Pauline's Pearl favored over older rivals in Houston Ladies Classic

Pauline’s Pearl has momentum in her corner as she moves into the filly and mare ranks Sunday for the Grade 3, $400,000 Houston Ladies Classic at Sam Houston Race Park.

The race, which will be run over 1 1/16 miles, is the richest of the meet and anchors the Houston Racing Festival card of six stakes worth a cumulative $1 million. First post for the 11-race program that includes the Grade 3, $200,000 John B. Connally Turf Cup is 1:45 p.m. Central.

The Houston Ladies Classic has drawn a field of seven, including stakes winners Audrey’s Time, The Mary Rose, Golden Curl, and Champagne Affair.

Pauline’s Pearl figures to go favored in her first start with older horses. The daughter of Tapit and the Grade 1-winning mare Hot Dixie Chick was a 1 1/2-length winner of the $200,000 Zia Park Oaks in her last start Nov. 23, earning a career-high Beyer Speed Figure of 96.

“I thought it was perfect, finishing out a solid 3-year-old campaign with a nice victory,” said Steve Asmussen, who trains Pauline’s Pearl for breeder Stonestreet Stables. “We’re hoping to start out her 4-year-old year in similar fashion. Obviously, we’re very excited to have a filly like her represent us in the marquee race of the Sam Houston meet.”

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Asmussen, who has a Sam Houston division, has won two of the nine runnings of the Houston Ladies Classic. He won in 2019 with Midnight Bisou and in 2020 with Lady Apple.

Pauline’s Pearl had one other stakes victory last year, the Grade 3 Fantasy at Oaklawn Park. The victory helped push her 2021 earnings to more than $700,000. Pauline’s Pearl competed in seven graded stakes during her nine-race campaign, and compiled a record of three wins, three seconds, and two thirds.

“She’s very tenacious,” Asmussen said. “She finishes well. Her success is the opportunity to stretch out. It’s made the difference.”

Pauline’s Pearl will break from post 3 under Joel Rosario.

Audrey’s Time is a winner on dirt, turf, and synthetic surfaces, and appears to be emerging as a main track runner of note. She will be looking for her second straight stakes win on dirt, following her victory in the Joseph “Spanky” Broussard Memorial on Dec. 27 at Fair Grounds. For the effort, Audrey’s Time equaled her best career Beyer Speed Figure, an 86. Prior to that race, she was third in the Grade 2 Falls City at Churchill Downs.

“She’s run really big since she came back from some time off,” said trainer Neil Pessin. “It seemed to help her quite a bit. Every race has been kind of a progression, and we’ll need another progression. She’s capable of it.”

Corey Lanerie is the regular rider of Audrey’s Time, who drew post 2. The 5-year-old daughter of Uncle Mo races for Lothenbach Stables and is out of Unforgotten, a multiple stakes winner of more than $600,000.

“She’s a big, good-looking mare and she eats a lot of mints,” Pessin said earlier this week of Audrey’s Time. “We’ll have some with us.”

The Mary Rose romped by more than seven lengths in a recent allowance at Oaklawn and earned a career-high Beyer Speed Figure of 95.

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She’s been training fabulous,” said John Ortiz, who trains the mare for breeder Shortleaf Stable.

Reylu Gutierrez has the mount from post 7.

Golden Curl is moving back to dirt after winning the Ricks Memorial on turf at Remington Park. Champagne Affair won the Spotted Horse in August at Evangeline Downs.

◗ The other main-track stakes on the card is the $75,000 Stonerside Sprint that drew 12.

Mr Money Bags, a multiple stakes winner of more than $500,000, is 3 for 3 over the local main track. He faces Greeley and Ben, who pushed his earnings past $500,000 last out when winning the $75,000 Sams Town at Delta Downs, and a sharp Kneedeepinsnow, who has white markings from his knees down.

◗ Sam Houston will add a pick five on races 1 to 5 to its wagering format Sunday, said assistant general manager Frank Hopf. Sam Houston’s standard late pick five is on races 7-11. Hopf said there will be a mandatory payout on both, and also on the pick six (races 6-11) and the Houston Hi-5 jackpot wager on race 11.

Hopf said Sam Houston also has added a third pick four for Sunday. There is a low takeout rate of 12 percent for all of the aforementioned wagers.

The forecast is for sunny skies and a high of 66 degrees, according to AccuWeather.