Kip Deville
-photo by Coady Photography/Jenifer Juelsgaard


Kip Deville
-photo by Coady Photography/Sandra Beck


Winner's Circle Presentation
-photo by Coady Photography/Sandra Beck

Houston, Texas (March 4, 2006) - A field of nine 3-year-olds were entered in tonight’s feature race at Sam Houston Race Park, the $40,000 Texas Heritage Stakes. The winner, who took the lead from the gate and never looked back, was Kip Deville, owned by Roy Cobb and Mike Neatherlin of Graford, Texas.

Quincy Hamilton had ridden the Oklahoma-bred Kip Deville to a one-mile victory on the turf on January 29 and had the return call for owner/trainer Neatherlin.

“We knew he had some early speed and we were able to get the lead. He relaxed and had plenty left at the wire.”

Hamilton had ridden several of the horses in the field and was asked why he chose Kip Deville.

“I have to give a lot of credit to my agent (Monty Penny),” admitted Hamilton. “He’s a really good handicapper and he made the choice.”

This was the first stakes win for Kip Deville, whose connections waited while the stewards reviewed a claim of foul for interference in the final stages of the race. After looking at the tape, the stewards took no action and the Cobb and Neatherlin families enjoyed their victory.

“He’s a nice colt,” commented Neatherlin. “We were looking at this race and if he did well, we were thinking about the Rebel Stakes (at Oaklawn Park). We really like this colt a lot.”

Rungius, a Kentucky-bred son of Cat Thief, was shipped in by trainer Tom Amoss and sent off at even money by the betting public. Jockey Terry Stanton rode the chestnut colt, who rallied briefly before tiring and finishing seventh.

“I just didn’t have enough horse,” said Stanton. “When we broke, he got away a little tardy. I had him in a good position, but when we got to the quarter-mile pole I felt him start putting out on me. Got to the turn, I tapped him and didn’t get a response. It was just a long ride from there. They’re going to scope him because he was making some noise, so hopefully that was the problem. I know Tom (Amoss); he’s a good horseman and he doesn’t run horses when they’re not ready to run. I thought I was sitting on the better horse than that today. On paper he looked like the best horse, and he just didn’t run his race.”

One horse that ran the race of his lifetime was Majestic Note. He was the longest shot in the field at 62-1, but closed gamely for second and paid $58.00 to place. Richard Eramia had ridden the son of Editor’s Note to a maiden-breaking six-furlong victory on February 18 and was not surprised with his finish tonight.

“The horse has a big heart,” said Eramia. “He had no problem with stretching out to two turns.”

Kip Deville ($14.40), crossed the wire of the one-mile stakes on a fast track in 1.39.13. The exacta with Majestic Note paid $501.60 and the trifecta with Slick City Nites, winner of the Bucharest Stakes here last month, returned $1,749. Communion, Goodall, Rungius, Haxtun’s Hustler, Brick Fight and Herman Muttster completed the order of finish.