Sam Houston Sprint Cup offers classic speed-vs.-closer matchup
Control Stake and Double Ours are both leading contenders in Saturday night’s $50,000 Sam Houston Sprint Cup. But the approach each will take to the race will be markedly different. Control Stake is the one to catch, and Double Ours is the one to fear in the lane.
The Sprint Cup, a six-furlong race for older horses, is one of three stakes on the card at Sam Houston Race Park. The program also includes the $50,000 Houston Distaff and the $50,000 Houston Turf, a pair of 1 1/16-mile grass races restricted to horses bred in Texas.
Control Stake has used his natural speed to win six of his 13 starts, including three stakes. He will break from post 5 under Deshawn Parker, and the strategy will be simple, said Tom Amoss, who trains Control Stake for Maggi Moss.
“He’s a confirmed front-end sprinter,” said Amoss.
Control Stake is based at Fair Grounds, where he wired his rivals in the $59,000 Thanksgiving Handicap in November. He was a mild surprise at 5-1. In his most recent start, he was a shorter price when third to Clearly Now in an optional $62,500 claimer at Fair Grounds on Jan. 23. Clearly Now, a millionaire, won the optional claimer by 3 3/4 lengths with a Beyer Speed Figure of 98.
“In the Thanksgiving Day Handicap, he was a 3-year-old running against older horses, and the race was more a roll of the dice Maggi wanted to try,” Amoss said. “It worked in his favor. In the race back, the pace was a little different, there were some things out of our control. He got beat by a very nice horse.”
Double Ours also exits a highly rated race. He was fourth, beaten 1 3/4 lengths, in an optional $50,000 claiming race Jan. 15 at Oaklawn. The third-place finisher in the 5 1/2-furlong race, Alsvid, won last year’s Grade 3 Count Fleet Sprint Handicap at Oaklawn.
“That was kind of a Grade 3,” said Brad Cox, who trains Double Ours for Bryan D. Foster. “That was a little more than he needed to be running against coming off of a seven-, eight-month layoff.
“And the distance last time was probably a bit short for him. He’s kind of somewhat of a stalker, maybe a come-from-behind sprinter a little bit, and three-quarters probably suits him a little better than the 5 1/2 furlongs did last time.”
Double Ours will break from the rail under Florent Geroux.
Seneca Destiny going well
Seneca Destiny seeks her third straight win when she runs in the Houston Distaff for fillies and mares. Her streak began in an optional $10,000 claiming race Jan. 2 at Fair Grounds and extended to the $50,000 San Jacinto on Jan. 22 at Sam Houston. In both of her races, she has been near the front, tracking the pace last out when defeating a handful of her Saturday rivals.
“We’d like a nice stalking trip,” said Brad Cox, who trains Seneca Destiny. “I think Molly’s Honour is probably going to be the speed again.”
Geroux has been named to ride Seneca Destiny in the Houston Distaff, which goes as the fourth race. Geroux has mounts at Fair Grounds earlier on Saturday, and were he unable to get to Sam Houston on time, Deshawn Parker would ride Seneca Destiny, said Cox. Parker was aboard for the San Jacinto, while Geroux rode the filly at Fair Grounds.
Seneca Destiny in December was second in the $122,000 Claiming Crown Tiara at Gulfstream Park.
“We claimed her at Churchill Downs, and it was kind of a last-minute decision to take her to Gulfstream,” Cox said. “I’m glad we did. She ran really well.”
◗ I Am Jane Dough defeated males in the $50,000 Richard King last month at Sam Houston and will attempt to do so again in the Houston Turf.