Sam Houston Classic Preview

Quarter Horse racing fans are in for a treat on Saturday, May 17, at Sam Houston Race Park, with live Quarter Horse action and the simulcast of the Preakness Stakes. The gates will open at 8:30 a.m. (Central); the first race from Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland, runs at 10: 30 a.m. and Sam Houston Race Park’s Quarter Horse program kicks off at 1:00 p.m. Fans will be able to watch and wager on the entire card from Pimlico Race Course, culminating with the running of the second jewel of the Triple Crown, the Preakness Stakes, which will run at 5:50 p.m.

Sam Houston will host a total of six stakes races on Saturday. Previews of the Sam Houston Classic (G2), Leon Bard Memorial Stakes (R) and John Buchanan Memorial Stakes (R) are below. Previews of the three AQHA Racing Challenge stakes are available in the Racing Challenge section.

Field of Ten to Test Their Prowess at 440 Yards in the $75,000 Sam Houston Classic (G2)
It is always a thrill to see experienced older horses compete at the “classic” American Quarter Horse distance of 440 yards, and this year’s edition will be a thriller. Ten runners are entered in the $75,000 Sam Houston Classic (G2). 

John Stinebaugh has two runners in the race: Hes A Jet One (pictured) and Believe In Perry. Hes A Jet One,  bred and owned by Pete Scarmardo, ran fourth in last year’s edition of the Sam Houston Classic but had an excellent showing last summer with stakes victories at Retama Park and Lone Star. The son of EC Jet One qualified for both the All American Derby (G1) as well as the Texas Classic Derby (G1) at Lone Star Park. Ali Rivera has the call on Hes A Jet One, and Gilberto Linares will ride Believe in Perry for owner Henry Brown.

“I describe Hes A Jet One as a dead solid horse,” stated Stinebaugh. “He went through a stint of breaking poorly, so I changed some equipment, and he is running well. He seems to love the Sam Houston surface. Believe In Perry never reached his full potential early last year but has matured and ran two monster races at Remington in March.”

The respected horseman, who has won Grade 1 stakes in Texas, New Mexico and Oklahoma, reflected on having two horses compete in the same feature.

“Racing is peaks and valleys wherever you run,” he explained. “I am fortunate to have great owners, well-bred horses and two of the hardest-working jockeys in the business.”

Trainer Jonathan Castaneda, who won the 2013 Sam Houston Challenge Championship with Kool Country Man, has a solid contender in Pk Pure Rogue. The Louisiana-bred son of Heza Fast Rogue has won five stakes in the last six months for owner Jose Rodriguez and will break from post two under five-time leading Quarter Horse rider Rodrigo Vallejo.

Additional Louisiana stakes winners include Tha Duke, bred and owned by Ashton Elder and Miguel Romero Jr., who is closing in on the half-million earnings mark.

The son of  Rc Me Leaving You won the 2022 LQHBA Louisiana Million Futurity (RG1) in a dead heat, one of nine victories in 18 starts. Leonel Hernandez trains the 5-year-old who will make his Sam Houston debut under jockey Noe Castaneda at odds of 12-1.

GBH Fiscal Toni has won two of his three efforts at 440-yards for conditioner Jose Sanchez, who will give a leg up to his son, Eddie. Sired by The Fiscal Cliff,  the 4-year-old Louisiana-bred captured the $100,000 Louisiana Champions Day Derby (RG3) on December 21 at Evangeline Downs.

Donna and Kie Mushinski return with their striking gray homebred Dm Moonpie, who ran second in last year’s Sam Houston Classic and will be ridden by Froylan Ramirez.  Sam Houston Race Park stakes winners include Sarah Huskey’s Ontherocks trained by Estaban Rubio, and James R. Hrabovsky and Joye Leann Nalls’ homebred Leavinematthebar, who was victorious in the Sam Houston 550 Stakes last June. The 5-year-old son of Power Jam (TB) drew the far outside post and will be ridden by leading Sam Houston Race Park jockey Victor Urieta Jr.

The Sam Houston Classic will run as the tenth race on the program with an approximate post time of 5:00 p.m. Since its first running in 1994, the Sam Houston Classic boasts a stellar list of champions including Streakin Sin Tacha, The Louisiana Cartel and Kool Kue Baby (1995 and 1996) as well as AQHA world champions Tailor Fit and Jessies First Down.

Marfalous Headlines the Field in the $50,000 Leon Bard Memorial Stakes (R)
Stakes action will begin in the fifth race of the program with the running of the $50,000 Leon Bard Memorial (R) named in honor of trainer Leon Bard, who was a leading conditioner at Sam Houston Race Park from 1994-2021. Highly respected in the Texas Quarter Horse racing community as a skilled horseman and industry leader, Bard saddled 2,275 Quarter Horses all over the country but had a noted history in Texas. He won the 2017 Sam Houston Futurity (G2) with This Is An Eagle and the 2019 Bank of America Challenge Championship (G1) at Sam Houston Race Park. Bard won a record five editions of the TQHA Sale Futurity (RG1), beginning with Silver Gol in 2015 as well as Grey Daze (2014), Cartels Pop (2015), Just Another Natural (2017) and Dak (2018).

Leviram Racing LLC’s Marfalous has been installed as the 6-5-morning line favorite in the field of seven accredited Texas-bred colts and geldings who will compete at the distance of 350 yards. Trained by Martin Rodriguez, the 3-year-old gelding by The Marfa Lights was bred by Juan and Jairo Lozano and qualified for three futurities last year, including the $622,000 Sam Houston Futurity (G2). Marfalous will break from post two under five-time leading Sam Houston Race Park jockey Rodrigo Vallejo.

Rigoberto Aguilar’s homebred Ra Coronado returns to Sam Houston Race Park off an allowance victory on December 20 at Evangeline Downs and will be ridden by Nestor Duran.

Bard passed away in 2022 and is greatly missed. His daughters Shelly Burnett and Caryl Merchant will present the trophy to the winning connections.

$50,000 John Buchanan Memorial Stakes (R) Features Seven Texas-Bred Fillies
The $50,000 John Buchanan Memorial Stakes is named in honor of Texas horseman John Buchanan, who passed away in 2020. The resident of Peaster, Texas, was a “hands on” trainer who took extraordinary care of his horses throughout a career that spanned over 30 years. He was prominent in each of the Texas racetracks with major stakes wins at Sam Houston Race Park from Pivotal Decision, Gone Celebrating and the diminutive filly, No Fees. Buchanan gained national recognition winning the 1987 All American Futurity (G1) with Elans Special and with Brimmerton who won the Rainbow Derby (G1) and All American Derby (G1) at Ruidoso Downs.

The notable accredited Texas-bred fillies in the field include Seis Chilitos, who drew the rail as the even-money choice for owner Jaime Cardenas. The filly by Chilitos out of one of the Tres Seis mare Seis Passes won the 2024 Sam Houston Juvenile and finished fourth in the $606,000 TQHA Sale Futurity (RG1). Bred in Texas by Richard Arizpe, Seis Chilitos was purchased for just $28,000 at the 2023 TQHA Yearling Sale and has already earned $105,044. Victor Urieta Jr. has the mount for trainer Miguel A. Castillo.

Javier Lujan’s Embers Time, who broke her maiden here last April, has been very consistent in eight career starts. The daughter of Pyc Prize Time won the Dash for Cash Juvenile at Lone Star Park on October 5 and completed her 2-year-old season with a runner up finish in the Turkey Time Stakes. Rodrigo Vallejo has the call for conditioner Martin Rodriguez.

The John Buchanan Memorial will run as the sixth race on the program. Buchanan’s wife, Iris, daughter Amanda and granddaughter Brix, will be onsite to present the trophy.

News and Notes
The fourth race on the card is a 330-yard maiden with a field of ten going 330 yards. Elite Racing's Mr Pacmann, a record-breaking $1-million purchase at the Ruidoso Select Yearling Sale, will make his debut for trainer Marc Jungers.  Cristian Ramos will ride the colt by Feature Mr Jess out of the Stoli mare Faith and Courage, bred in Louisiana by J.E. Jumonville.

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