Texas Chrome targets Cornhusker Handicap
Texas Chrome, who will be honored as the 2016 Texas-bred of the Year during the Texas Thoroughbred Association’s annual banquet Saturday night at Lone Star, is now based at Prairie Meadows. The horse last raced at Churchill Downs, finishing sixth in the Grade 1 Stephen Foster.
“He came out of the race in good order,” trainer Allen Milligan said. “We moved him over to Iowa. We’re going to the Cornhusker.”
The Grade 3, $300,000 Cornhusker Handicap will be run July 8 at Prairie Meadows. Texas Chrome races for Keene Thoroughbreds. He had been based at Lone Star, where this meet he ran second in both the Grade 3, $200,000 Steve Sexton Mile and Grade 3, $200,000 Lone Star Park Handicap.
Milligan, who recently became a private trainer for Keene Thoroughbreds, has divisions at Lone Star and Prairie Meadows.
Texas Chrome, an earner of $930,962, won last year’s Grade 3 Super Derby and Grade 3 Oklahoma Derby. The horse’s dam, Margarita Mistress, will be honored as the Texas Thoroughbred Association’s broodmare of the year Saturday. Texas Chrome, by Grasshopper, was bred by Craig Upham.
More Than Most retired
More Than Most, who will be honored as the Texas Thoroughbred Association’s champion 3-year-old filly of 2016, has been retired and bred to Super Saver, according to her connections. More Than Most last raced March 10 and was a 6 1/4-length winner of the $50,000 San Jacinto at Sam Houston.
More Than Most won five stakes races, scoring on both dirt and turf. She is a 4-year-old daughter of Indygo Mountain and retires with a record of eight wins from 17 starts for earnings of $272,464. More Than Most was bred by Clarence Scharbauer Jr. and races for his son, Doug.
“She was great to us throughout her career,” said Bret Calhoun, who trained More Than Most.
• Bling On the Music, the Texas Thoroughbred Association's champion 2-year-old filly of 2016, was sidelined by injury last year but is on the comeback trail with an eye to Oaklawn. “We’re bringing her along slowly,” said trainer Allen Milligan.
• Jockey Eguard Tejera is named on his first North American mounts since October 2014 in Friday night’s first and seventh races at Lone Star.
