By Martha Claussen

HOUSTON, TX–JUNE 12–Sam Houston Race Park will close out its 2025 live racing season on Saturday, June 14, with eleven Quarter Horse races, beginning at 6:30 pm (CT). The biggest night of the meet will feature nine stakes, including the running of the $700,000 Sam Houston Futurity(G2).  In addition, Sam Houston Race Park will honor the meet’s leading owner, trainer, and jockey.

Pricy Top Qualifier Fast Flyer 123 Favored in the $275,200 Sam Houston Derby(G3)
Four 400-yard trials for the $275,200 Sam Houston Derby were completed on Thursday, May 22. Fast Flyer 123 blazed to victory in :19.875 seconds under jockey Victor Urieta, Jr. in the final trial of the evening. The colt by Flying Cowboy 123 out of the Mr Jess Perry mare Uptowne Babe, drew post two for Saturday’s final.

Purchased for $450,000 at the 2023 Heritage Place September Yearling Sale by Triple Five, a group of five couples from the San Antonio area, Fast Flyer 123 was bred in Oklahoma by Sam W. Greene and is trained by Oscar Constancio, Jr. He won just one of seven starts last year and will be ridden in the final by Urieta, who won last year’s Sam Houston Derby aboard Fire Cowboy. He has been installed as the 5-2 favorite.

Trainer Jose Sanchez will saddle the third-fastest qualifier, Eagles Up, a son of One Famous Eagle, bred in Louisiana by Jumonville Farms. The runner-up in the $322,000 EVD Futurity last December at Evangeline Downs is the highest earner in the field with $79,223. The sorrel colt finished second by a neck to Fast Flyer 123 in a time of :19.962 seconds. Luis Vivanco, who won the 2011 and 2022 editions of the Sam Houston Derby, has the call and will break from post position nine at odds of 9-2.

“This is a nice horse,” said Sanchez. “He ran well at Evangeline, so we were not surprised to see his effort in the Derby trial. Luis stood him in the gates on Tuesday, and we believe the outside post will help him.”

Young horseman Zackary Stinebaugh owns and trains Georg, a gelding by Valiant Hero, bred in Oklahoma by William E. Smith. Stinebaugh purchased him last fall at Lone Star Park and was impressed with his three efforts earlier this year at Remington Park prior to his trial victory here in :20.173 seconds.

“He’s been running well all year and stepped up big in his trial win,” he explained. “He’s been thriving here in Houston and is a beautiful horse, the epitome of gorgeousness! It’s exciting that I own and train him!”

Georg will break from the far outside post under jockey Gilberto Linares at 20-1.

Develop A Plan won the inaugural running of the Sam Houston Derby in 1994 and the list of noted champions includes Tailor Fit, Streakin Sin Tacha, Diamond Tres Seis, Moonin The Eagle and Eyesa Jess Jumpn.

The Sam Houston Derby will run as the tenth race on the card with an approximate post time of 10:36 pm.  The winner will earn $110,080. The field, in post-position order, including jockey assignments and odds is as follows:

1. Celena Olena (Rodrigo Vallejo, 6-1
2. Fast Flyer 123 (Victor Urieta, Jr.,),  5-2
3. Dr Pepper 123 (Noe Villatoro, 10-1 
4. Shez Flyn (Oliver Martinez), 4-1
5. Butane (Raul Hernandez, Jr.), 15-1
6. Chill to the Bone (Oscar Andrade, Jr),  20-1
7. Beaux Tye (Eddie Sanchez), 6-1
8. Mexican Kash (Claudio Aguilar), 12-1
9. Eagles Up (Luis Vivanco), 9-2
10. Georg (Gilberto Linares), 20-1

Sam Houston Race Park will present the following stakes on Saturday, June 14, beginning in race 3. A press release on the $700,000 Sam Houston Futurity(G2) was released yesterday and can be viewed here.

Eight Distance Specialists Entered in the $50,000 Jesse Yoakum Memorial 870 Stakes

The first stakes of the Saturday card is the $50,000 Jesse Yoakum Memorial 870 Stakes. The race is named in honor of the late Quarter Horse trainer Jesse Yoakum,  a strong supporter of Texas racing and had tremendous success at Sam Houston Race Park. 

He was a jockey prior to beginning a training career that spanned 30 years. Yoakum trained Sam Houston Futurity (G1) winner Beduinos Rusty, Sam Houston Classic (G2) winner A Glint Of Gold, 870-yard specialist, The Field Cricket, Governor's Cup Marathon (G3) winner Doctor Streakin, and Barnmaster Sprint Stakes (RG3) champion Turfinator.

The field includes Byron Gardner’s homebred Eye Will Decide who won this stakes in 2023 and was the runner-up here last year. Adan Guzman trains the 7-year-old son of Majestic Cartel. The multiple-stakes winner will be ridden by Froylan Ramirez, who will break from post position eight.

Kenneth A. Hammond’s Determined is in search of his third consecutive score for trainer Juan Johnny M. Hernandez with jockey Luis Vivanco guiding the 4-year-old son of  One Famous Diamond from the rail.

GJR Rooster, who ran second to the incomparable distance specialist, The Grand Legend, in the Q-Racing Distance Challenge here on May 17,  is also in the field. Ali Rivera has the call for owners Richard D. Young, Joe David Yates, and Zack Stinebaugh, who trains the 4-year-old gelding by 2017 Sam Houston Futurity champion This Is An Eagle.

Yoakum’s wife, Sharon, son Jerry Lee Yoakum, along with his wife, Rosslyn, and their daughter Jaycee, will make the trophy presentation.

Texas Breeder Pete Scarmardo Goes for His Third Win in the $50,000 Willie Hickman Memorial

Prominent Texas breeder and owner Pete Scarmardo has run in the $50,000 Willie Hickman Memorial Stakes each year since its inception. He won the 400-yard stakes for accredited Texas-breds in 2022 with His Time To Deal and last year with Jess the Leader.

Scarmardo will try for his third trophy Saturday evening with another homebred, 5-year-old Hes a Jet One, trained by John Stinebaugh. The son of Ec Jet One triumphed in eight of his 28 career efforts and returns to Sam Houston Race Park following a third in the $75,000 Sam Houston Classic(G2) last month. Former SHRP leading rider Ali Rivera will pilot the 8-5 morning line choice.

Other contenders include Rigoberto Aguilar’s RA Coronado, winner of the $54,000 Leon Bard Memorial here on May 17, and Top Cowboy, a son of Flying Cowboy 123 owned by Rodrigo Gonzalez, and Leviram Racing LLC.

The stakes is named in honor of Willie Hickman, a longstanding member of the racing office. The native of Red Rock, Texas, was involved in many roles in the racing community, from training racehorses to serving in various duties in the Sam Houston Race Park racing office for over 20 years. As stall superintendent, and stakes coordinator, Hickman had lasting relationships with horsemen in both Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse racing.

He also did an excellent job as jockey agent to rider Alfonso Lujan, who won over 2,100 races prior to his retirement in 2018. His daughter, Cheyenne Hickman Bourgeois, and family members, including Shyrl O’Banan Hopkins, will make the presentation to the winner.

Ten “Super Sprinters” Vie in the $50,000 Sam Houston 250 Stakes

The $50,000 Sam Houston 250 Stakes attracted ten accredited Texas-breds, with the winner most likely to be decided in a photo finish!

Believe in Perry, trained by John Stinebaugh, has been tabbed as the 5-2 morning line choice. Owned by Henry E. and Mimi Brown, the 4-year-old son of Mr Jess Perry will cut back to 250 yards for the first time in his career in search of his fifth career win. He competed in the $50,000 Bob Moore(G2) at Remington Park in April and exits a fifth-place finish in last month’s Sam Houston Classic(G2). Ali Rivera will ride.

P and J Racing Ltd.’s homebred Cowgurl Up makes her first start since running in the $216,000 Retama Park Derby last July. The 4-year-old mare by Flying Cowboy 123 posted a bullet work here on May 16 and will break from the far outside post under rider Raul Hernandez, Jr. On June 1, 2024, Cowgurl Up set a new 350-yard track record of 17.193 seconds, which still stands this year.

Another notable is Ima Chili (PT), a 3-year-old gelding by Texas graded winner Chilitos who completed the exacta here in last month’s Leon Bard Memorial Stakes. Jockey Oscar Andrade, Jr. has the return call for trainer Zackery N. Rios.

Defending Champion Leavinematthebar Returns in the $50,000 Sam Houston 550 Stakes

Once again, a very solid group of nine older accredited Texas-breds will compete in the $50,000 Sam Houston 550 Stakes, nicknamed the “Beltway Special.”

Defending champion Leavinematthebar made his 550-yard debut a winning one last year for breeders and owners James Hrabovsky & Leann Nalls. The 5-year-old son of Power Jam, now trained by Brian Stroud, won the Gary Baber Memorial Stakes at Retama Park and finished second in the TQHA 550 Stakes. Ali Rivera will guide the sorrel gelding from post two at odds of 3-1

Ontherocks, a past winner of this stakes, is also in the field for owner Sarah Huskey and trainer Gilberto Gonzalez. Sired by A Revenant, Ontherocks is trained by Esteban Rubio, who will give a leg up to rider Luis Vivanco. Another respected Texas-bred, Donna Mushinski’s Dm Preacher Man, trained by her husband Kie, was the runner-up in 2024 and will be ridden by Eliazar Vera.

The Grand Legend Faces Five in the $50,000 Governors Cup Marathon (G3)

Highly accomplished distance champion The Grand Legend headlines the field in the $50,000 Governors Cup Marathon (G3) to be contested at 870 yards. Bred in Texas by Mercy Hinklins Horse Farm LLC, the 9-year-old son of FDD Going Grand did not disappoint as the prohibitive favorite in last month's $37,774 Q-Racing Video Distance Challenge.

He will make his 43rd career start as the 2-5 choice Saturday evening for trainer Adan Guzman with regular rider Noe Villatoro breaking from post four. It was Guzman who suggested that owner James C. Whitener and his wife, Linda, consider stretching out their Texas-bred.  He won his 870 debut by a margin of 9 lengths in 2023 and has solidified his distance domination with 17 wins and lifetime earnings of $431,267.

Other stakes winners in the field include Rockin J Running Horses’ Rock Ya Later, trained by Tammy Kay Johnson, and  Explosive Legend, owned and trained by David Bustamante.

Ten Fillies and Mares Entered in the $50,000 Miss Sam Houston Stakes

The $50,000 Sam Houston Stakes attracted ten accredited Texas-bred fillies and mares who will compete at 330 yards. Ladys Gotta Jet, the 5-2 morning line choice, is another quality filly bred and owned by Pete Scarmardo. 

Trained by John Stinebaugh, the 4-year-old mare by Ec Jet One has won three of her four starts at Sam Houston Race Park and will be ridden by Ali Rivera.

Celebratingtheeagle returns to Texas off a third-place finish in the $111,000 Old South Derby last month at Delta Downs. Trained by Janessa Muniz, the filly sired by 2017 Sam Houston Futurity winner This Is An Eagle, will make her 11th career start for owner Jesus Molina. Raul Hernandez, Jr. has the call and will break from post position two.

Javier Lujan’s Embers Time is a two-time stakes winner with her most recent victory in the $54,00 John Buchanan Memorial at Sam Houston on May 17. Veteran rider Rodrigo Vallejo has the call aboard the daughter of Pyc Prize Time for trainer Martin Rodriguez. 

Kevin Hogan’s homebred Hogans Hero, a filly by Valiant Hero, qualified for the 2024 Sam Houston Futurity and ran second in the Gillespie County Futurity last July. Luis Vivanco will ride the bay filly who is closing in on the $100,000 earnings mark.

Father's Day Weekend Promotions
In addition to the racing action, Sam Houston Race Park has plenty in store for racing fans on the final night of the Quarter Horse racing season!

• Shoppa's - John Deere Day at the Races
• Lawn Mower Races after Races 2, 3 & 4 with the final following race 6
• Bourbon & Whiskey Tasting - From 6:30 to 9:30 pm on the Clubhouse Level with 15 Types of Bourbon and Whiskey to select from, including a Specialty Cocktail - Smoked Old Fashion
• Jockey Foot Race - We know how fast they are in the saddle; who will reign supreme on foot?

About Sam Houston Race Park
Sam Houston Race Park is Houston’s premier racing and entertainment facility, just 15 miles northwest of downtown Houston. Owned by Penn Entertainment Inc. (NASDAQ – PENN), the racetrack, which opened in 1994, offers a variety of attractions for businesses, group outings, and families during racing and the off-season. The track is best known for its award-winning dining. It features multiple areas for fans looking for casual to upscale dining options, including its Winner’s Circle Restaurant, Jockey Club, Luxury Suites, and Pavilion Centre. For more information or tickets to upcoming live racing, concerts, and events, please visit www.shrp.com or follow on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok or YouTube.

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