Seven Stakes for Accredited Texas Thoroughbreds Set for Saturday, March 22
HOUSTON, TX- Texas Champions Day continues to be one of the most anticipated days of the annual Thoroughbred season since Sam Houston Race Park opened in 1994. This year’s edition is set for Saturday, March 22, with a post time of 1:00 pm (Central). The fields have been drawn for each of the seven Texas Champions Day stakes, which will be contested on the main track and the esteemed Connally Turf Course at a variety of distances for Texas-bred runners.
This will be the third year for the $100,000 Texas Thoroughbred Association Oaks and $100,000 Texas Thoroughbred Association Derby. These two stakes were inaugurated by the Texas Thoroughbred Association (TTA) as an incentive to owners who purchased a Thoroughbred at either the Texas Yearling Sale or the Texas 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale, which are held annually at Lone Star Park in Grand Prairie, Texas.
Last year’s TTA Oaks champion Miss Code West was a perfect example of the appeal of a six-figure purse as her owners, Jeffry and Julie Puryear purchased the daughter of Code West for $12,000 at the 2022 TTA Yearling Sale. She earned $63,000 in her TTA Oaks Victory and with nine wins to date, the talented filly has rewarded the Puryears with career earnings of $390, 934.
On Saturday afternoon, racing fans will enjoy watching the seven fillies in the TTA Oaks as well as the nine colts and geldings entered in the TTA Derby compete on the main track at the distance of one mile and 70 yards. Whether they went through the 2023 Texas Yearling Sale or the 2024 Texas 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale they will showcase the exceptional talent of Thoroughbreds in the Lone Star State!
Blingster Seeks Her Third Stakes of the Meet in the $100,000 Texas Thoroughbred Association Oaks
The $100,000 Texas Thoroughbred Association Oaks drew a field of seven 3-year-old fillies testing their prowess at two turns, led by the 6-5 morningline favorite Blingster.
Bred in Texas by Haynes Stables, LLC & Herman’s Horses, LLC, Blingster was purchased for $26,000 at the 2023 TTA Texas Summer Yearling Sale by Landon Jordan of Mansfield Racing.
Blingster finished off the board in her two starts last year at Lone Star Park, so trainer Bret Calhoun gave the daughter of Bradester out of the Proud Citizen mare Splendored the summer off and pointed her to the Sam Houston Race Park 2025 live racing season. She rewarded his patience with a victory in the $75,000 Darby’s Daughter division of the Texas Stallion Stakes Series on opening weekend and followed that with an even more impressive score in the $76,000 Two Altazano Stakes on February 15.
“She wasn’t ready for prime time as a 2-year-old,” stated Calhoun. “In a perfect world, you would love to win the TTA Futurity for your owners, but thankfully, Landon understood that she was immature and would benefit from the extra time to train and mature. It’s a different story this year; she’s a big, strong filly with two stakes wins to her credit.”
Calhoun won the 2023 TTA Oaks with Santa Fe Gold for prominent Texas owners Wayne Sanders & Larry Hirsch and ran second in last year’s edition with TTA Horse of the Year Too Much Kiki, also owned by Mansfield Racing. Jockey Jose Alvarez has the return call about Blingster and will guide the talented filly from the rail on Saturday at odds of 6-5.
Tapitures Actor, owned and trained by Jayde Gelner, drew the far outside and will reunite with rider Floyd Wethey Jr., 5-2. The filly by Tapiture out of the Curlin mare Upstage was bred in Texas by Paul Pruett and Simon Winston and purchased by Gelner for $35,000 at the 2023 Fasig-Tipton Select Yearling Sale. She won at first asking last May at Lone Star Park prior to finishing second in the $150,000 Texas Thoroughbred Futurity on July 13.The chestnut filly fared well at the stakes level at Prairie Meadows, Delta Downs and Remington Park, earning $160,278 in her first season.
In her only start this year, Tapitures Actor ran third in the $75,000 Bara Lass Stakes here on January 25.
“She faced two really tough fillies (Modo and Glee) in her first start of the year,” said Gelner. “Since then, she’s trained well; I liked her work on March 6 and believe she is ready for a good effort this Saturday.”
Hall of Fame conditioner Steve Asmussen cannot be ignored in the TTA Oaks with James A. Sherwood’s Evening Edge returning for her fourth stakes of the season and Mighty Enticing exiting a mile and one-sixteenth victory here one month ago for Star Bright Thoroughbreds.
The Texas Thoroughbred Association Oaks will run as the tenth race on Saturday’s program with an approximate post time of 5:03 pm.
The field, from the rail, with riders and is as follows: Blingster, Jose Alvarez, 6-5; Global Holiday, Elvin Gonzalez, 20-1; Noble Aware, David Cabrera, 15-1; Mighty Enticing, Stewart Elliott,8-1; Evening Edge, Alfredo Triana,Jr., 15-1; Hey Cowgirl,DeShawn Parker, 4-1 and Tapitures Actor, Floyd Wethey Jr., 5-2.
Field of Nine to Compete in the $100,000 Texas Thoroughbred Association Derby
A very competitive group of 3-year-old colts and geldings will also compete at the distance of a mile and 70 yards in the $100,000 Texas Thoroughbred Association Derby.
Trainer Danny Pish will saddle Jolly Samurai, who will compete in the sixth stakes of his career. David Cobb bred the son of First Samurai out of Jolly Good by Paddy O’Prado. He is owned by Jake Brown of Weatherford, who Pish met three years ago. Brown expressed an interest in attending the 2023 TTA Yearling Sale, with the intent of purchasing a Texas-bred.
“I am always happy to make suggestions to my owners, but can’t take credit for this yearling,” added Pish. “Jake picked him out and signed a ticket for $8,000. Jolly Samurai has earned over $126,000, so Jake certainly had the right instinct in purchasing him!”
That is quite an understatement from the veteran Texas conditioner, who sent Jolly Samurai to Remington Park, where he won his debut last August prior to capturing the $75,000 Kip Deville, and the $75,000 Clever Trevor. He then stepped up in a very tough edition of the $300,000 Springboard Mile, where he ran fifth to Coal Battle, who is headed to this year’s Kentucky Derby.
“No disgrace in losing to that horse,” acknowledged Pish. “Jolly Samurai did not perform badly at Fair Grounds (in the Grade 2, Risen Star on February 15), which had a really good group of horses. He’s trained well back in Houston with a nice five furlong breeze last Saturday.”
Rene Diaz has the call and will break from post two as the 5-2 morning line choice.
“He typically does not get out of the gate all that well,” added Pish. “With his running style, I expect him to settle in the second tier of horses and have something left for the finish.”
Trainer Bret Calhoun, who won the 2023 TTA Derby with Release McCraken as well as last year’s championship with Victory for Vets owned by James Stodola. His entrant in the third running of the TTA Derby is Dominant Spirit, a son of Mohaymen a $65,000 purchase in the 2024 TTA in Training Sale by the partnership of Martin Racing Stable LLC, D and B Racing, LLC (William Martin, Jr.), Circustown Racing Stables, LLC and Bob Gorsky. Jose Alvarez has the call aboard the gelding who ran third in the aforementioned Springboard Mile.
“I loved this horse in the Sale, but he was very immature and lacked mental focus,” said Calhoun. “He would let rivals get close, but wouldn’t dig in. I’ll put blinkers on and believe it will make a difference.”
Jayde Gelner, who ran in the 2024 TTA Derby with Norman Racing Stable’s Strong Promise will saddle Frozentap, a $70,000 purchase by Richard L. Davisin the 2024 Texas in Training Sale. He drew the rail and will be ridden by Ernesto Valdez-Jiminez.
“I’ve just had him for one race and am still trying to figure him out,” explained Gelner. “He’s by Frosted, so he should like two turns. Ernesto should be a good rider for him; if he can get him out early, he has a shot.”
The Texas Thoroughbred Association Derby is set as the eleventh race on Texas Champions Day card with an approximate post time of 5:30 pm. Here is the field, from the rail, with riders and morning-line odds: Frozentap, Ernesto Valdez-Jiminez, 20-1; Jolly Samurai, Rene Diaz, 5-2; King Adolis, Iram Diego, 30-1; Hot Gunner, Floyd Wethey Jr, 3-1; Tom Sawyer, Alfredo Triana, Jr. 7-2; Dominant Spirit, Jose Alvarez, 4-1; Coalcowboy, David Cabrera,20-1; Ring Seeker, Stewart Elliott, 12-1 and Countthebrave, DeShawn Parker, 8-1.
Saturday’s Texas Champions Day card will also feature five stakes for accredited Texas-breds. A press release for the following features will be forthcoming:
Race 6. $75,000 Star of Texas, presented by Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance
Race 7. $75,000 Spirit of Texas
Race 8. $75,000 San Jacinto
Race 9. $75,000 Yellow Rose
Race 12. $75,000 Richard King Turf