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Trainer Steve Roubion Qualifies Top Two Times To Battle of the Breeds 870 Claiming Stakes
Play Rule (TB), ridden by Victor Manuel Urieta Jr, clocks fastest qualifying time after winning his trial heat to the $50,000 estimated Battle of the Breeds 870 Claiming Stakes (not black type) at Lone Star Park on Friday by 1 1/4-lengths.

© Dustin Orona Photography/Lone Star Park
Trainer Steve Roubion Qualifies Top Two Times To Battle of the Breeds 870 Claiming Stakes

GRANDE PRAIRIE, TX–NOVEMBER 3, 2023–Four trials were held Friday evening at Lone Star Park for the $50,000 estimated Battle of the Breeds 870 Claiming Stakes (not black type). One quarter horse made it back to the finals, Silver City Lights by Silver City (TB) and the rest of the seven finalists were thoroughbreds, including the top two fastest qualifiers.

Play Rule (TB), ridden by Victor Manuel Urieta Jr, clocked the fastest qualifying time from the second trial of the 870 yard finals in :46.474 seconds with an 87 speed index. With 3/1 odds, the son of Intimidator was favored second best and the 1 1/4-length gate-to wire victory over Detective Bernardo paid $6.80 to win.

Play Rule has five career wins with $45,187 in the bank. He was third in the G.C.F.A. All Breeds 870 Stakes and a finalist in the Texas TB Breeders' Stakes in his last two outs. The five-year-old gelding was bred in Texas by Keith Asmussen out of Cats Rule by Sir Cat. 

Victory Urieta Jr also rode Shifty Henry to and impressive 4 1/4 length win in the first trial for the second fastest time of the day. The seven-year-old gelding was favored second to win and clocked an 86 speed index in :46.524 seconds paying $5.40 to win on 8/5 odds.

Shifty Henry has lit the board in 25 outs with 12 wins and $188,025 in the bank, including a non black type stakes race at Gillespie in August. Bred in Texas by Ronald and Margaret Ellerbee, the gray roan gelding is out of Coryphee by Hadif. The son of Silver City was first sold in the 2017 TBA Yearling Mixed Sale for $6,500 then for $10,000 in the TBA Two-Year-Old in Training Sale the following year.

Trainer Steve Roubion saddled both Play Rule and Shifty Henry for owner Hamlin Ventures. Mark Hibdon is the only other trainer who conditioned multiple qualifiers to the finals.

CLICK HERE for complete details on the $50,000 estimated Battle of the Breeds 870 Claiming Stakes (not black type) Trials, including horse, sex, sire, dam, dam sire, owner, breeder, trainer and jockey. Finals are to be ran on November 24, 2023.