Actress bound for Houston Ladies Classic

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Actress, the dominant 8 1/4-length winner of the Grade 3 Comely Stakes on Nov. 24 at Aqueduct, will be pointed to the Grade 3, $400,000 Houston Ladies Classic on Jan. 28 at Sam Houston, trainer Jason Servis confirmed Thursday.

Servis said the timing and the 1 1/16-mile distance of that race fits into the schedule for Actress, whom Servis hopes to get to the Grade 1 Apple Blossom at Oaklawn in April.

Servis said that Actress would do her training in New York for now.

“I didn’t think she did that well in the heat,” said Servis, who had the filly based in south Florida last winter.

Servis will ship Pocket Change to south Florida. Pocket Change, who won his debut on dirt, raised his game when switched to the turf last Sunday, winning a first-level allowance by a length while running six furlongs in 1:07.75. He earned a 94 Beyer Speed Figure for the effort. He had earned a 75 Beyer when winning his debut on dirt Oct. 16 at Parx Racing.

“Irad [Ortiz] got off him after that race and said ‘I know he won, but this horse will turf,’ ” Servis said. “It was cool to watch. I kept waiting for him to stop.”

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Pocket Change is by Unbridled’s Song out of an A.P. Indy mare, so Servis believes the colt should appreciate more ground. Servis already has some hard-knocking turf sprinters in Rainbow Heir and Summation Time, who are pointed to turf sprint stakes at Gulfstream in January.

“It’d be hard not to sprint him for his next start, but definitely he’s got the pedigree to run all day and I think he will run all day,” Servis said.

Servis also said that Firenze Fire, winner of the Grade 1 Champagne and seventh in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, remains on course for the Grade 3, $150,000 Jerome Stakes here New Year’s Day.