Louisiana Silk(#2) finished third in her career debut to qualify for the Grade 3 Harrah's Entertainment Futurity at Louisiana Downs.

© Ann Switalski / Lou Hodges Photography

HOUSTON, TX—APRIL 4, 2017—Jorge Haddad’s Louisiana Silk, a Grade 3 finalist during the Louisiana Downs winter meet, is one of 151 2-year-olds entered in this weekend’s 330-yard Sam Houston Futurity (G2) trials at Sam Houston Race Park.

Nine heats will be contested on Friday and Saturday, with the five fastest qualifiers from each night’s set of trials qualifying to the April 29, $485,000-est. Sam Houston Futurity final.

A bay daughter of The Louisiana Cartel trained by Kenneth Roberts Sr. for owner Jorge Haddad, Louisiana Silk is coming off of an eighth-place finish, 2 1/2 lengths behind winner Together To The End, in the 300-yard, $234,000 Harrah’s Entertainment Futurity (G3) on March 22. The filly, who was acquired by Haddad for $10,500 at last year’s TQHA Yearling Sale in San Antonio, drew post 4 and will be ridden by Juan F. Garcia Jr. in the sixth trial on Saturday.

Saturday’s trials will also feature the debut of Dora G. Martinez’s Dm Corona Of Rubies, a homebred bay filly by A Regal Choice trained by Roberto Madrigal. Dm Corona Of Rubies prepped for her first start with a one-length victory in a 250-yard training race on a muddy track at Retama Park on March 17. The filly’s winning time of :13.40 was the fastest from 20 schooling races at Retama that day.

Dm Corona of Rubies drew post 7 and will be ridden by Luis Vivanco in the third heat.

Thecartelofmiracle, a gelded son of the Corona Cartel stallion Tough And Good, will make his debut from post 5 in Saturday’s ninth trial. Trained by Miguel Angel Medina for owner Mario Villarreal, Thecartelofmiracle earned the fastest Retama training race time on March 3, as he won the 12th of 16 250-yard schooling races by three lengths in :13.26.

Francisco Calderon will ride Thecartelofmiracle on Saturday.

The Sam Houston Futurity trials, and all Sam Houston Race Park races, can be seen at Q-RacingVideo.com.