Month: February 2023

Sam Houston Race Park will present Texas Preview Day on Saturday, Feb. 18, featuring stakes on both the main track and Connally Turf Course. The nine-race card begins at 1:00 pm (CT) with several Texas Thoroughbred Association (TTA) champions and rising stars competing in the $75,000 Jim's Orbit, $75,000 Houston Turf, $75,000 Two Altazano, $75,000 H-Town Stakes and the $75,000 Miss Bluebonnet Turf.  Admission for Texas Preview Day is $5.00.

The annual event sets the stage for Texas Champions Day, which will take place on Saturday, March 25. Purses for each of the seven Champions Day stakes showcasing the established and emerging stars of the Texas Thoroughbred industry were boosted to $100,000 in 2021 and remain at this level for the 2023 event.

Bling Bling Bling Seeking His Third Career Stakes Win in in the $75,000 Jim's Orbit

The first stakes of the Texas Preview Day card will be the $75,000 Jim's Orbit with a field of  3-year-old colts and geldings going six furlongs on the main track.

Bling Bling has been installed as the 9-5-morning-line choice for Hall of Fame conditioner Steve Asmussen, who, as of February 14, is just three  away from winning his 10,000th career race. Owned by longtime Texas owners William and Corinne Heiligbrodt, the son of Too Much Bling out of the Golden Song mare Swifterthantaylor, was a six-length winner in the $81,000 TTA Stallion Series -Staunch Avenger on June 19 at Lone Star Park. Bred by Douglas Scharbauer, Bling Bling Bling began his 3-year-old campaign drawing off to a three-length victory in the $75,000 My Dandy here on January 7 under rider Stewart Elliott.  He is the high earner in the field with $114,913 earned in five starts.

Just Whiskey, ran second in the My Dandy, and will try to overcome a troubled trip in the $100,000 Gexa Energy Groovy on January 28. Bred, owned and trained by Randy Mayfield, the son of Bradester will break to the outside of Bling Bling Bling. Racing fans should remember Mayfield who trained one of the top Texas-bred race mares, Coastalota. Bred by the late Hubert Southard, Coastalota won seven stakes in Texas and was honored as 2002 & 2003 TTA Champion Older Mare, prior to embarking on a successful broodmare career.

“He ran second to Bling Bling Bling in the My Dandy, but had all kinds of trouble in his second start,” said Mayfield, who will give a leg up to rider Gerardo Mora. “I trained the whole family of Coastalota; the mares produce. I really like this gelding and just want to see him get a good trip on Saturday.”

GFB Racing LLC's I'm a Cowboy returns for conditioner Danny Pish. Also sired by Bradester, the bay gelding also ran in both Texas-bred stakes this meet; Alfredo Contreras has the return call.

The Jim's Orbit will run as the fifth race on the card with an approximate post time of 3:00 pm.

The Texas Thoroughbred Association sponsors the Clarence Scharbauer Jr. Texas Stallion Stakes Series (TSSS), a set of races for progeny of nominated Texas-based stallions. In 2005, the Texas Thoroughbred Association named the colts and gelding division of the Texas Stallion Stakes for Jim's Orbit, who won the Grade 2 Ohio Derby prior to competing in the 1988 Kentucky Derby.

Singapore Flash and Sunlit Song Return in the $75,000 Houston Turf Stakes 

The first of three turf features, the $75,000 Houston Turf Stakes, will run as race five. Written for accredited Texas-bred older horses, the mile and one sixteenth stakes will be contested on the Connally Turf Course.

Last year's winner, Singapore Flash and runner-up Sunlit Song headline the field with 2021 champion Moojab Jr also hoping to add a second trophy.

Triple V Racing LLC's  Singapore Flash,  a 7-year-old son of Shanghai Bobby is trained by J. R. Caldwell and was claimed for $40,000 in 2021 at Colonial Downs. The dark bay gelding ran second in the $100,000  Richard King Turf on the 2021 Texas Champions Day card prior to winning the Houston Turf Stakes. Virginia Jago Elder bred Singapore Flash and jockey, Lane Luzzi, who has ridden him in each of his Sam Houston starts, has the return call.

Sunlit Song, an 8-year-old son of My Golden Song was bred by Carolyn R. Barnett and is owned by Barnett and Becky Harding.  Mindy Willis trains the gray gelding who has won 12 of his 32 starts; ten of which have come on the turf.

“He was fighting a quarter crack last year and Singapore Flash ran a really good race,” said Willis. “My owners and I decided to give him some time off and he's good now. I like our outside post and of course, having  Stewart Elliott. Sunlit Song has been a real good horse for us; he loves the turf!”

Willis will also saddle turf allowance winner, Truly Danzig, a half-brother to Sunlit Song. Leandro Goncalves has the call aboard the 6-year-old son of Etesaal.

Moojab Jr owned by John L. Pierce, has four turf victories for trainer Paul Duhon and regular rider Iram Diego. The 9-year-old son of Moojab will be making his 52^nd career start.

Izatiz Heavily Favored in the $75,000 Two Altazano

The very accomplished Izatiz will take on seven Texas-sired 3 year-old fillies in the $75,000 Two Altazano. The six furlong stakes is carded as the seventh race on the Saturday afternoon program.

Billy Clevenger's homebred has been a force this season at Sam Houston Race Park. The daughter of My Golden Song out of the Tiznow mare Tiz Tiz ran second in the $75,000 Darby's Daughter on January 7, and upped her game with conviction on January 28 when she cleared a full field by a margin of 7 ½ lengths in the $100,000 Bara Lass. It was the first stakes victory for Clevenger and trainer David Gomez, who will saddle the 3-5 favorite on Saturday. Jansen Melancon will ride Izatiz, who will make her seventh start with earnings of $116,985.

“From the first time we ran her, she showed her class and continues to be so professional,” Gomez said. “She handled the off going last month and ran a huge race without one of her back shoes!”

Trainer Bret Calhoun, who has won seven previous editions of the Two Altazano, beginning with Tin Top Cat in 2010, has entered Missingyoucrazy. The daughter of Bradester, owned and bred by Stephen F. Fidel, will make her stakes debut under jockey Jose Alvarez. She prepped for this with a runner-up finish here in a $35,000 maiden on January 27.

“Izatiz is impressive, for sure,” said Calhoun. “This filly didn't break well in her debut, but she circled the field and came flying for second, so we thought she deserved a chance to step up.”

The field also includes Bubbles and Bling, owned by Erma Cobb and Jaylan Clary. The full sister to Texas Thoroughbred Horse of the Year Mr Money Bags will make her second start after running fourth in the Bara Lass.  Ernesto Valdez-Jiminez, who was the regular pilot aboard Mr Money Bags will guide Bubbles and Bling from the rail.

The Two Altazano will run as the fourth race on the program with an approximate post time of  8:21 pm. The stakes is named in honor of  Two Altazano, the talented Texas-bred filly, owned by the late Harold V. Goodman, who won the Grade 1 Coaching Club American Oaks in 1994. She also captured the 1994 Sam Houston Oaks with Hall of Fame jockey Pat Day in the saddle.

Fan Favorites Gold Pilot and Algebra Merit Respect in the $75,000 H-Town Stakes

The seven-furlong $75,000 H-Town Stakes always attracts some of the top Texas-bred older horses. Last year's edition pitted two highly respected Texas Thoroughbred Association (TTA) Horses of the Year, Direct Dial and Mr Money Bags with Mr Money Bags emerging victorious.

This year's headliners are both horses that fans of Texas racing have come to know, respect and love!

Gold Pilot is still in top form as a 6-year-old. Purchased for $15,000 at the 2018 TTA Yearling and Mixed Sale by prominent Texas owners Wayne Sanders and Larry Hirsch, the son of My Golden Song has a record of 20-6-3-5 with earnings of $268,677. Trainer Bret Calhoun gave Gold Pilot a freshening after running third in an allowance last May at Lone Star Park and was impressed with his victory here on January 20.

“He was very impressive off the layoff, running well against some good company,” acknowledged Calhoun. “I couldn't question his fitness after that race as he was feeling so good in a subsequent morning work, he dropped his rider and circled the track twice.”

Gold Pilot, at odds of 2-1, defeated Algebra in that 6 ½ furlong prep race, but racing fans have embraced the 6-year-old Algorithms gelding who finished on the board in seven of his nine Sam Houston starts. The bay gelding was claimed for $25,000 by Farmer Fillies Racing, and ran second in the 2022 H-Town as well as the $100,000 Star of Texas Stakes.  Regular pilot Lane Luzzi has the call for trainer J. R. Caldwell.

“He absolutely loves it here,” stated Caldwell. “We gave him a little break after Lone Star and he came to Houston and ran a monster race as did Gold Pilot. We have to outrun him and he has to outrun us. They are both great horses.”

Caldwell will saddle two additional entrants in the H-Town Stakes: Sunday Bling (10-1) and Quarterback Dak (15-1). He will be a very busy man on Texas Preview Day with 11starters on the card and is pumped up about the big stakes day and the enthusiasm of owners Farmer Fillies Racing.

“They are great people and are having a lot of fun with their horses,” added Caldwell. “They will also run Lethal Move and Singapore Flash, who will face Sunlit Song on the turf. We are looking forward to some really good races on Saturday!”

Defending Champion No Mas Tequila Takes on Eleven Rivals in the $75,000 Miss Bluebonnet Turf  

Saturday stakes action will conclude with the running of the $75,000 Miss Bluebonnet Turf. A field of 12 Texas-bred fillies and mares will compete at the distance of one mile on the Connally Turf  Course.

Trainer Karen Jacks returns with defending champion No Mas Tequila, who makes her third appearance in this turf feature. The 6-year-old daughter of Northern Afleet was bred by Ronald Ellerbee and his wife, Margaret Ellerbee. Owned by James Sills and the estate of Ronald Ellerbe, she ran third in the 2021 edition and ran a huge race last year off the layoff under regular rider Leandro Goncalves. Following that victory, the turf-loving mare won the $100,000 San Jacinto Stakes on Texas Champions Day and made her last start of 2022 with back-to-back victories at Lone Star Park.

“We didn't have a prep race for her last year, but she was fine,” said Jacks. “Leandro has been working her and she will be fresh and ready for Saturday!”

No Mas Tequila drew post position seven as the 2-1 favorite. Jacks also owns and trains Discreet Smile and will saddle Imaluckycharm for owner Carl Moore Management, LLC.

Other notable contenders include Ima Discreet Lady, who has been versatile on turf and dirt for owners Raymond Todd White and Duane Coker. The daughter of Discreet Cat will make her 44^th lifetime start for trainer Karl Broberg and won her first stakes here with a victory in the 2019 Bara Lass. Jockey Sahin Civaci guided the 7-year-old mare to her six-furlong main track win on January 16. With $549,208, she leads her rivals in earnings and is one of Broberg's favorite stars.

“She's been an absolute blessing,” said Broberg. “I give credit to Todd and Duane for their patience and allowing us to turn her out when she needs the time off.”

Last year's Miss Bluebonnet Turf runner-up Tahitian Breeze returns for trainer Tina Hurley with Benny Landeros aboard the 6-year-old Too Much Bling mare. Danny Pish will saddle  Rosie Jane, a daughter of I am Jane Dough, who won the 2016 Richard King Handicap on the Connally Turf. Both were bred in Texas by Rosemary Chandler.

The post Texas Preview Day: Five Stakes Races Set For Saturday’s Card At Sam Houston appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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The first JRA Grade 1 race of 2023 will be run at Tokyo on Sunday, Feb. 19, when the February Stakes kicks off the top-level races for the year. It's one of just two Grade 1 dirt races on the JRA calendar, the other being the Champions Cup, which is held in December.

The Grade 1 February Stakes is run over a mile and is a race for 4-year-olds and up. The February Stakes winner will receive an automatic starting position, and fees paid, into the $6 million Longines Breeders' Cup Classic (G1), which will be run on Nov. 4 at the 40^th Breeders' Cup World Championships. This year's Breeders' Cup will be held at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, Calif.

This year's race sees 18 domestic nominations, plus a first for the race in an overseas runner, the Canadian-trained horse Shirl's Speight.

Shirl's Speight, winner of the 2022 Maker's Mark Mile (G1) over the turf course at Keeneland, is trained by Roger Attfield and will be ridden in the race by Joao Moreira, a four-time champion rider in Hong Kong with experience in Japan.

On Sunday, assistant trainer Allyson Hartfield told the JRA: “He's happy, he's eating well and he's pretty close to a hundred percent (after the long journey). I've spoken with the trainer and the only variable we have right now is whether he likes the dirt or not. The dirt was deeper and heavier than I expected but I think it will be much different on race day when it dries out, but he handled it well this morning.”

The American-bred Cafe Pharoah (this year taking on the G1 Saudi Cup) has won the Grade 1 February Stakes the past two years and set a new record time for the race last year when he won in a time of 1 minute, 33.8 seconds.

Here's a look at some of the Japanese runners expected to take on the first JRA Grade 1 of the year:

Lemon Pop: The American-bred 5-year-old just keeps on finding more, as he showed when winning the Grade 3 Negishi Stakes over 1,400 meters at Tokyo in January, making it seven wins now from 10 starts. The chances are he will have to find even more with this next step up in class and distance.

Assistant trainer Toshikiko Hokari recently commented on the horse: “He didn't start particularly well last time, but the jockey made sure things went smoothly enough. At the top of the homestraight, I thought things looked fine, but the late challenge from Gilded Mirror and other horses made it more difficult, although he was able to hold on and win.”

Gilded Mirror now misses this next race through injury, and with a number of Japan's top dirt horses on duty in Saudi Arabia, things could go in favor of Lemon Pop again. Ryusei Sakai has been booked for the ride on the son of Lemon Drop Kid.

Dry Stout: The 4-year-old colt by Sinister Minister got his 2023 campaign under way last month, when he finished second in the Subaru Stakes (Listed) over 1,400 meters at Chukyo. He has only had six career starts, but has won four times and is unbeaten in two races at Tokyo.

Trainer Mitsunori Makiura said: “It got a bit crowded on the run for home last time and he had to wait to get his finish in, but when the opening came, he ran on well. Up to now he's been able to race from good positions in his races, but I wanted to see how he could finish running from mid-position. In that sense, it was an ideal test for him, and I'm satisfied with how things turned out and to see that he could finish second from where he ran in the trip.”

Keita Tosaki will ride Dry Stout and thinks the horse's good footwork can help him stay over the distance this time.

Meisho Hario: Having his first run of the year in the Grade 1 February Stakes, the 6-year-old Meisho Hario shows plenty of good form, as seen in his last run, when he finished third to Ushba Tesoro in the Grade 1 Tokyo Daishoten at the end of last year.

It has been the usual pattern with him since, as assistant trainer Wataru Kurihara noted: “He's had his break at the farm and everything's as expected leading up to this race. Last time he was well forward in the run, and became a target for the eventual winner of that race, but overall it was a positive result.”

Speedy Kick: The flying filly from the NAR has won her last three starts in NAR races, but she won very easily last time and she'll get the 2kg allowance given to fillies and mares in this week's big race.

She deserves to take her chance here and trainer Tomoyuki Fujihara commented on the filly's condition: “She recovered quicker than usual after winning the Tokyo Cinderella Mile at Oi last time and her appetite's been good. Looking to the February Stakes, we've been able to match her training load with the condition she's in, and we could give her some strong workouts with her weight at 490 kg after returning to the stable.”

It will be the first ever JRA race for the filly, but the 4-year-old by Taisei Legend is worth respecting.

Red le Zele: The 7-year-old is another having is first race of the year, and while generally thought of as a horse that runs over shorter distances, his last two runs over 1,600 meters have been in the 2021 and 2022 Grade 1 February Stakes, where he finished fourth and sixth, respectively, and last year's race was run on a heavy track.

From the all-powerful stable of trainer Takayuki Yasuda, he commented recently on Red le Zele: “I thought about Saudi Arabia with him, but then considered that it would be better to go to the February Stakes and to train him on the uphill at Ritto in preparation for this. If all goes well after this next race, we can make the decision to go to Dubai or not.”

Yuga Kawada, the horse's regular jockey, once again takes the ride on Red le Zele.

Shonan Nadeshiko: With Gilded Mirror out of the race, 6-year-old Shonan Nadeshiko is now the only other female (along with Speedy Kick) in the lineup, and she will be ridden by Takeshi Yokoyama, who will be looking to get the best out of the daughter of Orfevre. Having run only in NAR races for the entire 2022 season, and finishing just out of the money in her two previous starts at Tokyo, she probably needs to find a bit more, but trainer Naosuke Sugai doesn't see any problem.

“She just ran out of steam in the final 100 meters of the Tokyo Daishoten last time, but up against male horses, I think she did her best. She's had her usual routine at the farm, and returning to the stable, it's been as usual with her,” the trainer said.

Soliste Thunder: The 8-year-old Soliste Thunder finished fourth in last year's February Stakes, and after that also managed a fourth-place finish in the Grade 2 Godolphin Mile in Dubai last March. He's only had two races since the race at Meydan, and this will be his first run of 2023.

Assistant trainer Juntaro Taira said: “He ran well in his last race, despite not being able to run on at the finish. He's been at the farm for a break and he seems a little loose, but we haven't rushed things with him and from now we can get him tuned up for this next race.”

Helios and T M South Dan are two other runners that deserve a mention, with Yutaka Take riding Helios and Christophe Lemaire aboard T M South Dan. Take last won the February Stakes in 2019 with Inti, and has won the race five times, while Lemaire claimed his second win in the race on Cafe Pharoah two years ago.

The post Win And You’re In: Shirl’s Speight Takes On Japan’s February Stakes appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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