Preview Racing


Grade 3 Sam Houston Derby Headlines Friday Stakes Bonanza
Fastest qualifier Special Apollitical will head a full field of 10 sophomores in the $255,400 Sam Houston Derby (G3) Friday night at Sam Houston Race Park.

© Coady Photography
Grade 3 Sam Houston Derby Headlines Friday Stakes Bonanza

BY MICHAEL CUSORTELLI

HOUSTON, TX--May 17, 2002
--Four stakes, headed by the $255,400 Sam Houston Derby (G3) for 3-year-olds, headline Friday's 10-race program at Sam Houston Race Park.

The Sam Houston Derby matches a full field of 10 sophomores, all of whom qualified from seven trials on April 30. Adam B. Smith's Special Apollitical, a homebred son of world champion Apollitical Jess trained by Toby Keeton, set the fastest qualifying time with his 1 1/4-length win in the fifth heat.

The gelding has earned $59,311 from six outs, and he ended his 2-year-old season with a seventh-place finish, three lengths behind winner KJ Desperado, in the November 27, $1.115-million Texas Classic Futurity (G1) at Lone Star Park.

Special Apollitical drew post 3 and will be ridden by Luis Vivanco.

San Lorenzeaux, a gelded son of champion Carters Cartel trained by Jesus M. Marquez for owner Rogelio Marquez Jr., drew post 7 and will be ridden by Raul Ramirez Jr. San Lorenzeaux is coming off of a juvenile campaign during which he earned $560,813 from eight races and scored a 1 1/2-length victory in the 350-yard, $382,000 Louisiana QHBA Sale Futurity (RG1) at Evangeline Downs.

The complete lineup, in post position order including jockey assignments:
  1. BP Fling In A Wagon (Jorge J. Garcia)
  2. Gulf Coast Flyer (Eric Reyes)
  3. Special Apollitical (Luis Vivanco)
  4. Dealarunner (Francisco Giles)
  5. Jess Delight (Nestor Duran)
  6. Running A Big Wave (Ali Rivera)
  7. San Lorenzeaux (Raul Ramirez Jr.)
  8. Mr de Capi (Jose I. Martinez)
  9. Just A Perfect Grace (Froylan T. Ramirez)
  10. Lucky Dice (Manuel Gutierrez)
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Also on Friday, eight distance specialists are entered in the 870-yard $50,000 Governor's Cup Marathon Stakes. Holy Storm, a homebred 6-year-old Red Storm Cat gelding owned by Daniel Kjorsvik, is coming off of a three-quarter length victory in an 870-yard allowance-optional claiming ($30,000) race at Remington Park on April 15. Holy Storm drew post 2 and will be ridden by Ali Rivera for trainer Pat Swan.

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Seven middle-distance specialists are entered in Friday's 550-yard, $50,000 Harris County Stakes. Blue Star Racing's Dak, a gray 6-year-old son of Dominyun trained by Toby Keeton, will be making his season debut off of a 5-year-old campaign during which he earned $45,068 from five races and won the June 12, $80,000 Sam Houston 550 Stakes (R) for Texas-breds. The gelding drew post 4 and will be ridden by Luis Vivanco.

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A full field of 10 sprinters are entered in Friday's 350-yard, $50,000 Sam Houston Stakes. Won Famous Dash, a homebred 4-year-old Giorgino gelding owned by Scarlett Hill Farm Inc. of Weatherford, Texas, drew post 5 and will be ridden by Ricardo Garza-Cruz for trainer Marc Jungers. Won Famous Dash is coming off of a sophomore season campaign during which he won two stakes, including the 400-yard, $61,500 B.F. Phillips Jr. Stakes (RG3) for Texas-breds at Lone Star Park.

All San Houston Race Park races can be seen at Q-Racing Video.com.