2/16/2008
On a rainy night with sloppy track conditions at Sam Houston Race Park on February 16, Texas-breds Classie Baloo and Ablaze With Spirit captured their respective divisions of the Texas Stallion Stakes for 3-year-olds. The Two Altazano division for fillies and the Jim’s Orbit division for colts and geldings were worth $125,000 apiece. Blood-Horse Publications is the trophy sponsor for both races, which are restricted to eligible progeny of nominated Texas stallions.
In the Two Altazano division, which was run during a heavy downpour, Diane Greiner’s homebred Classie Baloo scored a 19-1 upset for trainer Joe Edison. With Perry Whetstone in the irons, the daughter of Uncle Abbie closed strongly and hit the wire with a time of 1:43.21 for one mile. The victory improved Classie Baloo’s earnings to $119,620 with a record of 11-2-2-1. This marked the second consecutive win in the Two Altazano division for an Uncle Abbie filly—last year Wrenice captured the race. Uncle Abbie, a son of Kingmambo, stands at Key Ranch near Salado, Texas.
William S. Farish’s Surfboard, a filly by Valid Expectations, set the pace and held on gamely for second. Island in the Sand, a Sand Tunnel filly running for breeder, owner and trainer Charlie Hukill, finished third, followed by Honor Jones, Jones Time and Formal Flyer in a dead heat for fifth, 5-2 favorite Ms Classic Seneca, Marked Time, Bess Abner and Fiesty Lula.
In the Jim’s Orbit division, Ablaze With Spirit returned to his home state and made a smashing debut to run down 2-1 favorite Gold Coyote. Sent off as the 3-1 second choice, Ablaze With Spirit covered a mile in 1:39.97 with Shaun Bridgmohan up for trainer Steve Asmussen. The colt by American Spirit was purchased privately by Bill and Corrine Heiligbrodt’s Heiligbrodt Racing Stable from breeder Donald Dizney after his last start. Never off the board in his four prior outings, Ablaze With Spirit broke his maiden at Calder Race Course and finished second in a grassy allowance contest at Gulfstream Park in Florida. American Spirit debuted in Texas for the 2004 breeding season and now stands at Dizney’s Double Diamond Farm in Florida.
Clarence Scharbauer Jr.’s homebred Gold Coyote, a two-time stakes winner by Gold Legend, finished second in his first try around two turns. Summer Ballad, a colt by Valid Expectations running for breeder/owner Stonerside Stable, rallied for third. Ferdinand’s Flyer, C E P A’s Forum, Groomsman, Claudia’s Forum, General Honore, Justaclown, Run Danger Run and Uncle Bubba completed the field.
A full recap of these two Texas Stallion Stakes races will appear in the March issue of The Texas Thoroughbred.