Trainer Bret Calhoun had a banner day at Lone Star Park on Sunday, sending out Free Drop Maddy to win the filly division of the Texas Thoroughbred Association Futurity and Vietnam Victory to take the colts and gelding division. Each race offered a $150,000 purse to Texas accredited and TTA Sale graduates.
The James Stodola-owned Vietnam Victory was a $30,000 TTA Yearling Sale graduate last year who entered the Sunday's race off a gutsy performance in his maiden debut May 15 at Lone Star Park. That maiden race saw the Texas-bred Klimt colt post a one-length victory at first asking.
In the TTA Futurity, Vietnam Victory met six other rivals in the 5½- furlong contest.
With jockey Jose Alvarez aboard, Vietnam Victory dueled front-running Steve Asmussen-trained Bling Bling Bling through a half-mile before another Asmussen stablemate, Village Way, ranged up along the outside to make it three-horse battle across the track.
At the top of the stretch, both Vietnam Victory and Village Way darted away from the pacesetter to make it a two-horse race by midstretch, with Village Way leading by a half length. On cue, Vietnam Victory dug in and rallied to grind out the effort to surpass Village Way in deep stretch and go on to post a two-length victory in 1:06.13.
Village Way held for second, six lengths in front of Little Jony.
“We are delighted with how this colt ran today in the Futurity,” Calhoun said. “I am happy to get the win for my owner James Stodola, who is a Vietnam war veteran and named this horse accordingly. This colt really has just checked all of the boxes since we've had him, and I am looking forward to seeing just how capable he is moving forward.”
With the victory at 9-1 odds, Vietnam Victory moved his career earnings to $109,620 from only two career outings. He returned $21.40.
Bred by CJ Thoroughbreds, Vietnam Victory was produced by the Smart Strike mare Real Strike.
Calhoun also sent out Landon Jordan's Louisiana-bred Free Drop Maddy to a decisive victory in the filly division of the TTA Futurity.
With Kentucky-based jockey Gabriel Saez making the trip to ride the daughter of Free Drop Billy, Free Drop Maddy led at every point of call and won by 1 ¾ lengths from 23-1 longshot Guitar Woman. Cajun Gumbow 1 ½ lengths back in third in the 12-horse field.
Time was 1:06.02. Free Drop Maddy returned $5.60 at the 9-5 favorite.
“We've been feeling for a while that we were going to be live in this spot with this filly at Lone Star,” Calhoun said. “We had a lot of confidence in this filly, and it was great to see her step it up on this big day.”
Free Drop Maddy, who brought a winning bid of $10,500 at the 2021 TTA Yearling Sale, broke her maiden in the TTA Futurity to move her career earnings total to $102,700.
With Free Drop Maddy a Louisiana-bred, Calhoun is contemplating running her possibly against state-bred company in her next start.
“There are some Louisiana bred 2-year-old filly races coming up that we could possibly look at,” said Calhoun. “The Shine Young Futurity at Evangeline is possible for us to look at, depending on how she comes out of this effort and gets back to training.”
Free Drop Maddy was bred by Clear Creek Stud from the Half Ours mare Solo Bueno. She is the first stakes winner for Spendthrift Farm's first-crop sire Free Drop Billy, a Grade 1-winning son of Union Rags who stood for $5,000 in 2022.
The post Calhoun Runners Vietnam Victory, Free Drop Maddy Sweep Divisions Of Texas Thoroughbred Association Futurity at Lone Star appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.
