2008 Grade 2 Texas Yellow Rose and Texas Six Shooter Stakes
3/31/2008

Sam Houston Race Park, March 29, 2008-- The running of the 2008 Texas Yellow Rose and Texas Six Shooter proved that sometimes all bets are off when a well bred field enters the starting gates. Some of the very finest fillies and colts in the U.S.A. vied for the wins in both Grade 2 stakes at Sam Houston Race Park March 29th. These prestigious races are run as the 2nd leg in the U.S. Arabian Triple Crown series.

Over $184,000 was wagered on the Texas Yellow Rose for 4 year old fillies. And over $155,000 was wagered on the Texas Six Shooter for 4 year old colts and geldings- a very respectable figure for the 10th and last race of the evening which generally does not produce extraordinary handle.

The favorites in the Yellow Rose included 2007 Darley Nominee Abra Caadabra and 2007 Darley Winner Dixie Dance, and favorites in the Six Shooter were 2 time stakes winner/4 time stakes placed Cool Sand Luke coupled with stablemate Throttle Up. However it was DC Willful Spirit going off at a almost 7/1 odds who drew clear to win the Texas Yellow Rose. In a similar surprise for the bettors, it was Remarkable Man at a little more than 8/1 odds who won the Texas Six Shooter in a driving finish.

DC Willful Spirit chased Darley Winner Dixie Dance and broke clear in the stretch, leaving eight other top fillies behind in the $43,350 Texas Yellow Rose. She is skillfully trained by Jernesto Torrez.

DC Willful Spirit, by Virgule Al Maury out of Wibwilcca by Wilkolak, is bred and owned by Dan & Claudia Spears. Virgule Al Maury is a two time leading sire of the year, and Wibwilcca is a Darley winning, pure Polish mare with four offspring to date- the first being 2 time stakes placed Vibvilcca, a full sister to DC Willful Spirit. DC Willful Spirit was piloted to victory in the Texas Yellow Rose by jockey Jorge Guzman. She was well prepped for this stake, having already won 2 races this year. In her 2007 record, she won 1 race, and had 3 seconds including her stakes placing in the Texas Arabian Futurity Fillies. Her career starts are now 11, with earnings of $43,172.

Ruby Earrings who ran second is a chestnut filly by Rubis De Carrere and out of Zeralda Josniere by Djelfor. She came into this race no stranger to high level stakes company. She was stakes placed in the 2007 Betsy Ross Distaff at Delaware Park. In the Texas Yellow Rose, jockey Larry Taylor helped her improve her race record to 6(1-3-1)0-2. Ruby Earrings is owned by Tom Fritz, and was bred by Kiki Courtelis.

 

Remarkable Man, a ¾ sibling to Orgia Fata- Polish Triple Crown winner, made an eye opening run for the money in the Texas Six Shooter. He dueled for the early lead between rivals, chased the leaders on the turn, and battled determinedly in the final furlong. Under strong urging from jockey Benjamin Winnett, Remarkable Man inched clear with a driving finish, winning by 1 1/4 lengths.

Remarkable Man is a bay colt by the french imported sire Chndaka, and out of a Monarch AH daughter, No Ordynary Gal. Remarkable Man had only raced twice, with no wins or placings in 2007 and no starts in 2008. The Texas Six Shooter was only his third race in his lifetime, his first win, and remarkably, a stakes win. Remarkable Man was bred by Mandolynn Hill Farm in Texas, and is owned by Kathy and Paul Smoke of Michigan. He is trained by Delaware's Lynette Hershbell.

Jockey Esteban Unsihuay rode Frysk Me Now and led the race to the stretch but was outfinished to take second. Frysk Me Now, owned and bred by the astute breeder Dianne Waldron, is another product of her incredible cross of Dormane, France’s leading sire, and Fryga, a multiple Darley winner and member of the Racing Hall of Fame……Frysk Me Now came into this race a two time winner plus stakes placed in the 2007 Alec Courtelis Juvenile Stake at Delaware Park. He has now earned $38,640 in 12 starts.

Robotic, owned and bred by Guy Neivens, finished third with jockey Eguard Tejera aboard. Robotic is by TC Tomtyr and out of Sweet Illusion by Minos GASB. His record is now 2 wins, 2 seconds and three thirds/1 stakes placing out of 9 races.

Runners in order of finish: Remarkable Man, Frysk Me Now, Robotic, Cool Sand Luke, Stoicc, Catilyns Hot, Intryge, Throttle Up, Case Dismissed, Johnny B Goode.