Mr Money Bags, Cowgirls Like Us strong favorites in sprint stakes

Mr Money Bags will start as a strong favorite in Saturday night’s $65,000 Jim’s Orbit at Sam Houston Race Park, and with the right kind of performance, he could advance to next month’s Grade 3, $800,000 Sunland Derby.

The Jim’s Orbit is one of two six-furlong stakes for 3-year-olds on the card. The $65,000 Two Altazano is the counterpart for fillies. The restricted races are part of the Texas Stallion Stakes program.

Mr Money Bags is part of a seven-horse field. He is a winner of two of three starts, including an optional $50,000 claiming sprint at Delta Downs in his last start Jan. 25. The Beyer Speed Figure of 78 that he earned for his 5 1/2-length victory is the best number in the Jim’s Orbit.

“We really like him and are hoping to run him in the Sunland Derby,” trainer Mike Neatherlin told publicity at Sam Houston. “I judge my horses by the strength of the gallop-out, and this horse always impresses me in that regard. We’ll take the blinkers off on Saturday night. I used them at Delta when he ran under the lights, but he’s run twice at night.”

Mr Money Bags launched his career in New Mexico, winning a maiden special weight at six furlongs on Nov. 6 at Zia Park. From there, he ran third in the $75,000 Big Drama, a two-turn stakes Jan. 5 at Delta Downs. In his final prep for the Jim’s Orbit, Mr Money Bags worked a half-mile in 49.20 seconds on Feb. 9. The move was the fastest of 45 at the distance that morning at Sam Houston.

Mr Money Bags is a Triple Crown nominee by Silver City, who in 2009 spent some time on the Kentucky Derby trail when he ran second in the Southwest and fifth in the Rebel. Mr Money Bags is out of the multiple stakes-winning mare Miss Photogenic. He races for his breeder, Roy Cobb, and will break from the rail under Chris Rosier.

My Bling, winner of a division of the Texas Stallion Stakes in August at Retama Park, is moving back into restricted company after finishing fifth last out in the $75,000 Kip Deville at Remington Park. Lane Luzzi has the mount for trainer George Bryant.

In the Two Altazano, Cowgirls Like Us will be an odds-on favorite to win the fourth stakes race of her young career. She faces seven rivals, including the stakes-placed Pick N Run and the up-and-coming Legendary Song.

Cowgirls Like Us will be cutting back to one turn for the first time since she captured a division of the Texas Stallion Stakes in August at Retama Park. She proceeded to win two more stakes after that race, taking the $75,000 La Senorita at a mile in September at Retama and the $100,000 Trapeze at the same distance in December at Remington.

Cowgirls Like Us exits a fifth-place finish in the $147,000 Silverbulletday on Jan. 19 at Fair Grounds. Trainer Bret Calhoun has sharpened her for the cutback to one turn with a three-eighths work in 37 seconds last Saturday at Fair Grounds. Deshawn Parker has the mount for breeder and owner Doug Scharbauer.