Retama Park

Nat's Big Party and Gold Nugget, two former claiming horses who have become regional stakes winners, meet in the $50,000 Retama Turf Cup at Retama Park near San Antonio.

The field for the 1 1/16-mile turf race is completed by Kris Havingfunnow, winner of last year's $100,000 El Joven over the Retama Park turf; Dynaboy, who will be coupled with Gold Nugget; Colonial Power, an allowance winner at this distance two starts ago at Lone Star Park near Dallas; and allowance performers Frankly Classic and Quiet Man.

Beaten for a claiming price of $50,000 last winter at Fair Grounds, Nat's Big Party has had a productive summer, finishing third in the $300,000 Dallas Turf Cup in June, and winning the $100,000 Independence Breeders' Cup Handicap at Louisiana Downs in July.

Steve Asmussen trains Nat's Big Party, the 120-pound highweight, for Richard Englander, and has given the mount to Corey Lanerie.

Roman Chapa will ride Gold Nugget, who once raced for a claiming price of $15,000. The horse has since found his calling on turf, and has won several regional stakes, his biggest score coming in the 2000 running of the Dallas Turf Cup, which was worth $250,000. In his last start Gold Nugget was an allowance winner at Lone Star. Randy Mayfield trains for Leland Cook.