Sam Houston Race Park Preview

Sam Houston Race Park Preview

The Sam Houston Futurity, Derby headline Saturday's stakes-laden program at the track.

Fire Cowboy. PHOTO: Coady Photography

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DK Marney Jess, a graded stakes winning daughter of world champion Apollitical Jess and one of five finalists from the barn of trainer Juan Diaz Jr., heads a field of 10 2-year-olds entered back in Saturday's 330-yard, $621,810 Sam Houston Futurity (G2) at Sam Houston Race Park.

DK Marney Jess has won all three of her races and has earned $187,966 for her owner, CH Horse Racing LLC. The filly''s spring resume includes a nose victory in the 300-yard, $398,000 Louisiana Downs Futurity (G2) on March 30.

DK Marney Jess drew post 4 and will be ridden by Juan Pulido.

Diaz will also send out fastest qualifier Machiavelli for owner CH Horse Racing. A $51,000 purchase at last year's Ruidoso Select Yearling Sale, the gelded son of champion Tempting Dash broke his maiden with a 1 1/4-length victory in one of 14 trials contested May 24-25.

Machiavelli drew post 5 and will be ridden by Nestor Duran.

The complete lineup, in post position order including jockey assignments and morning-line odds:
Tailwynde (Victor Urieta Jr.), 7-5
Hogans Hero (Bryan Candanosa), 7-2
Mi Favorito Whiskey (Martin Osuna), 15-1
DK Marney Jess (Juan Pulido), 8-1
Machiavelli (Nestor Duran), 10-1
Favorite MVP Z Kiss (Ali Rivera), 12-1
Walk Thru Favorite (Noe Villatoro), 9-2
Celebratingtheeagle (Eric Reyes), 20-1
Hocksareback (Luis Vivanco), 20-1
Marfalous (Ubaldo Luna), 30-1

Also on Saturday, fastest qualifier Fire Cowboy will put his long win streak on the line in the 350-yard, $280,450 Sam Houston Derby (G3) for 3-year-olds.

Trained by Juan Diaz Jr. for owner Emmanuel Villareal, Fire Cowboy is coming off of a three-quarter length victory in the second of five trials on May 23. The gelded son of Flying Cowboy 123 has won his last six races, including the October 21 John Deere Juvenile Challenge Championship (G2) at Lone Star Park, and the December 15 Evangeline Downs Futurity (G3) at Evangeline Downs.

Fire Cowboy was a $22,000 yearling buy at the 2022 Los Alamitos Equine Sale. All told, the gelding has won seven of 10 races -- including three of five at Sam Houston Race Park -- and he has banked $245,593.

"Many 2-year-olds are fast, and Fire Cowboy has always had speed," said Diaz. "What makes him so successful is that he just feels good in his natural state."

Fire Cowboy drew the rail post and will be ridden by Victor Urieta Jr.

The complete lineup, in post position order including jockey assignments and morning-line odds:
Fire Cowboy (Victor Urieta, Jr.), Even
Hesa Gamer (Eleazar Rivera Hernandez), 9-2
Jaegar (Luis Vivanco), 6-1
Dragones (Claudio Aguilar), 20-1
Swanky B (Oliver Martinez), 30-1
Revolutionaerie (Nestor Duran), 10-1
Princess Chenoa (Jose Alvarez), 12-1
Cr Dmj Policy (Noe Villatoro) 10-1
Eyes Like an Eagle (Juan Pulido) 15-1
Jmg One Hott Eagle (Gaspar Garcia), 20-1

A total of eight American Quarter Horse stakes will be run at Sam Houston Race Park on Saturday, closing night of the track's spring meet, including the:
870-yard, $50,000-added Jesse Yoakum Memorial Stakes (R) for Texas-breds
550-yard, $50,000-added Sam Houston 550 Stakes (R) for Texas-breds
400-yard, $50,000-added Willie Hickman Memorial Stakes (R) for Texas-breds
250-yard, $50,000-added Sam Houston 250 Stakes (R) for Texas-breds
330-yard, $50,000-added Miss Sam Houston Stakes (R) for Texas-bred fillies and mares
330-yard, $69,090 Sam Houston Juvenile Stakes for 2-year-olds

AQHA News and information is a service of the American Quarter Horse Association. For more news and information, follow @AQHA Racing on Twitter, "like" Q-Racing on Facebook, and visit www.aqha.com/racing.