(December 6, 2003)- Three-year-old fillies took center stage this evening at Sam Houston Race Park and the heavily-favored Souris prevailed in the $35,000 Cy-Fair Stakes. The Kentucky-bred filly is owned by Nelson Bunker Hunt of Dallas, Texas and trained by leading Sam Houston Race Park conditioner, Steve Asmussen. The well-traveled filly was making her tenth start of the year, having competed in stakes races at Delta Downs, Sunland Park, Lone Star Park, Hoosier, Churchill Downs and most recently, a fourth place finish in the $100,000 Hawthorne Oaks.

Asmussen gave the call to Jeremy Beasley, who is emerging as a superstar in the Sam Houston Race Park jockey colony. Tonight was his sixth stakes win of the meeting and he won three additional races on the Saturday night card to lead all riders with 48 wins. Beasley was content to settle Souris off the pace of her six rivals and trailed the field until she began passing horses at the turn. Heading for home, she had just one filly to contend with, Real Bear and she soared past her at the wire, completing the seven-furlong stakes over a fast track in 1:24.72.

"I was told that this was her best distance and to just be patient and that is what I did," said Beasley. "If anyone is going to have a heart attack over these close finishes it ought to be me, because I am the one that is supposed to get there first. That other mare came back on and I had to ask my filly for everything and she gave it to me."

Real Bear, a talented daughter of Formal Gold, had to settle for second. Owned by Tom Durant and trained by Jack Bruner, she was making her first start since an allowance win on September 5 at Retama Park. Kerwin Clark has ridden her in her last three outs and was impressed with her race this evening.

"I had a great ride," commented Clark. "My filly just got outrun by the better horse. It was a great race though."

Irish of Dobbin, trained by Andy Konkoly, sent off at odds of 28-1, completed the trifecta under rider Felipe Valdez.

"This filly has been running in $15,000 races, so this is a move up for her," stated Valdez. "She ran great. I got squeezed out of the gate and had to check up a little. I'm happy she did so well."

Souris earned $21,000 for tonight’s victory, increasing her career earnings to $329,306. She returned $3.60, $2.40 and $2.10 across the board. The 4-3 exacta returned $10.00 and the 4-3-6 trifecta paid $75.40. Page Me Later, Golden Intelect, Keene Lady and Crow Jane completed the order of finish.