Sam Houston: Special U F O tries for five straight in Star of Texas

Special U F O will return to dirt and cut back in distance on Saturday night, as he attempts to win his fifth straight race in the $50,000 Star of Texas at Sam Houston. The one-mile race for 4-year-olds and up is one of four stakes on the card. All of them are restricted to Texas-breds, and together the races are worth a cumulative $200,000.

Special U F O has won his last four starts by a combined margin of 9 1/2 lengths, all wire-to-wire in a streak that began on dirt last May at Lone Star Park. Special U F O added a pair of turf wins this fall at Retama Park, his latest over 1 1/16 miles in the $50,000 Texas Hall of Fame on Nov. 16.

The record suggested he might stick with turf for Saturday night’s $50,000 Richard King at 1 1/8 miles on the grass at Sam Houston, but there were a couple of reasons to instead point for the Star of Texas, said Danny Pish, who trains Special U F O for Southwestern Racing.

“I just felt like the flat mile would be better to his liking,” Pish said. “He’s proven at that distance. But probably the largest factor was the turf course. Houston often is not as favorable to a front-end horse as the turf course at Retama Park.”

Special U F O will break from the rail under jockey Junior Chacaltana.

“Rarely am I happy with the rail at any distance, but in this circumstance, I’m okay with it,” said Pish.

Pish will also be active in the Richard King, with Quiet Acceleration, who has won three of his last four starts. If he is victorious Saturday, the horse would give Pish his first stakes win as a breeder. He co-owns Quiet Acceleration’s sire, Silent Picture, who stands stud in Texas, and is the owner of Quiet Acceleration’s dam, Terrific Speed.

Gold Element is back to defend his title in the $50,000 Spirit of Texas and will be turning back in distance after a rare two-turn start at Delta on Dec. 20. He was fifth in what was his first out since October, the only suitable race trainer Bret Calhoun said he could find for the horse in advance of the Spirit of Texas.

“I think he’ll run big,” he said. “The seven and a half [furlongs] should set us up well for this race.”

Cliff Berry has the mount and will also be aboard the Calhoun-trained Circustown Flyer in the $50,000 Groovy.