Moojab Jr surges late, takes Houston Turf Stakes

Moojab Jr shot up the rail for a head win over 4-5 favorite Sunlit Song in the $75,000 Houston Turf Stakes on Saturday night at Sam Houston Race Park.

The race was one of five restricted stakes on the card, with a number of the races expected to produce starters for the $700,000 Texas Champions Day program March 20 at Sam Houston.

Moojab Jr ($23.80) had one horse best early as Kenai Bob set fractions of 24.71 seconds for the opening quarter, 48.82 for the half-mile and 1:12.42 for six furlongs, with Redatory in close pursuit.

Moojab Jr advanced and rolled up the rail in the late stages to catch Sunlit song, the 4-5 favorite who had overtaken Redatory and Kenai Bob. Moojab Jr covered the 1 1/16 miles on firm turf in 1:44.77.

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"It was a perfect trip," winning rider Iram Diego said in an interview broadcast by Sam Houston.

Diego was aboard for John Pierce II and trainer Paul Duhon.

The win by Moojab Jr was a turning of the tables on top Texas-breds in the division: Redatory, the current Texas-bred of the Year who finished fourth, and Sunlit Song. In several races, Moojab Jr has finished third or fourth behind either or both of those runners.

“Those are two great horses, Redatory and Sunlit Song, always trading punches,” Duhon said on a broadcast from the track. “We always had the lower part of it. We just needed the right trip, the right time.”

In other races, Direct Dial ($3) finished with a flourish to win the $75,000 H-Town by four lengths. He covered seven furlongs on a fast track in 1:23.76. Stewart Elliott was aboard the son of Too Much Bling for W.S. Farish and trainer Steve Asmussen.

*** Star of the North ($2.80) won her fourth straight race and third consecutive stakes in the $75,000 Two Altazano division of the Texas Stallion Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at six furlongs. She rolled by 7 1/4 lengths while covering six furlongs in 1:11.55. Ry Eikleberry was aboard the daughter of The Hunk for Michael Grossman and trainer Francisco Bravo.

*** Eikleberry also guided Ima Discreet Lady ($9.20), the Texas Thoroughbred Association’s champion older female of 2020, to a four-length win in the $75,000 Miss Bluebonnet. The daughter of Discreet Cat covered the mile on firm turf in 1:38.04. Karl Broberg trains Ima Discreet Lady for Raymond Todd White and Duane Coker.

*** Stone Cafe ($7) beat stablemate Dust Em to the wire by a length to give Doug Scharbauer and trainer Bret Calhoun the exacta in the $75,000 Jim’s Orbit division of the Texas Stallion Stakes. Lindey Wade was aboard the winner, a son of Stonesider who covered six furlongs in 1:12.15.