Pauline's Pearl returns from layoff looking for a Houston Ladies Classic repeat
Pauline’s Pearl established herself as an elite older filly last year after launching her campaign in the Grade 3, $300,000 Houston Ladies Classic at Sam Houston, and she’s back to defend her title Saturday against a pair of talented new members of the division in Sixtythreecaliber and Hidden Connection.
“This is a prestigious race and we’re excited about trying it,” said Sixtythreecaliber’s trainer, Tom Amoss.
The Houston Ladies Classic, which boasts such past winners as eventual champions Midnight Bisou and Letruska, anchors a card of five stakes. They form the $800,000 Houston Racing Festival and include the Grade 3, $200,000 John B. Connally Turf Cup.
Unfortunately, this year the reach of Sam Houston’s signal will be limited to other tracks in Texas and international locales like Canada due to an ongoing impasse between the Texas Racing Commission and the federal Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority.
Pauline’s Pearl faces six others in the Houston Ladies Classic, including Grade 3 winner She Can’t Sing and multiple stakes winners Oliviaofthedesert and Moon Swag. Pauline’s Pearl was a clear winner of the 1 1/16-mile race for fillies and mares a year ago and went on to become a Grade 1 winner in the La Troienne. She’s been working forwardly at Fair Grounds.
“We’re trying to duplicate last year’s start to the year for her,” said Steve Asmussen, who trains the $1.6 million earner for breeder Stonestreet Stables.
Pauline’s Pearl will be making her first start since July when she leaves from post 5 under Stewart Elliott.
“She got a break in the summer after several hard races,” said Asmussen, who is looking for his fourth win in the Houston Ladies Classic.
Sixtythreecaliber is looking for her fourth consecutive victory. She began her streak in a two-other-than allowance Aug. 9 at Horseshoe Indianapolis and it’s extended to the Seneca in September at Churchill Downs and the Grade 3 Comely for 3-year-old fillies on Nov. 25 at Aqueduct.
“I think the significant thing about Sixtythreecaliber is that she always shows up, always puts forth a big effort,” Amoss said.
The 5-for-7 filly defeated multiple Grade 2 winner Kathleen O. in the Comely. The Beyer Speed Figure of 94 she earned is the best last-race number in the Houston Ladies Classic. Kendrick Carmouche has the mount from post 6.
“We’ve got a good post in the sense that we’ll be kind of able to watch the race unfold,” Amoss said. “She has some tactical speed, so she can position well depending on how fast or how slow they go up front. I like that about her. That’s a good weapon.”
Sixtythreecaliber was a $250,000 yearling purchase at Keeneland September in 2020 by current owners Spendthrift Farm and MyRacehorse Stable. The daughter of Gun Runner has one of the largest cheering sections in the business, as there are 610 partners in her through MyRacehorse.
Hidden Connection is another Grade 3 winner starting her 4-year-old campaign. She’s coming off a 7 1/4-length win in a two-other-than allowance route Dec. 17 at Fair Grounds.
“She did it the right way,” trainer Bret Calhoun said.
“Obviously, we’re hoping she continues to move forward, get better and improve. She’s had a pretty good career so far, and I’d like to see her move forward to Grade 2 and Grade 1 competition. This is kind of the first test to getting to some of those goals.”
Reylu Gutierrez has the mount from post 4.
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John B. Connally Turf Cup
Spooky Channel travels with a posse, and the whole crew is invading for the Connally. He won the 1 1/2-mile turf race in 2021 and faces last year’s dead-heat winner Another Mystery.
The Connally drew 12, but Kinenos, Bemma’s Boy, and Bay Street Money were to be scratched, Sam Houston announced, as it’s not receiving horses from Gulfstream Park in the wake of an equine herpesvirus case in South Florida.
Spooky Channel’s entourage is an eclectic mix.
“He’s a character,” trainer Jason Barkley said. “He has a stuffed unicorn and a stuffed goat. He likes to have his friends around. The unicorn hangs in the stall and the goat stands in front of his stall.”
The stuffed toys are a hit. Spooky Channel won his third straight stakes last out in the Buddy Diliberto Memorial on Dec. 26 at Fair Grounds.
“If he duplicates any of his last couple of efforts, I think he’ll be tough to beat,” Barkley said. “He raced close to the pace last time going a mile and a sixteenth. We’ll see where he sits. He ran a mile and a half at Keeneland and was close to the pace as well. As far as the Connally, we know he can get the distance. He already won the race once, and hopefully, he can come back and run just as good.”
◗ Private Creed will be moving to two turns in the $100,000 Bob Bork Texas Turf Mile following a closing third in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint. Asmussen said he believes the horse, who was kept sprinting last year because he was having stakes success, will handle the added ground Saturday.
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