Multipel RG1 winner San Lorenzo will head Friday’s 350-yard, $332,900 Sam Houston Derby (G3) at Sam Houston Race Park.

© Coady Photography

HOUSTON, TX—MAY 10, 2021—San Lorenzo, a bay son of Coronas Leaving You and the second-fastest qualifier, is one of 10 sophomores entered back in Friday’s 350-yard, $332,900 Sam Houston Derby (G3) at Sam Houston Race Park.

San Lorenzo made his season debut with a clear 2 1/4-length victory in the last of 10 Sam Houston Derby trials on April 24. The Louisiana-bred colt has earned $1,002,340 from seven outs, and his five wins include last year’s 350-yard, $1.026-million Lee Berwick Futurity (RG1) at Delta Downs and 400-yard, $1-million LQHBA Million Futurity (RG1) at Evangeline Downs.

San Lorenzo drew post 5 and will be ridden by Raul Ramirez Jr. for trainer Hector Alcala.

Other contenders include Jose J. Espinoza’s Fear The Dragon, a gelded son of Favorite Cartel trained by Adrian Huitron and the fastest qualifier. Fear The Dragon is coming off of a wire-to-wire, one-length win in the sixth Sam Houston Derby trial. The gelding has won four of 10 races and has banked $90,664, and he was a finalist in last year’s Dash For Cash (G1) and Evangeline Downs (G3) futurities.

Fear The Dragon drew the rail post and will be ridden by Rodrigo Vallejo.

The complete lineup, in post position order including jockey assignments:

1. Fear The Dragon (Rodrigo Vallejo)
2. Ojd Chavela J (Nestor Duran)
3. Special Mariposa (Ali Rivera)
4. FM Steel Rock (Everardo Rodriguez)
5. San Lorenzo (Raul Ramirez Jr.)
6. Jesslightninglegs (Eddie Sanchez)
7. Blame The Fed (Victor M. Urieta Jr.)
8. Tall Timbers (Francisco Calderon)
9. Jess A Dashin Angela (Luis Vivanco)
10. Gianniy (Jorge J. Garcia)

A total of five stakes will be contested at Sam Houston Race Park on Friday. Louis Howard’s Let There Be Sound, a multiple graded stakes winning 7-year-old One Famous Eagle gelding, heads a field of eight distance specialists entered in Friday’s 870-yard, $50,000 Governor’s Cup Marathon Stakes. Let There Be Sound will be making his first start since May 30, 2020, when the gelding scored a one-length victory in the 870-yard, 40,000 Remington Park Distance Championship (G2). All told, he has won nine of 24 races, including nine of 12 at the 870-yard distance, and he has earned $222,117, of which $212,661 has been banked at the 870 trip.

Let There Be Sound was the sport’s champion distance horse in 2019, and he brings a six-race win streak into the Governor’s Cup Marathon. The gelding drew post 7 and will be ridden by Francisco Calderon for trainer John Stinebaugh.

The complete lineup, in post position order including jockey assignments:

1. Masons Jet Black (Paulina Ramirez)
2. Freakin Patriot Dash (Ubaldo Luna)
3. Love Ta Zoom (Claudio P. Aguilar)
4. Holy Storm (Victor M. Urieta Jr.)
5. Silver City Lights (Luis Vivanco)
6. Favorite Kool Cartel (Ricardo Garza-Cruz)
7. Let There Be Sound (Francisco Calderon)
8. Stolis Pro (Pedro C. Espinosa)

A full field of 10 middle-distance specialists are entered in Friday’s 550-yard, $50,000 Harris County Stakes. One Sweet Merlot will be making his first start at the 550-yard trip, but the 7-year-old One Sweet Jess gelding brings in a two-race win streak that includes a one-length victory in a 440-yard, $9,000 allowance race at Louisiana Downs on February 6. One Sweet Merlot drew post 9 and will be ridden by Jose Vega for owners David Jones and Mark C. Cowan, and trainer Trey Ellis.

Valeriano Racing Stables LLC’s Inaugurator is the early favorite for Friday’s 350-yard, $50,000 Sam Houston Stakes. A 4-year-old son of world champion Apollitical Jess trained by Toby Keeton, Inaugurator is coming off of a sophomore campaign during which he banked $315,387 from eight races and scored a one-length victory in the 400-yard, $232,000 Heritage Place Derby (G2) at Remington Park. The gelding drew post 6 and will be ridden by Luis Vivanco.

Card One Starter, a homebred 3-year-old Docs Best Card gelding owned by Jose E. Guzman, will make his first start against older horses in Friday’s 110-yard, $50,000 Texas Twister Stakes. Card One Starter will be making his first start at the short 110-yard distance, but he has earned $107,324 from three outs this season, and his two wins include a head victory as the 3-2 favorite in the 350-yard, $252,000 Oklahoma Derby G3) at Remington Park on March 20. Card One Starter drew post 6 and will be ridden by Victor M. Urieta Jr. for trainer Juan Diaz Jr.

All Sam Houston Race Park races can be seen at Q-RacingVideo.com.