(January 11, 2003)- Reason To Talk, owned and bred by K And K Racing Stable in Kentucky had no problem with the cold and rain, winning the $50,000 Sam Houston Distaff tonight in impressive fashion at Sam Houston Race Park. Ridden by Terry Thompson, the 4-year-old filly took the lead at the top of the stretch and drew clear of her eight rivals.

This was the first time Thompson had ridden Reason To Talk, who shipped in from Kentucky for trainer David Nance. Thompson kept his filly relaxed in the early stages of the race, but when he called on her at the top of the stretch, she responded gamely. Reason To Talk covered the mile and one-sixteenth stakes in a time of 1:45.27 over a track listed as good due to evening showers.

"The race set up nicely for her," said Thompson. "I had her settled going into the first turn and in the second turn I started looking for a spot to let her run. At the head of the lane, I let her go and she gave me all she had. She’s run well in the mud before and I think the track condition tonight helped her a little bit."

Asheville, winner of the Jiffy Lube Stakes, closed well for second for trainer Steve Asmussen. Rider Cliff Berry, who won last year’s edition of the Sam Houston Distaff aboard Devout Sinner, was in the irons.

"She skipped over the track nicely," said Berry. "She ran a very good race."

Asmussen’s other starter, the morning line favorite, Halo Tyra, took the early lead, but tired in the stretch and finished sixth. She was making her first start since October 19; Donnie Meche flew in from the Fair Grounds to ride.

"She was fresh and I had wanted to tuck her in behind horses and get her to relax," commented Meche. "But those outside horses wouldn't come over going into the first turn and she got started rolling and went to the lead. I was able to slow down the second quarter, but she used too much of herself early and didn't have anything left.

Reason To Talk, sent off as the second betting choice, paid $6.20 to win, $3.80 to place and $3.40 to show. The 9-6 exacta returned $57.00 and the trifecta with Blue Guru paid $556.20. Sarastorm, Open Minded, Halo Tyra, Pleasant State and Bayakoa’s Image completed the order of finish. Trainer Randy Mayfield scratched Coastalota due to swelling in her left hock.

This was the first stakes win for Reason To Talk, who added $30,000 for tonight’s win, boosting her career earnings to $127, 125.

Jockey Edwin Alicea Wins Both Arabian Stakes on the Saturday Night Card

There were two Arabian stakes on the card this evening and apprentice Edwin Alicea was victorious in both races. Alicea piloted MW Lady Z ($12.00) in the $10,600 Dunalie for accredited Texas-bred fillies and mares and MW Warrior in the $11,000 TC Tomtyr in the colt and gelding stake.

The Arabian stakes winners are siblings, bred by Morris Woods and trained by Robert Knight for owner Michael Economopoulos.