The $400,000
Houston Ladies Classic will take center stage Saturday at Sam Houston Race
Park, debuting as the richest race in the track’s history and anchoring a
four-stakes card that also features the Grade 3, $200,000
John B. Connally Turf Cup.
The 1 1/16-mile Houston Ladies Classic has drawn six runners, but most will
be watching Summer Applause’s performance in her return from a more than
eight-month layoff. The Harlan’s Holiday filly was a top contender on the
Kentucky Oaks trail last season, capturing the Grade 3 Rachel Alexandra while
running second in the Silverbulletday and Grade 2 Fair Grounds Oaks.
Summer Applause was beaten by Believe You Can in those latter two races, and
fell to that rival in the Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks as well, finishing fourth in the
nine-furlong contest. That would be the Bret Calhoun trainee’s final start as a
three-year-old and, even though her conditioner wanted to get a start into her
prior to the Houston Ladies Classic, the bay four-year-old will enter Saturday’s
race off a trio of works at Fair Grounds from this month, most recently going
five furlongs in 1:00 3/5.
The Houston Ladies Classic will renew the rivalry between Brushed by a Star
and Joyful Victory after the former, a five-year-old daughter of Eddington, got
the best of Joyful Victory in their last two outings.
Brushed by a Star stuck her head in front of Joyful Victory on the wire of
the Grade 2 Chilukki, then finished second to that one’s third in the Grade 2
Falls City Handicap in the duo’s last start of 2012. The bay mare was making her
first start for new trainer Eddie Kenneally in the Falls City, and also strung
together three straight last season, including a victory in the Grade 2 Molly
Pitcher at Monmouth Park. Corey Lanerie stays in the saddle after holding the
reins in the Chilukki and Falls City.
Joyful Victory is seeking her first win since taking the Tiffany Lass at Fair
Grounds last February. The Larry Jones-conditioned Tapit mare has been second or
third in her five starts since that one while criss-crossing the country,
including a runner-up effort in the Grade 1 Zenyatta at Santa Anita. Rosie
Napravnik was aboard for the Zenyatta and retains the mount here.
Sisterly Love will be making her stakes bow in this spot while being saddled
by Mark Casse for the first time as well. The five-year-old daughter of Bellamy
Road owns just three career starts, but was unbeatable in that trio in Florida.
The bay mare made her career debut at Calder last October, scoring by 11 1/2
lengths, then moved to Gulfstream to take a pair of allowances in December.
Regular rider Luis Saez will be back in the irons.
She’s All In and Lookinforchange complete the Houston Ladies Classic, with
the former bringing a two-race win streak into the race and the latter owning
the only experience over the track when fifth last February in the Jersey Lilly.
The Connally Turf Cup will take place one race before the Houston Ladies
Classic and boasts a competitive field of 10 going 1 1/8 miles on the turf. King
David will try to rebound off a close fourth-placing in the Claiming Crown
Emerald on December 1. The Hat Trick four-year-old was an upset winner of the
Grade 1 Jamaica Handicap last October, but has been unable to duplicate that
performance in two starts since, though he did beat the re-opposing Lockout when
second to that one’s third in the Grade 3 Commonwealth Turf two back.
Also entered are Grade 2 victor Willcox Inn, second to recently crowned Horse
of the Year Wise Dan in the Grade 1 Shadwell Turf Mile at Keeneland, and
multiple Grade 3-placed stakes winner Swift Warrior, fourth by just three parts
of a length in the Grade 3 River City Handicap in late November.
The Houston Racing Festival will also feature the $75,000
Champion Energy Services, a five-furlong turf sprint, and the $50,000
Allen’s Landing going seven furlongs. The Champion Energy Services has
veteran runner and 2010 Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint hero Chamberlain Bridge drawn
in the far outside 10 post, while Super Bowl scorer Tour Guide tops the eight
sophomores entered in the Allen’s Landing.
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