Miss Sam Houston Stakes winner Embers Time will heed the $40,000 La Villita Stakes for accredited Texas-Bred 3-year-old fillies on Retama Park's opening night for the 2025 live Quarter Horse Season.

© Jack Coady Photography

By StallioneSearch

SELMA, TX–JUNE 22, 2025–Retama Park launches its 2025 Quarter Horse Meet on Thursday night with a high-powered stakes doubleheader spotlighting top Texas-bred 3-year-olds.

The twin features—the $40,000 La Villita Stakes for fillies and the $40,000 Silver Bullet Stakes for 3-year-olds—go as Races 10 and 11 on the card.

Headliners include La Villita morning-line favorite Embers Time, a John Buchanan Stakes winner, and Silver Bullet top choice Ima Chili, who enters off a stakes win at Sam Houston.

First post is set for 6:15 p.m. CDT, with the featured races scheduled for 10:17 p.m. and 10:43 p.m., respectively.

Embers Time Headlines La Villita Stakes

Embers Time, installed as the 7-2 morning-line favorite, brings the most accomplished résumé to the gate. Owned by Javier Lujan and trained by Martin Rodriguez, the daughter of Pyc Prize Time out of Fancy Embrujos by Embrujo FG has earned $88,166 in 10 career starts, including four wins and four additional in-the-money finishes.

Bred in Texas by Alejandro Moya and purchased for just $5,000 at the TQHA Yearling Sale, Embers Time turned heads last year with a dramatic victory in the Dash For Cash Juvenile and a runner-up effort in the Turkey Time Stakes.

She proved her class again this spring by narrowly capturing the $54,000 John Buchanan Stakes at Sam Houston, holding off stakes winners Jess Louisiana Girl and Seis Chilitos. Most recently, she finished a game third in the $54,750 Miss Sam Houston Stakes. Alejandro Ochoa takes the reins.

Second choice at 4-1 is Peppa, representing the Terrazas Family. Trained by Arturo Terrazas III and ridden by Nestor Duran, the daughter of second-crop sire Chilitos out of Newport Lilysdelight by Tres Seis has already made waves on the Texas-Louisiana circuit.

Peppa burst onto the stakes scene with a wire-to-wire score in the $40,000 Albuquerque Juvenile last fall and validated her class with a commanding win in a trial for the Grade 2 Evangeline Downs Futurity, where she was competitive in the $322,000 final. Bred by her owners, Peppa has banked $45,281 from three wins in eight starts.

Another major player is Celebratingtheeagle (9-2), a consistent and seasoned campaigner with earnings of $71,380. Owned by Jesus A. Molina and trained by Janessa Lee Muniz, the This Is An Eagle filly has faced top company across Louisiana and Texas.

 Out of Zoomin N Celebrating by Azoom, and bred by Debbie Eller, she fetched $29,000 at the TQHA Yearling Sale. She comes into this race off two strong efforts at Delta Downs this spring, running a close second in a trial for the Old South Derby and then finishing third in the $111,000 final, just a nose behind runner-up Cc Valiant. Raul P. Hernandez, Jr. will be aboard for Thursday’s stakes.

The field also includes Enshilada, an improving daughter of Chilitos who just scored an allowance win at Sam Houston, and Fabulous Casina, coming off a wire-to-wire score in allowance company after finishing fourth in the John Buchanan Stakes.

Ima Chili Tops Field in $40,000 Silver Bullet Stakes

Following the La Villita, Race 11 at Retama Park will cap opening night with the $40,000 Silver Bullet Stakes, a 330-yard feature for accredited Texas-bred 3-year-olds. Scheduled for a 10:43 p.m. CDT post, the stakes includes several stakes veterans led by the in-form double-registered gelding Ima Chili.

Ima Chili, under jockey Nestor Duran, won the Sam Houston 250 Stakes in his last start June 14.
© Jack Coady Photography

The 2-1 morning-line favorite, Ima Chili enters as the horse to beat for owner Darrell L. Hooper and trainer Zackery N. Rios. Bred in Texas by Sarah Huskey, the son of Chilitos out of Im Not Hillary by Executive Menace has racked up over $94,000 in 13 starts.

He is in peak form, coming off a determined nose win in the $55,000 Sam Houston Stakes on June 14, and a neck second in the prestigious $54,000 Leon Bard Memorial. Regular pilot Nestor Duran will once again be in the saddle.

The Leaders an Eagle (9-2) looms as a key challenger. The gelded son of multiple stakes sire This Is An Eagle, out of Cartel Leader by Corona Cartel, has been razor-sharp this season for owner/breeder Pete A. Scarmardo and trainer John A. Stinebaugh.

After a pair of near-miss maiden tries in April, he has since posted back-to-back wins at Sam Houston, most recently posting a sharp 95 speed index victory in allowance company at this distance. Gilberto Linares returns to ride the gelding, who was a $32,000 TQHA Yearling Sale grad.

Rounding out the top trio is One Fine Wine (5-1), a well-traveled son of multiple stakes sire Hawkeye out of Shezawinesnob by Heza Fast Dash, bred by Brandon Edwards. Purchased for $16,000 at the TQHA Yearling Sale, the Victor Villarreal trainee has twice hit the board this year, including a gutsy win over 350 yards last time out. He is reunited with rider Alejandro Ochoa, who guided him to victory on May 16 at Sam Houston.

The Silver Bullet lineup also features the stakes-placed Dm Chasing Money and allowance winners Kas Prietito and Puro Chilitos, each seeking a breakthrough victory in stakes company.

With stakes credentials spread across the field, the Silver Bullet is shaping up to be a fitting nightcap to the Retama Park opener.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Would you like more industry news delivered directly to your inbox? Click here to sign up.