Mr Money Bags notches second straight stakes triumph

Mr Money Bags won his second straight stakes of the Sam Houston meet Saturday night when he darted home by seven lengths in the $50,000 Groovy.

My Bling finished second, while it was another half-length back in third to Ke-nai Bob.

The Groovy was one of six $50,000 stakes on the $300,000 Texas Champions program. Each of the races featured different divisions, and all were restricted to horses bred in Texas.

Mr Money Bags ($2.40) tracked the pace through an opening quarter in 22.01 seconds, then moved to the lead through a half-mile in 44.64 seconds. He went on to cover the six furlongs for 3-year-olds in 1:10.35. The track was fast.

The win came one start after Mr Money Bags's 11 1/2-length victory in the $65,000 Jim’s Orbit division of the Texas Stallion Stakes at Sam Houston.

“He’s a nice horse,” winning rider Ernesto Valdez-Jiminez told publicity at Sam Houston. “All you have to do is stay on and he goes to the wire.”

Mike Neatherlin trains Mr Money Bags for his breeder, Roy W. Cobb. The horse has now won 4 of 5 starts and earned $117,030. He is a son of Silver City.

Direct Dial, the reigning Texas-bred of the Year, returned to the statebred ranks for the Spirit of Texas and romped by five and a half lengths over He’s So Zazzy.

Direct Dial ($4.80) sat off the pace set by Supermason, who in his first start since July took the field through an opening quarter in 22.92 seconds and a half-mile in 45.89 before finishing fifth. Direct Dial covered six furlongs for 4-year-olds and up in 1:10.75.

Deshawn Parker was aboard for trainer Steve Asmussen. Direct Dial, who was coming off a third-place finish in the Stonerside Sprint on Jan. 27 at Sam Houston, races for his breeder, Will Farish. He is a son of Too Much Bling.

* Ima Discreet Lady ($4.40) was a 3 3/4-length winner over Miss Perfecta in the Bara Lass, covering the six furlongs for 3-year-old fillies in 1:11.73. Iram Diego was aboard the daughter of Discreet Cat for Duane Coker and Todd Raymond White and trainer Karl Broberg

* Diego also won the Yellow Rose, a six furlong race for fillies and mares, aboard Shes Our Fastest ($3), who darted home by 2 1/2 lengths over Zarelda. The winner covered the distance in 1:11.40. The daughter of Oratory races for Mark Norman and Norman Stables and is trained by Scott Gelner.

* Texas Belle ($3.20) won her third straight race over the Sam Houston turf in the San Jacinto, covering 1 1/16 miles for fillies and mares in 1:45.82. She was a half-length winner over Corluna. Rudy Guerra was aboard the daughter of Angliana for Richard Chandler and trainer Mindy Willis.

* Guerra also won the Richard King, aboard Redatory ($66.40). The horse was a neck winner over Bonjour Baby and covered the 1 1/8 miles on firm turf in 1:51.23. Redatory was the second winner on the card for the stallion Oratory. He races for James Wessel and is trained by Allen Dupuy.