Texas Champions Day of Stakes Races tonight!

[jellac]

This promises to be an exciting line-up of races among Texas-breds tonight. The club house seating is "sold out" as of yesterday afternoon when I called to try and get a table, so the place will be packed! This is a full card of stakes races for Texas-breds with some outstanding individuals having a chance to 'show their stuff' and in some cases perhaps secure the win that allows them/their connections to win the Top standing in their category among all Texas-breds for 2007. So plenty of Texans' bragging rights are at stake here - and, well you know how Texans like to brag, right?

Here's what I think is the best reason to take this race card in: WRENICE. I have been so excited by this filly since her outstanding two year old campaign and she's ending her 3YO campaign in similar fashion, though with an eye to perhaps developing into a capable open company competitor - she just had a 2nd in a Stakes race at Delta. (BTW: There was an interesting bit about the pedigree analysis that went into the mating that produced this filly in the most recent Bloodhorse by Joe Kirby of Key Ranch who stands Uncle Abbie, her sire. Her pedigree is an example of successful inbreeding to Seattle Slew. Other regular posters to this site were also featured in similar discussions in that article.) Wrenice also presents a decent betting opportunity in that if you believe as I (and nearly all the odds makers) do that she's the obvious favorite there's a great chance to look for horses you think have place and show shots but with odds that allow you to make some money on this otherwise 'decided' race. I'm going to go out there 'just to see' this filly up close in the saddling paddock and in all probability in the winner's circle. (There I think I've jinxed her all I can in being so certain of her success - so you've got a shot betting against her now!)

Another horse I want to see race out of personal curiosity is Holly Lynn - a 3YO filly that was in my 3YO filly's first race/out at Lone Star late this spring - MdnClmg for $10K on the turf @ 5furlongs. She didn't win that race as I recall and hadn't shown much in her prior outs either, but she won her very next out, breaking her Maiden in fairly convincing fashion and then went off to Remington where she's done quite well in Allowance company - now she's back to try what I believe is her first stakes level race. Obviously either her trainer figured something out to get her going right or the little light bulb that sometimes goes off in their heads lit up for this filly after several less than promising earlier in the year. I always like the angle of a horse that seems to be coming into herself/on the improve but obviously this is a big step up for her as well.

There are plenty of other good candidates to watch/bet: contenders for top 2YO/older mare/older gelding or stallion of the year among Texas-breds. This year, in many of those categories the standings are nearly tied going down to the wire here at the end of the year (it's a points based system that gives different weight to win place show based on the 'value' of the stakes race run in.) In some cases these standings between different competitors are so close even a 3rd or 2nd place finish if the other competitor fails to hit the board, could catapult a horse over his/her closest competitors.

There may also be a few late started 2YOs that are thought to have possible Derby potential and this is their chance to show that next level of ability that will decide if they go over to Fair Grounds or up to Oaklawn to try some open company Stakes races as young 3YOs and try to make it to Churchhill in May. Some great horses in tonight - new and well known campaigners alike - and if you don't like the line up in Texas-breds tonight is also Louisiana Champions Day on the other side of the Sabine River.

Hope everyone comes home safe and sound - see ya' at the rail! Would love to hear other's thoughts on who to watch for in tonights' races - anyone???

[Bedouwia]

Great post Jellac. Of course, I am beyond biased concerning Wrenice and Uncle Abbie. I would only add this to your discussion. The three year old filly, Hollye Lynne is also by Uncle Abbie! As Joe has noted elsewhere, her breeding is not by the book or design that resulted in Wrenice. Yet, she is in with a chance today. This is the stuff that dreams are made of.

I am very impressed as well at the quality of some of the two year old running out of Texas. It should be a great night of racing, and I hope you give us a complete first hand account when all the races are run.

Bedouwia

[bdw0617]

Texas champions day/night is always great. on memorial day I got beat by a nose by a double digit odd shot with a woman jockey who literalry never won a race before, but I digress. good to see the pepole coming out in droves to support racing

[Bedouwia]

What a crazy night! I was so excited to be able to watch Sam Houston on TVG, only to be totally frustrated because they never did get the satellite feed working properly. The race with Wrenice in it, was never shown at all. She finished last, and I do not know the story. All the TVG viewers got to see was another filly refusing to enter the gate.... then nothing.

At least the other Uncle Abbie filly, Hollye Lynne, won her stakes race going away, and I got a glimpse of the finish.

There was no coverage of the main event, in which the amazing eight year old Sandburr was the winner.

Most of the favorites lost, and some high priced entries were winners. If anyone was picking them, they left with some fat wallets.

Bedouwia

[jellac]

Ditto what Bedouwia said - I ended up also *trying* to watch it via TVG (after I started breaking out in hives from who knows what - lately I'm allergic to everything it seems )

Not to worry I thought I've still got the TVG option, but NO - was that ever frustrating....especially not getting to see the one race I really really wanted to watch only to hear of a result - Annie Savoy won with no WRENICE or VALID LIL on the boards! - OMG! What happened????

I did get to see Man Named Sue look like he was in position to make a move at top of stretch but it just wasn't there for him. Crook's Bodgit came out of nowhere at 50:1 to take the obvious win from "much the best" to those final few steps from Early Flyer's first SW, Ferdinand Flyer.
Have to say I'd never heard of this horse before but he looked great taking the first - a real powerful/muscular looking build.

Jennz Benz then came on strong to win her race - getting a Texas Champions Day win for Michelle Lovell. John Locke did a great job when he claimed Hollye Lynne and tuned her up for this night - she took the win and for the life of me the only reason I was on top of that longshot was the "John Locke" factor and having followed her success ever since she was in my filly's first race back at Lone Star in June....who knew????

One "Favorite" who did not disappoint was Sandburr - the aged, 8YO, gelding campaigner DID defend his win last year in the same Star of Texas stakes and looked unbeatable doing it. He's such a tough ol' guy - always giving his all to any out, I was glad to see him so well prepped for this return engagement with plenty of layoff time to rest. Stidham as trainer and Nolan as jock, both did a great job with their charge.

OK....now a delayed rant about TVG - not about the signal issue (I'm assuming that's a technical issue that is not wholly, or perhaps not even, under their control) BUT....are there really so many more people playing the harness races that we have to see EVERY RACE start to finnish, with the run ups prior to the start and often the winner's circle shots, even in very cheap claiming races while a rich card of stakes racing for thoroughbreds gets abbreviated and often delayed attention???? What's that really all about!?! Can anyone enlighten me about that?????

[geowarrior]

I don't know Jellac, TVG does seem to pay a great deal of attention to harness racing and it was at pretty low levels that night. I don't know why the network isn't paying more attention to Sam Houston, because whenever the quarters or harness racing is on, some of the commentators have mentioned that they like a mix with thoroughbred racing because they then feel that thoroughbred bettors will move into the betting scenario and increase the overall handle. The night thoroughbred tracks get very little attention (with the exception of the thoroughbred races at Los Alamitos, and any evening cards at Hollywood Park obviously). The network could devote more signal time to both Sam Houston and Mountaineer. However the failure of satellite feed from Sam Houston isn't the fault of TVG, every other outlet relying on that feed would have experienced the same problem. The satellite feed from Sam Houston failed the following evening as well and the Los Al TVG commentators were getting pretty frustrated by it.

It seems strange that TVG doesn't seem to punch up support for the tracks it can still get, because if the network doesn't stop losing US tracks, all we'll see is international racing 24 hours.