Stakes-winning Bubbler injured, retired

Bubbler, who in the last six months has won stakes at Fair Grounds, Lone Star Park, and Sam Houston, has been retired, said her trainer, Bret Calhoun. She recently injured her hock while being freshened on a farm. Calhoun said plans are to offer Bubbler as a broodmare prospect in a November auction in Kentucky.

"She was a fun filly," said Calhoun, who trained Bubbler for Du-Zee Stables. "She was very, very consistent. She won going short, long, on dirt, turf. She was very talented."

Bubbler won four stakes in her nine-race career for earnings of $211,622. In her most recent start, she was third in the Grade 3, $200,000 Ouija Board Distaff at Lone Star on May 31.

"We were freshening her at a farm, getting her out of the heat a little bit," Calhoun said. "She kicked something playing, and ruptured a ligament in her hock. It happened a few weeks ago."

Bubbler, who is 4, won her career debut at Remington last September. She made her stakes debut a few starts later, and won the $100,000 Gallery Furniture Distaff at Sam Houston on Dec. 5. Bubbler then won the $57,000 Krantz Memorial at Fair Grounds in January, the $50,000 Sam Houston Distaff in March, and the $50,000 Irving Distaff on turf at Lone Star in April.

"She did a lot in a short period of time," Calhoun said. "She started off running in those stakes pretty inexperienced, and moved up the ladder pretty easily. Horses like her don't come along often."

Bubbler is by Distorted Humor and her dam, Grechelle, is from the female family of multiple Grade 1 winner Meadow Star.

* A charity softball game between the Lone Star jockey colony and track employees has been rescheduled for Monday. The event, which benefits the Don MacBeth Memorial Jockey Fund, has been rained out twice. The game is at 7:30 p.m. at the ball park across from Lone Star. The suggested admission donation is $5.

* Lone Star drew 49,205 patrons during a four-day period earlier this month when it featured a fireworks program after the races on both Saturday and Sunday. The July 4 crowd was 26,677.