Saturday card at Sam Houston features pair of graded stakes

The fields are set for the premier day of thoroughbred racing at Sam Houston. Saturday's card, which begins at 2:00 p.m. EST, is highlighted by the Grade 3, $300,000 Houston Ladies Classic. Now in its twelfth running, the 1 1/16-mile dirt race attracted seven fillies and mares with many compelling story lines.

Bret Calhoun, who has been running thoroughbreds at Sam Houston since its opening in 1994, returns with Hidden Connection, who ran second to Pauline’s Pearl last year. Owned by Hidden Brook Farm and Black Type Thoroughbreds, the 5-year-old daughter of Connect tuned up for the Houston Ladies Classic with a four-length score in the $100,000 Joseph E. “Spanky” Broussard last month at Fair Grounds.

“We had some ups and downs getting her ready for last year’s Houston Ladies Classic,” said Calhoun. “She finished her 4-year-old campaign with a really sharp win; I feel she is doing as good if not better coming into the race this time.”

Hidden Connection worked four furlongs in 49.2 seconds at Fair Grounds on Saturday. Installed as 9-5 morning line favorite, she reunites with last year’s pilot Reylu Gutierrez, breaking from the far-outside post.

Hall of Fame Steve Asmussen will attempt his fifth victory as he sends in Kaleem Shah’s Bellamore, a 6-year-old mare by Empire Maker. She made five starts in 2023 in graded-stakes company, including a third-place effort in the Spinster (G1) at Keeneland. The dark bay filly out of the Smart Strike mare Smart N Soft has banked $468,592 in 19 lifetime starts, posted four works at Oaklawn and covered  five furlongs in 1:01.4 on Saturday morning at Sam Houston. She will break from post no. 4 under three-time Sam Houston leading rider Stewart Elliott.

“She’s a quality mare and Grade 1-placed,” said Asmussen. “We had her pointed to this after her last race (the Falls City (G3) on Nov. 23) at Churchill Downs. The Houston Ladies Classic has been a very good race for us.”

Louisiana-bred mare Free Like a Girl, who began her career at Lone Star Park, makes her Sam Houston Race Park debut for trainer Chasey Deville Pomier. Owned by Gerald Bruno Jr., Jerry Caroom and Pomier, the 5-year-old daughter of El Deal was bred in Louisiana by retired jockey Kim Stover and her sister Lisa Osborne and has won 15 of her 33 lifetime starts with earnings of $1,077,578. While the majority of her 14 stakes wins were contested in Louisiana, the 2022 Louisiana Horse of the Year has made three out of state Graded stakes appearances, finishing in the money in each.

“We have never had problems with her,” explained Pomier. “She’s sound and does everything easily. When people ask me what makes her special, I just tell them it’s her heart.”

Pomier, a mother of two, grew up in a racing family and knows that training a million-dollar earner does not come easily.

“I’ve been in the game for over 20 years and began scrubbing buckets in the barn when I was just six,” she added. “Free Like a Girl has been amazing; her success has enabled me to attract new owners and get some more horses.”

Freddy Mannrique has the call aboard Free Like a Girl from post no. 6.

Nationally prominent conditioner Ken McPeek has two entrants in the Houston Ladies Classic: Five Fillies Stable and Balios Racing Stable's Corningstone, who most recently was second beaten four lengths by Hidden Connection in the Broussard, and Barry Fowler and Magdalena Racing's Dear Lady , owned by Barry Fowler and Magdalena Racing.  McPeek made his first trip to Sam Houston in 2002 with the incomparable Take Charge Lady who won the $275,000 NTRA Great State Challenge Distaff. He returned in 2013 and saddled the winner of the Gold Cup, Unstoppable U. The Kentucky-based horsemen made a third trip to Houston with Frac Daddy, who ran a game second to 2014 Gold Cup winner Red Rifle.

Two young trainers will saddle the additional runners in the Houston Ladies Classic. Perfect Wish and Appropriated Funds. Perfect Wish will has won four of her eight starts for Jayde Gelner. A $70,000 Keeneland September purchase, the daughter of Midshipman is owned by Norman Racing Stables. She competed in the Remington Oaks (G3) and exits a victory in the She’s All In Stakes last month at Remington Park.

Jaylan Clary, the daughter of the late Mike Neatherlin, trains BKD Consulting’s Appropriated Funds. Sired by Arrogate, she has won four of her fifteen lifetime efforts.

Mike Maker sends out four for John B. Connally

The $200,000 John B. Connally Turf Cup (G3), the other graded race at Sam Houston on Saturday, attracted 12 turf specialists. The stakes is named in honor of the late Texas Governor John B. Connally, who was instrumental in the passage of pari-mutuel racing in Texas. He will never be forgotten as Sam Houston Race Park was the first Class 1 racetrack to open in the Lone Star State.

While trainer Mike Maker is not a Texan, he has stamped his imprint on the Connally Turf Cup with victories in seven of the past ten editions of the mile and one-half  stakes. This year he ships in a quartet led by Michael Dubb’s Catch That Party, who has been installed as the 3-1 morning line choice. The 7-year-old New York-bred son of More Than Ready has won 6 of his 24 starts and will make his graded-stakes debut Saturday. David Cohen has the call and will break from the rail.

Street Ready was claimed for $100,000 by owner Michael Hui, who owned Hogy, the intrepid sprinter who made three appearances over the Connally Turf Course, winning the 2018 Frontier Utilities Sprint. Three Diamond Farms’ Dynadrive makes his Sam Houston debut with Reylu Gutierrez in the saddle. The gelding by Temple City is owned by Three Diamonds Farm, whose millionaire Bigger Picture won three editions of the Connally Turf. Maker’s fourth entrant is Red Run who captured the 2022 Bob Bork Turf Cup at Sam Houston Race Park when he was in the Steve Asmussen barn.

“We enjoy running at Sam Houston Race Park and have had great success on their turf course,” said Maker. “Many of our loyal owners like coming to Houston for this race. It’s rewarding to see our turf marathoners continue to be competitive as older horses, and several of them have shown their best in the Connally.”

Three years ago, trainer Mark Casse sent in John C. Oxley’s Palazzi for the second running of the Texas Turf Mile. It was a stakes-winning effort by the son of PioneeroftheNile, stalked from mid-pack and closed swiftly in the stretch to defeat a full field of ten with a time of 1:36.89. Casse was reached in Ocala, Florida about the return of Palazzi, who is now owned by Gary Barber.

“He ran well in Houston, but following that win, went through a period in which he was under-achieving,” he explained. "We gelded him and he had a very good year in 2023.”

Rain is falling in Houston and forecast through Thursday, but Casse does not see that as a deterrent.

“He’s pretty versatile,” he added. “No rock-hard turf surface is required for Palazzi.”

Freddy Manrrique has the call aboard the 7-2 second choice, breaking from post no. 5.

The shippers will have to deal with Texas Horse of the Year and Champion Older Horse, Sunlit Song who has an impressive record on the Connally Turf Course. The 9-year-old son of My Golden Song was bred in Texas by Carolyn Barnett and owned by Barnett and Becky Harding. The striking gray gelding will make his 44th lifetime start on Saturday for trainer Mindy Willis. His 2023 record was impressive with five wins and a second in 6 starts, including four stakes victories.

“He loves the turf and just keeps getting better and better,” said Willis. “Last Friday, he worked six furlongs in 1:13.00 as a 9-year-old! People ask me when he will retire and I tell them he will retire when he tells us he’s ready, but he’s not ready yet!”

Stewart Elliot has been one of Sunlit Song’s top riders and has the return call from post no. 10 at 6-1.