Angelica Zapata among eight for Houston Ladies Classic

Angelica Zapata will be looking for the 11th stakes win of her career Saturday night in the $400,000 Houston Ladies Classic at Sam Houston Race Park.

She has invaded from south Florida to be part of an eight-horse field that includes defending champ Rose to Gold, probable favorite Cassatt, and multiple stakes winners Shanon Nicole and Kiss to Remember.

Angelica Zapata enters the Houston Ladies Classic off a fifth-place finish in the Grade 3 My Charmer at Gulfstream Park West. Juan Leyva has the mount in the 1 1/16-mile race for fillies and mares. The pair will break from post 6.

“We contemplated coming to Houston last year but stayed at Gulfstream for the Sabine,” said trainer Ron Pellegrini. “She had some time off, and we think this will be a good spot for her.”

Rose to Gold is also in from Florida. She is a multiple Grade 3 winner sitting on millionaire status with earnings of $986,183.

Kiss to Remember, meanwhile, will travel from Fair Grounds, where she won the Pago Hop in her most recent outing Dec. 27. Kiss to Remember will break from post 2 under James Graham.

“She’s never competed at this distance, but I like her inside draw to help her get the extra sixteenth of a mile,” said Tom Amoss, who trains Kiss to Remember.

Shanon Nicole is scheduled to ship to Sam Houston on Friday, according to trainer Mike Maker.

The Houston Ladies Classic ranks as the richest Thoroughbred race in Texas and will anchor the state’s richest card for Thoroughbreds. There will be four stakes in all Saturday night, with the others the Grade 3, $200,000 Connally Turf Cup for older horses at 1 1/8 miles, the $75,000 Turf Sprint that drew Heitai, and the $50,000 Allen’s Landing.

The four races will form an all-stakes pick four that will have a minimum guaranteed pool of $100,000. The bet will run on races 5-8 and has a reduced takeout of 12 percent. The wager has a 50-cent minimum. Sam Houston planned to offer advance wagering on Saturday night’s card starting Friday.

Post time for the Ladies Classic will be 9:25 p.m. Central after Sam Houston moved its Saturday night start time up an hour for this meet. The stakes will be broadcast live on HRTV.