Sam Houston: Blazing Exploit vs. Goes

Blazing Exploit can become the latest colt to win a stakes following a start in last month's $60,000 Sugar Bowl when he takes on probable favorite Goes in the $40,000 Bucharest at Sam Houston Race Park.

The six-furlong race for 3-year-olds drew a field of eight, including the promising Dwight Polite, Count the Bucks, and Through the Storm.

Blazing Exploit, trained by Tom Amoss, finished fifth in the Sugar Bowl at Fair Grounds in his last start on Dec. 24. He set the pace in the six-furlong race, which went in a sharp time of 1:10.60. The winner, Storm Surge, returned in his next start to capture the Grade 3 Lecomte at Fair Grounds. Razor, the third-place finisher in the Sugar Bowl, returned to win the $50,000 Dixieland last Friday at Oaklawn Park.

Blazing Exploit is the most accomplished starter in the Bucharest. He is the lone stakes winner in the field, having won the $40,000 Delta Beau at Delta Downs on Dec. 26. Overall, he has won 3 of 5 starts, and figures to either set the pace or push along the front-running Goes. Adrian Ramos has the mount on Blazing Exploit.

Goes comes into the Bucharest on the heels of a dominating front-running win in a conditioned allowance at Sunland Park on Jan. 8. He set a fast pace in the race and went on to win in 1:10.40. Larry Taylor has the mount on the two-time winner for trainer Steve Asmussen.