houston showcase night | Horse Racing Free Tips

Sam Houston Race Park in Houston, Texas, closed out its 2021Thoroughbred racing season on Saturday, April 3, with Houston Showcase Night. Three exciting finishes on the newly formed racing event capped a very successful meet on a high note!

Sky Ride Returns to the Winner's Circle in the $75,000 Bucharest Stakes

The $75,000 Bucharest Stakes featured just five runners, with a solid showing once again by Triple V Racing LLC's Sky Ride to clinch back-to back stakes this meet.

The Kentucky-bred son of Candy Ride won the $75,000 Stonerside Sprint on January 31 in a dead heat with Hollis. Jockey Leandro Goncalves was aboard in two very different finishes. Sky Ride won the Stonerside with a powerful closing effort, but this evening, the bay gelding pretty much did it on the front, and was able to hold off his rivals, covering seven furlongs in 1:24.28.

Goncalves, who notched his 2,000th career win here on March 27, took command at the half-mile mark, which was completed in :45.72. Heading into the final turn, he was able to build a commanding lead over his stablemate Good Scout, drawing off to an impressive eight length score.

“Last time he made up ground, but today we had a different plan,” explained Goncalves. “He just galloped around the track; I never hit him, just asked him and he responded. J.R. (trainer J.R. Caldwell) could have ridden him tonight.”

“Maybe I could have ridden him for the first 25 yards,” quipped Caldwell. “He's a great horse, won three races here, including two stakes. We pointed him to this meet, and we couldn't have asked for more. He was a little fresh today; I was a little surprised to see him on the lead, but it was a good win.”

Good Scout ridden by Ezequiel Lara, held for second. Gold Street ran third and Trumps Revenge completed the superfecta.

Sent off as the heavy favorite, Sky Ride ($2.80), has won five of his 16 starts and will be pointed to Lone Star Park, according to Caldwell.

The stakes is named in honor of the late Thoroughbred sprinter Bucharest, owned by Israel Flores and trained by Amos Laborde, who set three track records at Sam Houston Race Park, including the lightning fast six furlong time of 1:08.88 on May 11, 1994, as well as his 1:12.29 seven furlong clocking on May 4, 1996.

Raven's Cry Takes the $75,000 Miss HoustonTurf Stakes with a Powerful Closing Kick

The popularity of the Connally Turf Course at Sam Houston Race Park has grown in unprecedented fashion and attracted a very classy field of fillies and mares to the $75,000 Miss Houston Turf.

Raven's Cry (IRE) drew in from the also eligible list. The 4-year-old daughter of Raven's Pass had won three of her eight turf starts for owner Martin S. Schwartz. She's trained by Eclipse Award winning condition Brad Cox who gave the call to Louisiana-based jockey Diego Saenz.

Saenz guided the bay filly through fractions of :22.48; :46.19 and 1:11.48 before gaining the lead at the top of the stretch. She was able to hold off a late charge by Valentines Day, crossing the wire of the one mile turf feature in 1:36.09.

“I knew she was a nice filly,” said Saenz. “The pace set up very well for her today.”

Cox was in Kentucky winning the Grade 2,Toyota Blue Grass with Essential Quality, so assistant Ricky Giannini saddled Raven's Cry at Sam Houston.

“She drew pretty wide, but after her win at Fair Grounds, this was a good fit for her,” said Giannini. “Diego got her into a very good striking position.”

Love Partnership Interests LP's Valentines Day ran third in the $75,000 Jersey Lilly on January 31 for trainer Bret Calhoun. The 4-year-old daughter of Summer Front closed gamely for second under rider Lindey Wade. Brandon's Babe completed the trifecta with Iram Diego in the saddle. Our Iris Rose ran fourth, followed by Quick, Quick, Quick, Palio Flag, Curlin's Journey, After Red Son, Good Fight, Simple Pleasure, Miss Perfecta and early pacesetter Believe In Beauty (IRE).

Raven's Cry ($5.00) improved her career record to four wins from nine starts and purses of $116.748.

Royal Prince Makes Sam Houston Debut a Winning One in $75,000 Bayou City Stakes

In the final stakes race of the 2021 Sam Houston Thoroughbred meet, Royal Prince ($2.80) captured the $75,000 Bayou City Stakes for trainer Brad Cox and owner Steve Landers Racing LLC.

Jockey Diego Saenz gave Royal Prince a confident and well-timed ride in the final stake of the night. The pair stalked the pace and dueled with Holy Vow and Sophie Doyle in the stretch before pulling away to win by three-quarters of a length.

“I was trapped for a little while, but I got the chance to get out and he responded for me,” said Saenz.

The 1 1/16 miles event for 3-year-olds was contested on a firm turf course with a final time of 1:43.88.

Royal Prince was the heavy post-time favorite after winning his last out, the $75,000 Black Gold Stakes at the Fair Grounds in late February. The well-traveled colt had previously raced at Del Mar, Keeneland and Kentucky Downs before arriving at Sam Houston.

The 3-year-old son of Cairo Prince is out of Rose and Shine, by Mr. Sekiguchi, and was bred in Kentucky by Sandra Sexton and Silver Fern Farm.

“We wanted to take a logical step forward before we run him in a graded stakes,” added Gianinni. “This was a nice race after the Black Gold; he needed every inch, but got the job done.”

Holy Vow finished in second for trainer Scott Young, with Drivehappy closing to gain third for trainer Steve Asmussen. Texas Bad Boy, War Falcon, Red N Wild and I'm Money completed the field. Stans Hookin Bull was scratched.

The post Cox, Saenz Take Two Of Three Stakes On Sam Houston’s Closing-Night Program appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Sam Houston Race Park will close out its 2021 Thoroughbred racing season on Saturday, April 3 with three stakes and the presentation of the end of the meet awards to the leading owner, trainer and jockey. The newly formed Houston Showcase Night is a trio of stakes: two on the Connally Turf Course and a seven furlong test on the main track.

Saturday's card gets underway at 6:45 pm (Central).

A compact but potent field will compete in the $75,000 Bucharest Stakes, which will run as the fourth race of the card. Two rivals from the $75,000 Stonerside Sprint, which took place on January 31, will meet again, this time at the distance of seven furlongs.

Sky Ride, a Kentucky-bred son of Candy Ride, closed powerfully to dead-heat with Hollis in the Stonerside. The 4-year-old gelding, trained by J.R. Caldwell for owner Triple V Racing LLC, was ridden by Leandro Goncalves, who notched his 2,000th career win here last Saturday night. The finish was memorable for the winners and the Houston Racing Festival fans.

Caldwell has no issue with the added distance for Sky Ride, and will also test the waters with Good Scout, who has won his last two starts at Sam Houston Race Park for Farmer Fillies Racing.

“Sky Ride is a closing sprinter and should be within striking distance at seven furlongs” said Caldwell. “Nitrous is the horse we fear the most, but fans better watch out for Good Scout.”

Nitrous, a 5-year-old son of Tapit, owned by Winchell Thoroughbreds LLC and Stonestreet Stables LLC finished second behind Sky Ride and Hollis in the Stonerside. Stewart Elliott has the return call aboard the stakes winner for Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen. The gray, who has earned $555,716 in 19 starts, will break from post position five. Asmussen also trains Mike McCarty's Gold Street, a 4-year-old colt by Street Boss, who ships in from Oaklawn Park and will be ridden by Reylu Gutierrez.

“He's a Winchell homebred and seven-eighths of a mile suits him,” said Asmussen of Nitrous. “I look forward to running Gold Street as well. He had success at the stakes level at Oaklawn.”

Dr Boehrer, owned and trained by Clifford Dodson, returns off a third-place finish in the $100,000 Spirit of Texas and Trumps Revenge, who completed the trifecta in the $100,000 Star of Texas for Ken Pullen and Christie Love, will also run Saturday night.

The popularity of the Connally Turf Course at Sam Houston Race Park has grown in unprecedented fashion this season, so it's no surprise that the interest in the $75,000 Miss Houston Turf was very strong. Twelve fillies and mares, and two also eligibles, will compete at the distance on one mile in what appears to be a wide-open contest.

Raven's Cry (IRE) will be a force if she draws in from the also eligible list. The 4-year-old daughter of Raven's Pass has won three of her eight turf starts for owner Martin S. Schwartz. She's trained by Eclipse Award winning condition Brad Cox and will be ridden by Diego Saenz.

Asmussen will test the turf prowess of Palio Flag, a 4-year-old Curlin filly owned by Stonestreet Stables LLC. She will be making both her turf and Sam Houston Race Park debut after allowance victories at Churchill Downs and most recently, Oaklawn Park. Stewart Elliot will ride the chestnut filly with Ty Kennedy guiding Asmussen's other entrant, Miss Perfecta. She ran second in the $75,000 Miss Bluebonnet Turf here on February 27 for owners Tyree J. Wolesnesky and Jose Silva, Jr.

“Palio Flag is a quality filly,” stated Asmussen. “With Curlin in her pedigree, I expect her to take to the turf. Miss Perfecta is an accomplished turf mare (with five wins from eight starts on the grass).”

Love Partnership Interests LP's Valentines Day, at 21-1, was third in the $75,000 Jersey Lilly on January 31 for trainer Bret Calhoun. He feels that the 4-year-old daughter of Summer Front, will take a step forward on Saturday night. Lindey Wade will guide her from post eight.

“This filly has been one of those gradual improving types,” said Calhoun. “We always thought she wanted to go longer. Lindey has been her regular rider and will try to get her to settle and make a late run. This is a solid group of fillies and it's nice to see the full fields and interest in Sam Houston this year.”

Another experienced turf mare is Curlin's Journey who returns to action for trainer Dallas Keen with jockey Sophie Doyle in the saddle.

Quick Quick Quick looks to be strong contender in the Miss Houston Turf for trainer J.R. Caldwell and rider Leandro Goncalves.

“She was stakes-placed at Remington Park and we got her to settle this meet at Sam Houston,” commented Caldwell. “She tries hard every time and has tactical speed. A mile and one-sixteenth might be a little out of her range, but I think she will have success going a mile.”

Caldwell, whose runners are in the money here at a lofty 57% clip, wanted to convey a compliment regarding the 2021 Sam Houston Race Park meet.

“I want to thank the Sam Houston management and the Texas Thoroughbred Association for their efforts this year,” said Caldwell. “Owners have come out of the woodwork for me, wanting to run here. We will go to Lone Star Park and then Remington Park, but we are already pointing for next year at Sam Houston!”

The $75,000 Bayou City Stakes for 3-year-olds will also be contested on the final night of the Sam Houston Race Park live racing season. Eight are entered in the mile and one-sixteenth turf feature, which will run as the eighth race on the card.

Drivehappy has been an impressive winner in both of his starts this season at Sam Houston Race Park, breaking his maiden on January 28 and drawing off by four lengths in an allowance win one month later. Owned by Holly and David Wilson, Siena Farm LLC, Gary Stevens and Asmussenequine.com, the son of Breeders' Cup Sprint champion Runhappy is trained by Steve Asmussen.

“He won his last two-turn race and I felt this was a good opportunity to step into the stakes ranks against 3-year-olds,” said Asmussen. “(Former top jockey and racing analyst) Gary Stevens and the Wilsons have brought many new owners to partnerships and that is great for our sport.”

Drivehappy's main rival looks to be Royal Prince, who exits a victory in the $75,000 Black Gold Stakes at Fair Grounds on February 27. Owned by Steve Landers, LLC, the 4-year-old colt by Cairo Prince has won two of his five starts for trainer Brad Cox. Top Louisiana-based jockey Diego Saenz has the call and will break from the rail post as the 2-1 morning line favorite.

Scotty Caroom's Holy Vow brings a two-race turf win streak into the Bayou City. The Kentucky-bred son of Private Vow is trained by Scott Young with Sophie Doyle back aboard. I'm Money, who ran third to Drivehappy last month, is also entered. The son of Bayern is owned and trained by Travis Short.

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