Money Flows can give Stall third Maxxam Gold Cup win

Money Flows will attempt to give trainer Al Stall Jr. a third win in the $100,000 Maxxam Gold Cup on Saturday night at Sam Houston Race Park. The horse, based at Fair Grounds, will be looking to follow the lead of Middleweight, who won the Maxxam in 2006, and Cease, who accounted for the race in 2012. Those horses also invaded from Louisiana.

“We always liked shipping to Houston from Fair Grounds, got a lot of confidence doing that over the years,” Stall said.

The Maxxam is the richest of four stakes on the card, with those races worth a total of $250,000. A field of 11 is set to start in the 1 1/8-mile feature for 4-year-olds and up, including Albano, who won the Maxxam in 2015; Fear the Cowboy, the winner of last year’s Evangeline Downs Mile; Iron Fist, who exits the Louisiana Handicap at Fair Grounds; and King of New York, who invades from Oaklawn.

Money Flows will be making his stakes debut after winning four of eight starts; he enters off a two-length win in an optional $80,000 claiming race at a mile Jan. 6 at Fair Grounds. Money Flows will break from post 3 under Colby Hernandez.

“We love the post,” said Stall, who trains Money Flows for Columbine Stable. “He always lays close. If horses have to go out there, we can play off the break and see what happens. It appears there are some horses that might go on with it. We certainly can let them go.”

Money Flows has faced a handful of stakes-quality runners, among them Hawaakom, to whom he ran third in an optional $80,000 claimer at 1 1/8 miles in May at Churchill Downs. Since then, Hawaakom has won the Louisiana Handicap and on Monday was second to Gun Runner in the Grade 3, $500,000 Razorback Handicap at Oaklawn, earning a career-high Beyer Speed Figure of 101.

Iron Fist was fourth to Hawaakom in the Louisiana Handicap. He will be making his first start since that Jan. 21 race at Fair Grounds. Iram Diego has the mount from post 7.

King of New York was third in an optional $50,000 claiming race at Oaklawn in his last start, and since then, the winner, Shotgun Kowboy, has struck again, winning an optional $80,000 claimer at the Hot Springs, Ark., track with a Beyer of 95. Geovanni Franco has the mount for trainer Robertino Diodoro.

In other races, Partly Mocha seeks to win his second straight stakes of the meet in the $50,000 Bucharest. He enters the five-furlong turf sprint off a win at the same trip in the Frontier Utilities Turf Sprint. Colby Hernandez has the mount for trainer Mike Maker. Other contenders include Dance Proudly, the winner of an optional $25,000 claiming turf sprint Feb. 10 at Sam Houston.

The $50,000 Texas Heritage caters to 3-year-olds at 1 1/16 miles on turf, and Taco will attempt to improve his career record to 4 for 4. He will be stretching out around two turns after a turf-sprint win over optional $50,000 claimers Feb. 11 at Fair Grounds. Taco is a son of Gio Ponti. His chief rivals include Phat Man, who exits the Grade 3 Lecomte at Fair Grounds, and Tiz a Melody and Kielbasa, the one-two finishers in last year’s El Joven at Retama Park.

Mexican Miss is back to defend her title in the $50,000 Jersey Lilly. The 1 1/16-mile turf race is for fillies and mares. C.J. McMahon is in to ride for Brad Grady and trainer Joe Sharp. Others set to start include Untouchable U, who is new to the region after racing in California, and Stormquility, the runner-up in last month’s $50,000 Sam Houston Distaff.