Mr Money Bags has setback, will be scratched from Houston Turf Stakes

The $75,000 Houston Turf Stakes on Saturday night at Sam Houston Race Park had the potential to be a showdown between the two most recent Texas-bred horses of the year – Direct Dial and Mr Money Bags – but that will not happen after trainer Mike Neatherlin said Wednesday that Mr Money Bags will be scratched. The horse would have been favored off a recent Sam Houston stakes win for which he earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 100.

“He had a little setback the last week getting ready for this,” Neatherlin said. “He’s going to have a little time off. He was just doing so good. It’s frustrating, but it’s horse racing.”

Neatherlin declined to reveal the nature of the injury, but said it’s not career threatening. He said the horse is getting the time off at his farm in North Texas.

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Mr Money Bags has won stakes in his last three starts, the $50,000 Roadrunner in October at Zia Park, the $250,000 Zia Park Derby in November, and the $50,000 Stonerside Sprint Jan. 26 at Sam Houston. He races for his breeder, Roy Cobb, and will be feted as the 2019 Texas-bred of the Year during a Texas Thoroughbred Association banquet next month at Sam Houston.

Direct Dial, who was the 2018 Texas-bred of the Year, is entered for the main track only Saturday. The field of 12 for the mile and a sixteenth race also includes multiple turf stakes winner Redatory.

The Houston Turf is for 4-year-olds and up bred in Texas and is one of four restricted stakes on the card. The races are expected to produce starters for the Texas Champions Day program next month at Sam Houston.