Boggy Creek powers to score in Sam Houston Texan Juvenile

HOUSTON - Boggy Creek unleashed an explosive move around the final turn in the $150,000 on Saturday night, winning the race by three lengths before a crowd of 8,284 at Sam Houston Race Park.

The Juvenile was his first start in blinkers, and his route race on dirt.

Major League finished second, while it was another neck back in third to 2-5 favorite Leaving On My Mind.

Boggy Creek ($10) was pinched back at the start and spotted the field about five lengths in the Juvenile, which was the lone open company race on a card of nine stakes worth $625,000. He continued trail the field as Stan's Friend ran the opening half-mile in 46.46 seconds, and six furlongs in 1:12.69.

Boggy Creek launched a startling move on the final turn, sweeping past his rivals while four wide. He had a clear lead in the stretch, and went on to cover the mile and a sixteenth over a muddy track in 1:44.99.

"I rode him at Arlington when he broke his maiden and I thought if he gives the same kind of kick, we'll be allright," said Carlos Marquez Jr., who rode Boggy Creek.

Ken McPeek trains the winner for John Parker of Houston. Parker said he would like to see Boggy Creek develop into a candidate for the Kentucky Derby. The colt is scheduled to ship to Fair Grounds early in the week, and will be stabled with another trainer before returning to McPeek in the spring in Kentucky.

Parker said McPeek is wintering in Florida, and listed Bret Calhoun and Steve Asmussen as the top two candidates under consideration to manage Boggy Creek in Louisiana.

Boggy Creek earned $90,000 for the win, which was his third in five starts. His earnings now stand at $120,111. Boggy Creek is a son of Menifee and Parker purchased him at Keeneland last September for $125,000.

Leaving On My Mind, who was looking for his fifth consecutive stakes win, was forced to steady near the three-eighths pole Saturday. He did well to finish third and remains a "strong possibility" to run in the $1 million Delta Jackpot on Dec. 4, said his trainer, Danny Pish.

Handle on the 11-race program was $1,682,100, with $364,530 of that amount bet on track at Sam Houston.