-photo by Coady Photography

Houston, Texas (August 4, 2004) - Two-year-old American Quarter Horses took center stage Saturday night at Sam Houston Race Park as trials were held for the $283,422.70 2004 TQHA Sale Futurity (RG1). There were a total of eight trial races on the card for yearlings purchased in the 2003 TQHA Yearling Sale.

The sixth trial of the evening produced the fastest qualifier, Azoom, a 2-year-old colt bred in Texas by Jerry Windham was purchased at the 2003 TQHA Yearling Sale for $62,000 by Enrique Carrion of Veracruz, Mexico. He had been racing in Mexico, breaking his maiden on March 12 and winning six of his eight starts. Carrion sent him to trainer Frank Cavazos at Sam Houston Race Park on May 22. Azoom was the fastest qualifier in trials for the $134,748 TQHA Sires' Cup Futurity and ran second in the finals on Saturday, July 3, 2004.

"Thank God. I needed a good win," said Cavazos. "He is so quiet in the stall and handled all that commotion in the gate fine this time. But he didn't in the final last time. We don't change anything with him between races like this and the final. He is like an older racehorse that knows what to do and doesn't get too excited.

"Yes, I want to be the fastest qualifier because I don't like having to worry about whether we are going to be in the finals," Cavazos responded after placing first in the evening's trials.

The ten finalists will return to Sam Houston Race Park on Saturday, August 14, 2004.

Sam Houston Race Park

$283,422.70 TQHA Sales Futurity Trials

Trials: Saturday, July 31, 2004
Final: Saturday, August 14, 2004

TWO-YEAR-OLDS - 350 Yards

Track record: Hotdoggin - :17.360 - July 27, 2001