BY MICHAEL CUSORTELLI

SELMA, TX—JULY 25, 2017—A full field of 10 Texas-bred sprinters has been entered in the 400-yard, $35,000 TQHA Classic Stakes (RG3), one of four official stakes to be contested at Retama Park on Friday.

RC Me Leaving You, a two-time stakes winner during last year’s Lone Star Park fall meet, drew post 5 and will be ridden by Jose Alvarez. A 5-year-old son of Coronas Leaving You trained by Judd Kearl for owners Bennie and Teresa Jeter, RC Me Leaving You made his season debut with a third-place finish, one length behind winner Politically Corrupt, in the 440-yard, $50,000 Sam Houston Classic Stakes (G2) at Sam Houston Race Park on May 13.

Other contenders include Pete Scarmardo’s Kid Can Dash, a homebred 4-year-old Down N Dash gelding who will be dropping in class and shortening in distance off of his seventh-place finish in the Sam Houston Classic. Kid Can Dash drew post 2 and will be ridden by Francisco Calderon for trainer Leon Bard.

The complete lineup, in post position order including jockey assignments and morning-line odds--

1. Red Corona Warrior (Damian Martinez)
2. Kid Can Dash (Francisco Calderon)
3. Kw Cowboy (Juan F. Garcia Jr.)
4. Lee Brooks (Jose I. Martinez)
5. Rc Me Leaving You (Jose Alvarez)
6. Kraken Black (Eddie Sanchez)
7. Sr Esmeralda (Noe Villatoro)
8. Apollitical Wave (Francisco A. Mendez)
9. Charm The Chief (Luciano Duenez)
10. Gianni Que (Jorge Linares).

TQHA 550 Stakes

Crown Racing’s Corona La Jolla, an 8-year-old son of Tinys First Corona trained by Judd Kearl, drew post 5 for Friday’s 550-yard, $30,000 TQHA 550 Stakes (RG3).

Corona La Jolla will be shortening in distance off of three consecutive second-place runs in 870-yard races, including the June 2, $25,000 Virgil Bond Stakes at Delta Downs. The gelding’s season record includes a second-place finish, three-quarters of a length behind winner Heza Bell Perry, in the 550-yard, $20,000 Harris County Stakes at Sam Houston Race Park on March 31.

Noe Villatoro will ride Corona La Jolla on Friday.

The complete lineup, in post position order including jockey assignments and morning-line odds--

1. Jrc Callas First (Juan F. Garcia Jr.)
2. He Is The Risingstar (Jose Alvarez)
3. This Is A Deal (Francisco Calderon)
4. Bar Struck (Damian Martinez)
5. Corona La Jolla (Noe Villatoro)
6. Heza Crazy Pool (Luciano Duenez).

Also on Friday, Zenergetic will be making her first start at the distance in the 250-yard, $30,000 TQHA 250 Stakes (R). Trained by Brian Stroud for the Zenergetic Group, the 4-year-old daughter of Dominyun has won two races this season, including the 350-yard, $20,000 Selma Stakes (R) for distaffers on June 9. Zenergetic drew post 10 and will be ridden by Juan F. Garcia Jr.

Friday’s 870-yard, $20,000 Benny Pennington Memorial Stakes has drawn a full field of eight, topped by Eyesa Shoofly Dandy, a 6-year-old Gold Medal Jess gelding trained by Judd Kearl for owners Curtis Smith and Steve A. Holt. Eyesa Shoofly Dandy has won two of five starts this season, including the 870-yard, $50,000 Pauls Valley Stakes (G3) at Remington Park in April. The gelding drew post 5 and will be ridden by Donell Blake.

All Retama Park races can be seen at Q-RacingVideo.com.