Be a Resident takes TTA Sales Futurity

GRAND PRAIRIE, Texas - Be a Resident won a photo over 4-5 favorite Datrick to capture the $99,649 colts and geldings division of the Texas Thoroughbred Association Sales Futurity by a nose at Lone Star Park on Saturday. It was another length and a quarter back in third to Austin Lights.

The race was one of two stakes on the card, the other the $111,330 fillies division of the TTA Sales Futurity, which was won by Miss Mary Pat ($5.40).

Be a Resident ($6.80) broke well and set a pressured pace of 21.78 seconds for the opening quarter and 45.65 for the half-mile mark. In the stretch drive he locked horns with Grade 3 winner Datrick and prevailed, covering the five furlongs over a fast track in 58.50 seconds. Cliff Berry rode the winner, who was making his second career start behind a trial win here May 26.

"My horse did impress me a lot in the trials," said winning trainer Bret Calhoun. "Obvioulsy, he doesn't have the experience against the class of horses Datrick has. It was a real dogfight. I knew my horse would try really hard and give it everything had."

Jamie Theriot rode Datrick, who earlier this year won the Kentucky Breeders' Cup Stakes at Churchill Downs.

"He jumped back to his left lead two jumps before the wire and that bobble, I think it cost him the bob," said Theriot.

Be a Resident earned $59,784 for the win. He is a son of Open Forum and races for Wayne Sanders and Larry Hirsch. Be a Resident was bred in Texas by Ed Few. Calhoun also trains third-place finisher Austin Lights.

A seventh win for Asmussen

Trainer Steve Asmussen captured the fillies division of the TTA for the seventh time, when Miss Mary Pat overtook pacesetter Wrenice in the stretch and went on to a two and a half length win. Wrenice, at 35-1, held second, finishing five and three quarter lengths in front of 25-1 shot Expect an Echo.

Miss Mary Pat broke well and sat in third early as Wrenice jumped out to the lead and was clear through an opening quarter in 21.56 seconds and a half-mile in 45.24. Miss Mary Pat began to advance on the turn and overtook the leader down the stretch to win in 58.28.

"She settled back behind them, relaxed and whenever I called on her at the top of the lane, she was very responsive," said winning rider Quincy Hamilton.

Miss Mary Pat has now won 2 of 3 career starts. She is a daughter of Service Stripe and races for Heiligbrodt Racing Stable and Millennium Farms.

Asmussen's other winners in the fillies division of the TTA have been Maddie's Promise in 1999; Louetta, 2000; Smoke Buster, 2001; Bluegrass Sara, 2000; Berdeila, 2004; and Covered in Clover, 2005.