Sam Houston: Challenge Championship berth up for grabs

A berth for the Grade 1, $125,000 Red Cell Distance Challenge Championship will be on the line in Saturday night’s $22,500 Texas Distance Challenge at Sam Houston Race Park. A field of six horses will go in the 870-yard race, with the winner to earn a berth into the rich Distance Challenge Championship at Prairie Meadows on Oct. 27.

Kite Flyer was third in last year’s Distance Challenge Championship, which was run at Los Alamitos. He will be making his first start since that race on Saturday night, and shows a pair of works for his return. He will break from the rail under jockey Santos Carrizales.

“It was a little over a year ago that he made his 870-yard debut at Sam Houston,” said Ryan Basham, who trains Kite Flyer. “He drew post 7 and finished fourth, but improved in his next start and ended up winning the Challenge at Lone Star Park. We had a hunch he would make a nice 870-yard horse, and know that Santos fits him well.”

Kite Flyer races for Dark Horse Partnership.