Trainer J.R. Caldwell has been preparing for Saturday night’s $700,000 Texas Champions Day at Sam Houston Race Park for more than a year. He will saddle horses in five of the seven stakes on the card, including the sharp Singapore Flash in the $100,000 Richard King Turf. The stakes are all restricted to horses bred in Texas, and each is worth $100,000. The 10-race card starts at 5:55 p.m. Central. There will be mandatory payouts in the early and late pick five, and the pick six. Caldwell, 47, is hoping for a big night Saturday. “We’re excited to be a part of this,” he said. “My clients have given me an opportunity to make my swing. “In the last year my focus has been Sam Houston and Lone Star. We’ve bought Texas-bred babies, made claims to gear up for these Texas Champions Day stakes. We’re trying to make a big push.” :: Take your handicapping to the next level and play like a pro with free Formulator, DRF's premium data product Singapore Flash will attempt to get the barn on the board right off the bat. The Richard King, for 4-year-olds and up over 1 1/8 miles on the grass, is the first of the night’s stakes. Singapore Flash has won his last two starts, beginning with an allowance Jan. 20 at Sam Houston. He came back and captured the $75,000 Houston Turf by a neck over Sunlit Song, who is not defending his title in this year’s Richard King. “He ran a very big race to outrun Sunlit Song,” Caldwell said of the Houston Turf. “We were like, ‘Wow!’ That was a great race. The two of them were throwing it down for a quarter of a mile. That was just two great horses giving it their all.” Lane Luzzi has been aboard Singapore Flash for both of his starts at the meet and again has the mount from post 6. Singapore Flash is a son of Shanghai Bobby owned by Triple V Racing. The horse is 2-5 on the morning line in the field of seven that includes Moojab Jr, a stakes winner who was third in last year’s Richard King. The Star of Texas for 4-year-olds and up at a mile drew the Caldwell-trained Algebra. He will be moving back to two turns after running second going seven furlongs in the $75,000 H-Town Stakes won by Mr Money Bags on Feb. 19 at Sam Houston. Algebra was a $25,000 claim in November at Remington Park by Farmers Fillies Racing. “We claimed him because I thought the mile division would probably be the weakest with Sunlit Song on the grass and Mr Money Bags sprinting,” Caldwell said, referring to two Texas-bred champions. “I was thinking the dirt route would be the easier spot. Algebra earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 81 for his 4 1/2-length allowance win at a mile Jan. 8 at Sam Houston. He put up the same number in the H-Town, and it’s also the best last-race Beyer in the Star of Texas. “He came out of his last race great and has had five weeks in between,” Caldwell said. Luzzi has the mount from post 3. The chief threats in the nine-horse field appear to be Direct Dial, who won last year’s Star of Texas; Gold Pilot, who comes off a third-place finish in the H-Town; and Kenai Bob, winner of the $75,000 Assault at a mile on turf last summer at Lone Star Park. Mr Money Bags will be in action Saturday night in the Spirit of Texas for 4-year-olds and up at six furlongs. Caldwell will counter with He’s a Suitor, who was a $17,500 claim out of a win at Sam Houston, and K C Tiz Moro. Mr Money Bags was a 2 3/4-length winner of the H-Town, coming from just off the pace in the seven-furlong race. He earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 87. “He’s doing great,” trainer Jaylan Clary said. “I liked that he really wasn’t tired after his race. He pulled up good. “And he really showed that he’s okay sitting anywhere. Typical Mr Money Bags. He listened, does everything we ask.” Mr Money Bags is now 4 for 5 at Sam Houston. Overall, the horse has won 12 of 25 starts for earnings of more than $600,000. “When it comes to Mr Money Bags, you could ask him to run on concrete and he’d run on concrete,” Clary said. “But he does seem to really like Houston. He loves the atmosphere – loves everything about it.” :: Get Daily Racing Form Past Performances – the exclusive home of Beyer Speed Figures Mr Money Bags has been a regular in the sprint ranks the past few years, but earlier in his career he also had stakes success at two turns. He could have also gone in the Star of Texas on Saturday. “We went with the six furlongs because that’s what he’s been good at,” Clary said. “And the mile figured to draw quite a few horses. I knew the six furlongs would draw up a little shorter field. We want to stretch him back out, but for this race we’ll just kind of keep him where we’ve been comfortable.” Ernesto Valdez-Jiminez has the mount from post 5 for owner Erma Cobb. The Groovy for 3-year-olds at six furlongs drew a Caldwell trainee in Legally Lethal. He comes off a 3 3/4-length maiden special weight win at Sam Houston. The Beyer Figure of 70 that Legally Lethal earned is the best last-race number in the Groovy. “Highlander Training Center gave us the opportunity with him,” Caldwell said of the horse’s owner. “He’s been flawless. He doesn’t make any mistakes. It was a big effort last time.” Luzzi has the mount from post 7 in the field of eight Saturday. “He’ll do whatever you want,” Caldwell said. “He’s all business. With the outside post, we can kind of dictate what we need.” Legally Lethal is a son of Dialed In. His rivals include Chief Brady, who is 2 for 2 and coming off a victory in the Jim’s Orbit division of the Texas Stallion Stakes at Sam Houston. The Bara Lass is for 3-year-old fillies at six furlongs, and Caldwell will send out Jan’s Turn to Win and Texas Ascot Queen. ◗ Lady Ave, a winner of eight of her last nine starts, will be moving back into the Texas-bred ranks for the Yellow Rose for fillies and mares at six furlongs. She has won her last four starts, with three of those victories coming at Sam Houston. Stewart Elliott has the mount for trainer Steve Asmussen. ◗ Discreet Smile will be a sentimental favorite in the San Jacinto for fillies and mares over 1 1/16 miles on turf following the January death of her longtime trainer, Larry Stroope.