-photo by Jack Coady/Coady Photography


-photo by Jack Coady/Coady Photography

(March 3, 2007) - Speedway owned by Bob McNair’s Stonerside Stable, lived up to his top billing as he defeated eight 3 year-olds in tonight’s feature at Sam Houston Race Park, the $45,000 Texas Heritage Stakes. Trained by Bernie Flint, the Kentucky-bred son of Forest Wildcat broke his maiden last June at Churchill Downs and won the $85,000 Mountaineer Juvenile at Mountaineer Park on August 6.

Sam Houston Race Park leading rider, Larry Taylor had the mount and after going a little wide into the first turn, sent the chestnut colt to the lead. He covered the first quarter in :23.92 and ran the half-mile in :49.89, drawing off to win the one-mile stakes over a fast main track in a time of 1:39.78.

“I’d like to thank Stonerside Stable for allowing me to ride this horse,” said Taylor. “Bernie called me the other day and told me just to let him break and run his race. He thought he had the best horse in the field and he was right.”

“He’s been training great and has done everything right”, said Chad Summers, assistant to Flint, who accompanied Speedway from his base at Oaklawn Park. “When you get the best horse for topnotch people like Stonerside Stable and the leading jockey here, we just left it in their hands.”

“Of course we always like to run at Sam Houston if we can,” stated John Adger, Racing and Bloodstock Manager for Stonerside Stable. “Bernie has thought all along that this colt could get two turns. You never know how they are going to handle it, but he obviously handled it very well today. We think he has a promising future. Bernie also trained his mother, Freefourracing, who was a very nice stakes-winning filly.”

Longshot I Spy Wolfie closed gamely for second under rider Alex Birzer.

“We’ve had a lot of rough trips, but I just appreciate the opportunity they’re giving me to ride this little old colt,” commented Birzer. “He’s a nice colt, and he’s just now coming into himself.”

“We thought he ran a really nice race, “added owner/trainer Charles Edwin Smith. “This was a nice field of horses. It’s the first time in a while that we’ve had a clean trip with him, so I’m glad to see that for a change. This colt’s got a lot of talent, we think. He’s done everything we’ve asked him to do. The last couple of races he’s had some really rough racing luck. This time he had a clean shot at them, and I think he ran a respectable race. We’ll run him again at the end of the month. Maybe at Delta or back here. There’s a Texas-bred seven furlong here. Although I think this colt may like going farther. The way he ran tonight maybe a mile and a sixteenth or mile and an eighth may be up his alley.”

Makeithapencaptain completed the trifecta under jockey Ramsey Zimmerman.

“It’s one thing after another with him,” said trainer Bret Calhoun. “He about knocked Ramsey out in the post parade. He was going around good and reared up and he has a big bump on his face. Into the first turn, he looked like he was settled behind horses, then he took off and nearly clipped heels. Ramsey checked him hard and we lost a lot of ground. He still ran a good race.”

Speedway, sent off as the second betting choice, paid $9.60 to win. The complete order of finish included Beta Capo, Banquo, Hadacure, El Kabong, Dadddy Warbucks, who was the post time favorite and Daddy’s Mistress. Dream America was scratched by trainer John Locke and will run in a one-mile allowance on Sunday afternoon.

The Texas Heritage Stakes continues to attract some of the top 3-year-olds in the region. Last year’s champion, Kip Deville captured the $300,000 Frank E. Kilroe Mile Handicap at Santa Anita this afternoon. Following the Texas Heritage Stakes, which was the first stakes of his career, he went on to compete in graded stakes company, including a second-place finish in the $1,000,000 Colonial Turf Cup at Colonial Downs. He has now earned over $600,000.