Albano uses Maxxam Gold Cup as steppingstone

On Saturday night, trainer Larry Jones will attempt to complete a sweep of the two richest dirt races at Sam Houston Race Park, where he sends out Albano in the $100,000 Maxxam Gold Cup. Jones shipped to Texas last month and won the $400,000 Houston Ladies Classic with Cassatt, who is being pointed for the Grade 1 Santa Margarita at Santa Anita. Meanwhile, Albano is a prospect for next month’s Grade 2, $400,000 New Orleans Handicap at Fair Grounds.

“We hope this is going to be his prep for the New Orleans Handicap,” Jones said.

Albano is the probable favorite against five others in the 1 1/8-mile race for 4-year-olds and up. The field includes C J’s Awesome for trainer Ken McPeek and Hattaash for trainer Karl Broberg. The Maxxam is one of three stakes on the card, with 3-year-olds going a mile in the $50,000 Texas Heritage and trainer Mike Maker chasing his fourth stakes win of the meet in the $50,000 Jersey Lilly.

Key contenders

Albano (Last 3 Beyers: 93-90-99)

* He enters the Maxxam off a third-place finish Jan. 17 in the Louisiana Handicap at Fair Grounds. Albano was the favorite in the 1 1/16-mile race and finished 6 1/2 lengths behind the winner, Hard Aces, in his first out since Sept. 1.

“His last race, he just looked like he needed one,” said Jones. “About halfway down that stretch, it looked like, ‘Oops, he’s going to need that race.’ He ran good.”

* Albano will be making a rare start at 1 1/8 miles Saturday. He was fourth at the distance in last year’s Louisiana Derby, then ran second at the trip in the Grade 1 Haskell Invitational won by Bayern, the eventual winner of the Breeders’ Cup Classic.

“I don’t think that’s a problem for him, the mile and an eighth,” Jones said. “That’s what the Haskell was. We may have just got beat by a pretty good horse that day in the Haskell.”

* Albano, a Grade 3 winner who races for his breeder, Brereton Jones, will break from post 3 under Kerwin Clark.

“He always puts himself up kind of close in the race,” Larry Jones said. “He’s got enough tactical speed, puts himself fairly close.”

C J’s Awesome (Last 3 Beyers: 87-99-100)

* He will be making his first start since last fall, having closed out his 3-year-old season with starts in the Grade 2 Pennsylvania Derby and the Grade 2 Indiana Derby.

“He was fourth in the Pennsylvania Derby and the Indiana Derby, and I thought those races were good races,” said McPeek.

* C J’s Awesome will break from post 5 under Deshawn Parker.

“He lays just off them,” McPeek said. “He’s got tactical speed. He’s a really talented horse, broke his maiden at Churchill Downs, and was real impressive in his win at Saratoga.”

A Day in Paradise looks promising

A Day in Paradise, who was second to the eventual Lecomte and Risen Star runner-up War Story in an allowance last out at Fair Grounds, makes his stakes debut in the Texas Heritage. He will start as one of the top choices because of his company lines, consistent nature, and last-race Beyer Speed Figure of 81.

“He’s one of those that’s not super flashy, not going to work bullets in the morning, but by George, he shows up at race time,” Jones said of A Day in Paradise.

Clark has the mount on A Day In Paradise, who has tactical speed, said Jones.

** Maker sends out Kitten’s Queen in the Jersey Lilly, a 1 1/16-mile turf race for fillies and mares.