Challenge


Sam Houston Maiden Challenge Trials Set for Thursday
Sam Houston will host three trials for the Bank of America Maiden Challenge on Thursday's race card.

© Coady Photography
Sam Houston Maiden Challenge Trials Set for Thursday

BY MICHAEL CUSORTELLI

HOUSTON, TX—APRIL, 2014—A total of 25 horses have been entered in Thursday’s 350-yard Bank of America Sam Houston Maiden Challenge trials at Sam Houston Race Park.

The 10 fastest qualifiers will meet in the $18,000-added final on Saturday, May 10.

Anna Paredes’ Drinkin Champagne, a sorrel 4-year-old daughter of Tinys First Corona, is the likely favorite in the first of three trials. Trained by Omar Paredes, the mare is coming off of a two-length victory in a 300-yard maiden special weight sprint for distaffers at Sam Houston on April 3.

Recent maiden winner Pool Room drew post 7 in the second heat. Racing for Hinojosa Farm and Jason Eberle from the barn of trainer Isidro Hinojosa, the homebred 3-year-old gelding by the Shazoom stallion Pool has earned $3,911 from five starts, and he was a finalist in last year’s $55,000 John Deere Retama Juvenile Challenge at Retama Park.

Michael S. Amburn’s Tinalicious drew the outside post in the third trial. A $52,000 buy at the 2012 Ruidoso Select Yearling Sale, the sorrel 3-year-old Shazoom filly is trained by Guy Hopkins, and she was a finalist in last year’s $76,000 John Deere Sam Houston Juvenile Challenge (G3).

All Sam Houston Race Park races can been seen at Q-RacingVideo.com.