(Grand Prairie, Texas - Wednesday, October 19, 2011) - Saturday night’s trials for the Grade 1, $1 million Texas Classic Futurity, annually the richest horse race run in Texas, attracted 126 entries in 13 races. The fastest 10 qualifiers will compete in the final, to be run at 400 yards, Saturday, November 12, closing night of the 2011 Fall Meeting of Champions for Quarter Horses at Lone Star Park.

Entries of note in the Texas Classic Futurity Trials are:

• Race one features High Rate of Return, trained by Ed Hardy, winner of the Grade 1, $1,029,950 Heritage Place Futurity at Remington Park May 28. The sorrel son of Mr Jess Perry has won three of four starts with earnings of $452,425.
• In race three, the third place finisher from the Heritage Place Futurity, Ranch Candy, trained by Guillermo Valdivia, takes on the unbeaten Grade 2, $600,000 Sam Houston Futurity winner Jess Tee Off, trained by Judd Kearl. The former has won two of three starts with $118,169 in earnings, and the latter is a perfect two-for-two with $241,800 earned.
• Lone Star Park’s current meet leading trainer and rider, Trey Wood and Ricky Ramirez, team up with Jess Send Me in race four. The sorrel daughter of Feature Mr Jess finished second in the Grade 1, $2,400,000 All American Futurity at Ruidoso Downs September 5. Jess Send Me has won two of five starts for $256,400 in earnings.
• Wood and Ramirez have another of note in race eight, Folly Del Ray. The bay daughter of Pyc Paint Your Wagon has one victory from three starts for earnings of $138,526, including a runner-up finish in the $780,000 Remington Park Futurity April 16.
• In race 12, Tee Cos, trained by all-time winningest Quarter Horse trainer Paul Jones, finished third in the All American Futurity, only a neck behind Jess Send Me. The bay son of Corona Cartel has a victory from five starts with earnings of $193,896.
  

There are 13 Texas Classic Futurity Trials scheduled for Saturday night with first-race post time scheduled for 6:35 p.m.

Friday's Grade 1, $400,000 Texas Classic Derby Trials Draw 39 Entries

Friday night’s trials for the Grade 1, $400,000 Texas Classic Derby, carded as races five through eight on the nine-race program, drew 39 entries. First-race post time is 6:35 p.m. with the first trial scheduled for 8:11 p.m. The Texas Classic Derby Trials will be contested at 440 yards with the final to be run closing night Saturday, November 12.

Entries of note in the Texas Classic Derby Trials are:

• Race five features the Sleepy Gilbreath-trained Cold Cash 123, winner of the Grade 1, $899,524 Rainbow Derby at Ruidoso Downs July 23, the bay son of Oak Tree Special was most recently seen finishing a troubled seventh as the favorite in the Grade 1, $1,316,760 All American Derby, also at Ruidoso, September 4. Cold Cash 123 has won six of 11 starts with $654,856 in earnings.
• In race six, 2010 Grade 1, $463,185 Dash for Cash Futurity runner-up, The Printing Press, makes his first start since a sixth-place finish in the All American Derby. Trained by Eddie Willis, the sorrel son of Feature Mr Jess has recorded one victory from 10 starts for earnings of $165,580
• American Runaway highlights race seven. The gray son of Ocean Runaway was victorious in the Grade 1, $500,000 Ruidoso Futurity in 2010 and finished second in the Grade 1, $625,000 Rainbow Futurity, also at Ruidoso. In his final start as a two-year-old, American Runaway finished second in the Grade 1, $1,036,612 Texas Classic Futurity. Trained by John Buchanan, American Runaway has won four of 14 starts for $685,970 in earnings.
• Most notable of all entries in the Texas Classic Derby Trials is Llano Teller in race eight. Trained by Heath Reed, the bay son of Teller Cartel was last seen winning the Grade 1, $1,316,760 All American Derby and also finished first in the Grade 1, $702,650 Ruidoso Derby May 28. Llano Teller has nine wins from 16 starts and $1,528,632 in earnings.

26 Entered in Lone Star Paint & Appaloosa Futurity Trials Thursday

Thursday night’s trials for the Grade 1, $60,000 Lone Star Paint & Appaloosa Futurity, scheduled as races four through six on the nine-race program, which has a first-race post time of 6:35 p.m., attracted a total of 26 entries. The trials will be run at the distance of 350 yards with the final to be run Friday, November 4.

Entries of note in the Lone Star Paint & Appaloosa Futurity Trials are:

• In race four, Sw Eye Candy, trained by Dee Keener, owns a race record of 8-3-0-1 and has the second highest earnings in this heat with $57,384. The sorrel daughter of Country Chicks Man proved best in the $105,800 Speedhorse Paint & Appaloosa Futurity, at Fair Meadows July 23. BP Cartels Paint, trained by Eddie Willis, boasts the highest lifetime earnings in this field with $62,730 and sports a race record of 8-3-2-1. Junglebell, a red-roan filly trained by Ray Enlow, is a winner of four of six starts for $30,984 in earnings.
• Race five features the Brian Muse-trained Runaway Argus, second in Grade I, $246,242 Futurity at Remington Park May 28, and the Luis Villafranco-conditioned Captain Bucko, a winner of five of eight starts and owner of the largest bankroll of all horses entered in the Lone Star Paint & Appaloosa Futurity trials with $75,220. Captain Bucko won the Grade 1, $43,250 Futurity at Will Rogers Downs September 24.
• In race six, the Allen Hybsha-trained Fly Shari Fly, third by a neck in the Futurity at Remington Park, takes on the Eddie Willis-trained Mambo Quick Step, who finished right behind Fly Shari Fly in the Futurity. Also of note, Crazy Mother Trucker, who finished second behind Captain Bucko in the Futurity at Will Rogers Downs.

The nine-race slate has a first-race post time of 6:35 p.m. Scheduled post time for the first of three trials beginning in race four is 7:47 p.m.

-Additional information for the Lone Star Paint and Appaloosa Futurity Trials provided by Sue Keohi.