Sam Houston: Calhoun has prime contenders in San Jacinto, La Bara stakes

Trainer Bret Calhoun has the probable favorites in a pair of Friday night stakes races at Sam Houston in More Than Most and Kat’s Infatuation. More Than Most will be looking for her fifth career stakes victory in the $50,000 San Jacinto, while Kat’s Infatuation brings a strong last-race Beyer Speed Figure into the $50,000 Bara Lass.

The races are traditionally held at the start of the meet as part of Texas Champions Weekend but were postponed due to the equine herpesvirus positives this winter in Louisiana. Sam Houston also will run Texas Champions stakes on the final three dates of the meet this Saturday, Monday, and Tuesday.

More Than Most has established herself as a Texas-bred of note, defeating older rivals in both the $50,000 Lane’s End Stallion Scholarship Stakes at Lone Star Park and the $50,000 Fiesta Mile at Retama Park. She will remain on turf for the San Jacinto, a 1 1/16-mile race for fillies and mares bred in Texas. More Than Most opened her 4-year-old season with a one-length win in a local turf allowance Jan. 21.

“We were hoping to get a prep race for this, and it worked out well,” said Calhoun, who trains More Than Most for Doug Scharbauer. “We were fortunate to get the race.”

More Than Most has four wins on turf but also is a three-time winner on dirt. As for her running style, she has more options on grass than on the main track, where she prefers to be close to the early pace, said Calhoun.

“I don’t think surface is a big issue,” he said. “Really, it comes down to how the race sets up. As far as the turf goes, there’s not a lot of kickback on the turf, so she seems to be able to be placed anywhere we need to be. On the dirt, she really doesn’t care for the kickback.”

C.J. McMahon has the mount on More Than Most, a daughter of Indygo Mountain who will break from post 5.

Kat’s Infatuation earned a 72 Beyer last out when second in the $65,000 Texas Stallion Stakes at Sam Houston, and the figure is the best in the field for the Bara Lass. The six-furlong race is for 3-year-old fillies bred in Texas.

McMahon has the mount from post 4 for Wayne Sanders and Larry Hirsch.