrave and Deshawn Parker. The Speightster gelding is trained by Austin Gustafson for owner and breeder Stephen Fidel.
Dominant Spirit was fourth, followed by King Adolis, Ring Seeker, Coalcowboy, Tom Sawyer and Frozentap.
Tapitures Actor Digs Deep, Prevails in the $134,000 Texas Thoroughbred Association Oaks
Post-time favorite Tapitures Actor ($5.40) repelled foes and held on to win the $132,000 Texas Thoroughbred Association Oaks for owner and trainer Jayde Gelner.
“This filly is a blessing,” said Gelner, a third-generation horseman. “She began her year in the Bara Lass and let up a little at the end. So, I was just praying she would keep going as she approached the wire, and she did!”
Floyd Wethey, Jr. guided the Tapiture filly to the lead in the backstretch; though her lead began to diminish, she fought to win by a half-length over Global Holiday. Final time for the one mile and 70 yards stake on the main track was 1:47.19.
Tapitures Actor has earned $246,198 with four wins from nine career starts.
The filly was second in the 2024 $150,000 Texas Thoroughbred Association Futurity at Lone Star Park, her second lifetime start. She was bred by Paul Pruett and Simon Winston out of the Curlin mare Upstage. Later in the year, she won the My Trusty Cat Stakes at Delta Downs and was second in both the Toby Keith Stakes and the E.L. Gaylord Memorial Stakes at Remington Park.
She prepped for Saturday’s win with a third-place finish in the Bara Lass Stakes on the Houston Ladies Classic undercard in January.
Global Holiday threatened to spring the upset at 24-1 but finished in second under a ride from Elvin Gonzalez.
Brent Davidson trains the Global Campaign filly for owner Stephen Baker, who purchased her for $15,000 at the TTA Yearling Sale in 2023.
She was bred by Eric Moreau-Sipiere and Randi Moreau-Sipiere, out of the Harlan’s Holiday mare Really Charming. Global Holiday is two for eight lifetime with $51,889 in career earnings.
Hey Cowgirl completed the trifecta with Deshawn Parker up for trainer Danny Pish. The Vino Rosso filly is owned by Eleven One Racing Stables and was bred by Watershed Bloodstock LLC. She broke her maiden in February and won an allowance at Sam Houston prior to making her stakes debut in the Oaks.
Noble Aware, Mighty Enticing, Evening Edge and Blingster completed the field.
Texas Thoroughbred Association Announces 2025 Sale Dates
The Texas Thoroughbred Association has announced that the 2025 Texas Summer Yearling Sale will be held Tuesday, August 26, at 10 a.m. at Lone Star Park. A limited mixed session will follow the yearling session.
“We’ve already had people asking about the yearling sale, so we are pleased to get the date set and start preparing for another successful auction,” said Sales Director Foster Bridewell. “The yearling sale has produced some tremendous racehorses over the years, including the latest example in Coal Battle.”
A $70,000 graduate of the 2023 yearling sale, Coal Battle is already a millionaire and currently tops the Road to the Kentucky Derby point standings with 70 after taking the $1.25 million Rebel Stakes (G2) last month at Oaklawn Park. The son of Louisiana stallion Coal Front was purchased by Power Racing from the consignment of Red River Farms.
The consignment deadline for the yearling sale is June 24, and forms are now available online.
Next up on the sale calendar at Lone Star Park is the Texas 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale on April 2. The breeze show for that sale will be held March 31. Five supplements were recently added for the 2-year-old sale.
For more information, go to www.ttasales.com.