Can't Be Wrong eyes repeat in Texas Hall of Fame Stakes

Can’t Be Wrong will put his perfect Retama Park record on the line Saturday night, when he attempts to win the $50,000 Texas Horse Racing Hall of Fame Stakes for the second year in a row. The race complements inductions into the Texas Hall, with this year’s class to include Steve Asmussen and the late Steve Sexton.

The Hall of Fame Stakes is for 3-year-olds and up at 1 1/16 miles on the grass. It will share a card with the $50,000 Fiesta Mile, which is for fillies and mares on the grass. Both races are restricted to horses bred in Texas.

Before the stakes action, six people or horses will enter the Texas Hall during a trackside ceremony at Retama. Others to be enshrined are Johnny Trotter, the late O.C. “Preacher” O’Quinn and the horses Creole Dancer and Ochoa. The late Terry Blanton will be honored Saturday with the JoAnn Weber Distinguished Service Award. The ceremonies will be hosted by Dave Appleton.

Can’t Be Wrong is part of a nine-horse field that includes the Asmussen-trained Magna Breeze and multiple stakes winner F J Uncle Vic. Can’t Be Wrong has won both of his starts over the Retama turf. The first came in an allowance last October. One start later, Can’t Be Wrong closed from next to last to win the Hall of Fame in a field that included stakes winners Supermason and Bully Good.

This year, Can’t Be Wrong enters the race off a runner-up finish in a $15,000 starter allowance over a mile on turf Sept. 20 at Remington Park. Since the effort, Can’t Be Wrong has worked at Retama, going a half-mile in 48.40 seconds Oct. 14. Ted Gondron has the mount for Macassar Corporation and trainer Danny Pish.

Special Rockstar should start as the favorite in the Fiesta Mile. She invades from Remington Park, where she finished a close fourth in the $75,000 Ricks Memorial on the Oklahoma Derby undercard Sept. 24. The winner of the race, Gianna’s Dream, invaded from Kentucky and on Friday night was to attempt to improve her record over the Remington course to 4 for 4 in the Oklahoma Classics Distaff Turf.

Special Rockstar owns the best last-race Beyer Speed Figure in the Fiesta Mile, an 86. Danny Sorenson has the mount for Star Bright Thoroughbreds and trainer Mindy Willis. The chief threat could be stakes winner Witt’s Town.

Delta: A competitive Gold Cup

A well-matched group of Louisiana-breds will meet in the $100,000 Gold Cup on Saturday night at Delta Downs. Among the stakes winners in the field of 10 3-year-olds and up are Berniestrike, Mageez, Underpressure, Sir Genghis, and Tip Tap Tapizar.

“I think everybody’s got a chance,” said H.B. Johnson Jr., who trains Berniestrike.

The Gold Cup, at a mile, is expected to produce starters for the Louisiana Champions Day program at Fair Grounds.

Berniestrike has won his last two outs, his latest a neck victory in the $50,000 Louisiana Cup Turf Classic at Louisiana Downs. The Gold Cup will be his first start since Aug. 5.

“There were no races for him,” Johnson said. “I could have run him in the open stakes on the grass on Super Derby Day at Louisiana Downs, but I chose not to. I didn’t want to go against who would ever show up. I like to keep him with Louisiana-breds.”

As for the move back to the main track, Berniestrike, a son of Wilburn, has proven versatile for breeder and owner James Boyd.

“He’s run good here before on this racetrack,” Johnson said. “He’s won three here.”

Eguard Tejera has the mount on Berniestrike, who will break from post 4.

“He kind of either likes to be on the lead, or right off the lead,” said Johnson.

Mageez is moving back into the Louisiana-bred ranks after finishing fourth in the $100,000 Evangeline Mile in his last start June 3. Since that race, winner Iron Fist has captured the Grade 3 Cornhusker at Prairie Meadows and the Governor’s Cup at Remington Park, and is now targeting the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile. Fear the Cowboy was the runner-up in the Evangeline Mile, and has since won the West Virginia Governor’s at Mountaineer.