Two Texas Thoroughbred Association $150,000 futurities highlight Lone Star Park’s July 13 Stars of Texas Day
Five stakes on tap as thoroughbred racing wraps up Sunday
By Martha Claussen
GRAND PRAIRIE, Tx. –The fillies division of the $150,000 Texas Thoroughbred Association Futurity at Lone Star Park, also at the distance of 5 1/2 furlongs on the main track, features a field of 10.
Hall of Fame conditioner Steve Asmussen looks forward to running 3-1 morning-line favoriteQuinquela for the partnership of William L. & Corinne Heiligbrodt, Jackpot Farm, Whispering Oaks Farm LLC & Coteau Grove Farms LLC. The daughter of Vino Rosso made her debut at Churchill Downs on May 25, finishing third and won her subsequent start at Lone Star Park by six lengths three weeks later. Douglas Scharbauer’s homebred I’m on Edge will make her third career appearance after winning the $93,000 Pan Zareta division of the Texas Stallion Stakes on June 23. Luis Quinonez will pilot Quinquela and Erik Asmussen has the return call aboard the daughter of Competitive Edge.
“Both fillies came back well off their victories,” Asmussen said. “Quinquela responded nicely in her second race. Erik will have to navigate his trip from the rail with I’m on Edge, but she is capable of taking the next step.”
Trainer Jayde Gelner won last year’s Fillies Division of the TTA Futurity with Divining Humor, a Texas-bred filly he owned and trained. His prospect for this year’s stakes is Tapitures Actor, a daughter of Tapiture who broke her maiden decisively on May 25 and will be ridden by Floyd Wethey Jr.
Golden Cole, owned by Jerry Namy, and Indigo Racing’s Tequila Miss are both maiden winners seeking their second career scores for trainers Karl Broberg and J.R. Caldwell.
Asmussen, who continues to top all Thoroughbred trainers in North America, has a strong allegiance to Texas racing and has won several editions of the TTA Futurity, sweeping both divisions in 2020 with Kandy Ginger and Super Stock. He looks forward to his juveniles running this Saturday and continuing to support Texas racing.
“Texas is home for our family,” stated Asmussen. “There is nothing better than winning at home!”
Bret Calhoun also shared his thoughts on pairing the annual Texas 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale and the TTA Futurity. “It is a great match,” he said. “The Sale Futurity is a solid incentive for owners who attend the sale. Tracy Williams (Don’t Back Down) had never owned a racehorse in his life. I gave him a short list of horses that I thought had potential. He attended the sale with me and was impressed enough with the horse to sign a ticket for $265,000, which was the sale topper. To me, the combination of the sale and $150,000 TTA Futurity is positive for both owners and the Texas Thoroughbred Association.”
Mary Ruyle, executive director of the Texas Thoroughbred Association, commented on the history of these two stakes and what they mean to Texas breeders and owners. “Dating back to the early 1990’s the Texas Thoroughbred Association has offered a Futurity for graduates of our sales,” Ruyle said. “We are very pleased to continue that tradition with the running of the Texas Thoroughbred Association Futurity on Saturday at Lone Star Park, with divisions for colts/geldings and fillies at $150,000 each.”
Not only do the horses competing in the upcoming Futurity have the opportunity to earn significant purse money along with black-type status, but TTA Sales grads are also eligible to compete in the $100,000 Texas Thoroughbred Association Derby or Oaks to be conducted in 2025 at Sam Houston Race Park, she added. “We wish all the connections of horses in these races the best of racing luck.”
Three additional features will also be contested on Stars of Texas Day with some of the top Texas-bred turf specialists primed for top performances on the final weekend of the 2024 Lone Star Park Thoroughbred season.
Martha Claussen (shown in photo with Stewart Elliott) has been involved in the racing industry since 1997. She served as publicity director for Sam Houston Race Park for 10 years and continues to be active in writing, fan education and racing publicity in Texas, Louisiana, Indiana and other regions in North America.
