El Senador Tequila is one of 44 three-year-olds entered in the Sam Houston Derby trials on Saturday.

© Cypress Girl Photography

By Leann Noguera, StallioneSearch

HOUSTON, TX–MAY 20, 2025– Sam Houston Race Park will host five competitive trials on Thursday, May 22, 2025. 44 three-year-olds will line up to earn a place in the $100,000-added Sam Houston Derby final, which will be held on June 14. Each trial will be contested at 400 yards and is scheduled as races 6 through 10 on the evening’s program.

El Senador Tequila, a gelded son of Fly Thru The Fire out of Remember The Cartel, by Corona Cartel, headlines the first trial in Race 6. He is owned by Joe Ruiz, Jr. and trained by Oscar Constancio, Jr.

Purchased for $27,000 at the Heritage Place Yearling Sale, El Senador Tequila has compiled a solid record of six starts, earning $84,325 with two wins, 1 second, and one third-place finish. Among his top performances is a victory in the $220,000 Gillespie County Fair Futurity. Jockey Roman A. Huerta has the call.

Eagles Up, entered in Race 10, is another leading contender. He is a son of One Famous Eagle out of U R Blue, a daughter of Walk Thru Fire. Bred by Jumonville Farms, Eagles Up was purchased for $75,000 at the Heritage Place Yearling Sale.

He races for Mario H. Vazquez and Jumonville Farms and is trained by Jose Sanchez. Jockey Luis L. Vivanco has the mount. With three wins, one second, and one third from 7 starts and earnings of $77,163, Eagles Up enters the trials with a solid record, including a second-place finish in last year’s Evangeline Futurity-G2.

Hogans Hero, set to run in Race 9, is a gelding by Valiant Hero and out of Tres of Royalty, by Tres Seis. He is bred and owned by Kevin Hogan and is trained by Edith A. Mojica.

Hogans Hero has made nine career starts, hitting the board in seven of them, including one win and six runner-up finishes. He earned $89,543 and will be ridden by jockey Luis L. Vivanco. Among his notable efforts is a second-place finish behind El Senador Tequila in the $220,000 Gillespie County Fair Futurity.

COLORS OF HOUSTON FUTURITY-G2 TRIALS
Also on the program are trials for the $40,000-added Grade 2 Colors of Houston Futurity, contested in races two and three. These 300-yard trials feature two-year-old Paints and Appaloosas aiming to qualify for the final on June 7.

Crb Wagon Shaker, a two-year-old colt by Wagon Tales out of Do the Harlem Shake, is entered in Race 3. He is owned and bred in Oklahoma by Jerry Wayne and Sara Beth Banks. Trained and ridden by Alejandro Ochoa, Crb Wagon Shaker debuted on May 1 at Sam Houston with a sharp 250-yard win, stopping the clock in :13.55 seconds and earning $5,700. He’ll now stretch out slightly and look to carry that speed into trial competition.

Jackson Davis 747, entered in Race 2, is a Texas-bred colt by Chilitos out of Shes a Cartel Girl by The Louisiana Cartel. Bred by Courtney Watson, he races for Val Gonzalez and Tonya Trower Gonzalez.

Trained by Manuel Roman and ridden by Eliazar T. Vera, Jackson Davis 747 broke his maiden on May 8 in a 250-yard dash, crossing the wire in :13.58 to earn $5,880. He’ll be looking to back up that debut win with a strong showing in his trial.

All Sam Houston Race Park races can be seen at Q-Racing Video.com.

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