Red Lead ships to Houston for Gold Cup

Red Lead is one of several sharp older horses who will meet Saturday night in the $100,000 Maxxam Gold Cup at Sam Houston Race Park. The 1 1/8-mile handicap is the richest dirt race of the meet and will share a card with the $50,000 Sam Houston Distaff, led by Bubbler.

Entries for both races were taken Wednesday.

Red Lead is seeking his second straight stakes win. He rolled home by two lengths last month in the $50,000 Curribot at his Sunland Park base. For the Maxxam, Red Lead, who has natural speed, drew post 9 in a field of 10.

"It really doesn't matter where he breaks from, he places himself," trainer Chris Hartman said before the draw Wednesday. "I imagine he will be forwardly placed in the race, whether on the lead or right off of it."

Hartman, who has given the mount to Ken Tohill, said Red Lead shipped to Sam Houston on Wednesday morning. The Maxxam was a nice fit from a timing standpoint, he said, with the next race for his division in New Mexico not until April 18.

"He's doing well, so we decided to send him there," said Hartman.

Other sharp horses in the Gold Cup field include Dumar, a winner of back-to-back allowances at Fair Grounds; Fifteen Love, who put up a career-best Beyer Figure of 101 in winning an allowance last out at Sam Houston; and Tybalt, a front-running winner of a Fair Grounds allowance in his last start Feb. 27.

Going Ballistic, a millionaire, is coupled with Numismatist, with Quincy Hamilton named on both halves of the entry by trainer Donnie Von Hemel.

The complete field from the rail with riders is: Mad Flatter (Eddie Martin Jr.), Going Ballistic, Jake Wil Gallop (Ivan Arellano), Numismatist, Dumar (Chris Landeros), Fifteen Love (Junior Chacaltana), Ready Set (Eguard Tejera), Tybalt (Paul Nolan), Red Lead, and Gretsky (Larry Taylor).