(Friday, October 26, 2007) - Illegal Memories drew post position No. 4 and was made the mild 3-1 morning line favorite for Saturday's Grade 1, $432,090 Dash For Cash Futurity at Lone Star Park in Grand Prairie, Texas.

The 11-race live program will begin early at 5 p.m. CT, immediately after a simulcast of the Breeders' Cup World Championships from Monmouth Park in New Jersey. The twilight program also includes the Grade 1, $214,500 Dash For Cash Derby, headed by Sam Houston Derby champ Diamond Tres Seis, and the $48,010 Dash For Cash Juvenile Stakes.

Tim Lange and Charlie Forbes' Illegal Memories, trained by Doug McMullen, was the fastest Futurity qualifier in 13 trial races on Oct. 13 with a time of :19.889 for 400 yards. Roy Baldillez retains the mount.

The talented 2-year-old Texas-bred son of Illegal Runaway has a history of propping and/or jumping the photo finish light beam at the wire. He did that in his trial victory, which jumped his record to two wins and $26,524 from six starts, as well as the trial and final for the Retama Park Futurity.

In the Retama Park Futurity trial, Illegal Memories nearly sent two-time reigning Lone Star Park riding champ "Diamond" Jim Brooks into retirement. The 56-year-old jockey was sidelined four months with an injured rotator cuff when the 2-year-old bobbled badly at the wire while finishing second.

"At the wire, he got stiff-legged and just propped and dug his two front feet into the ground," Brooks said earlier this month. "He tossed me out of the stirrups and into the air with no reins in my hands; I came down hard. He's got some talent, though."

Last year, Dont Let Down snapped an eight-race winless streak of the fastest qualifier in the Dash For Cash Futurity final. He also is the lone favorite to prevail in nine runnings of the 400-yard race.

The complete Dash For Cash Futurity field (with jockey, trainer, trial time, morning line odds): Heritage Place Futurity qualifier Passion Raging On (Gilbert Ortiz, Eddie Willis, :20.066, 8-1); Retama Park and Dixie Stallion Futurity third Witchs Streak (Santos Carrizales, Jose Ramos, :20.112, 12-1); All American Futurity seventh Coronas Fast Dash (Juan Vazquez, John Buchanan, :19.945, 5-1); Illegal Memories (Baldillez, McMullen, :19.889, 3-1); Oklahoma Horsemen's Association Futurity third Presidential Request (G.R. Carter Jr., Brian Muse, :20.087, 20-1); West Texas Futurity qualifier Rock Solid Jess (James Gonzales II, Mike Wakefield, :20.111, 10-1); Rainbow Futurity runner-up Possum Fust (Larry Payne, Willis, :20.111, 4-1); Blue Ribbon Futurity runner-up Illegal Te (Rodrigo Vallejo, Judd Kearl, :20.104, 10-1); Oklahoma Horsemen's Association Futurity fifth Adios My Amigos (Debbie Freeman, Luis Villafranco, :19.984, 8-1); and Speedhorse Gold and Silver Cup Futurity winner Furrtreeous (Roy Brooks, Villafranco, :20.096, 10-1).

The successful team of trainer John Buchanan and jockey Juan Vazquez, who partner with Coronas Fast Dash, are the only ones to have won the Futurity twice: Pivotal Decision in 2000 and Dont Let Down last year.

Silvered Eyes, the 2002 champ, holds the Dash For Cash Futurity stakes record of :19.54 for 400 yards.

The Dash For Cash Futurity will run as Race 10 at approximately 8:54 p.m. CT. The Dash For Cash Juvenile, a restricted event for trial also-rans, is Race 8 at 8:02 p.m. CT. The Dash For Cash Derby will go as Race 9 at 8:28 p.m. CT.

Mercy and Ray Hinklin's Sam Houston Derby winner Diamond Tres Seis, conditioned by Heath Taylor, landed the rail for the Derby and is the early 8-5 wagering choice.

The 3-year-old gelded son of Tres Seis clocked 440 yards in :21.791 under Gilbert Ortiz, which was the fastest time in six trials on Oct. 12. He enters Saturday's contest with seven wins and $64,470 from 10 starts, including five victories from as many starts this year.

"We [gelded] him and gave him a long rest, and he's really turned into a nice horse," said Taylor. "[In the trial], he stood in the starting gate well and got away okay, but he really finished well at the end."

Favorites have faired well in previous runnings of the Dash For Cash Derby. They have prevailed in four of the nine runnings (a 44.4% win clip) with two seconds. Also, the fastest Derby qualifier has won the final on five occasions.

The complete Derby field: Diamond Tres Seis (Ortiz, Taylor, :21.791, 8-5); Photo Smart (Ignacio Bustamante, Brian Stroud, :22.045, 10-1); All American Derby sixth place finisher Feature for You (Joe Martinez, "Sleepy" Gilbreath, :22.107, 8-1); Fishers Rocket (Oscar Ortega, Salvador Flores, :22.123, 15-1); Jess a Lil Bit More (G.R. Carter Jr., Taylor, :22.164, 15-1); New Mexico HBA Stakes winner and West Texas Derby runner-up Mister Ww (Roy Baldillez, Trey Wood, :21.943, 9-2); $6,000 late nomination Folsfirstdown (Rodrigo Vallejo, Judd Kearl, :22.171, 20-1); Aclassoffly (Abdel Torres, Flores, :22.179, 15-1); Sassys Tuffy (James Gonzales II, Gilbreath, :21.109, 12-1); and All American Derby and Retama Park Derby third Hiclass La Jolla (Juan Vazquez, John Buchanan, :21.946, 3-1).

Fishers Rocket and Aclassoffly, both owned in part by Javier Marquez, will run coupled in the betting.

"Sleepy" Gilbreath, the trainer of Feature for You and Sassys Tuffy, will shoot for his third win in the race. He won the 1998 Dash For Cash Derby with Showcase Six and the 2000 renewal with champion filly Significant Speed, who holds the stakes record of :21.41 for 440 yards.

Hiclass La Jolla's trainer Buchanan landed the 2001 Derby with Pivotal Decision. Vazquez, his rider, will attempt to add to his record three DFC Derby victories: Pivotal Decision (2001), First Regards (2002) and Mighty Invictus (2005).

The $214,500 purse for the Derby is a record, which eclipses the $212,350 awarded in 1999.

IDA SNOW MAN, RONAS WIND DANCER MEET AGAIN IN 6666 RANCH HANDICAP FRIDAY NIGHT

Ida Snow Man is the 5-2 morning line choice to collect his first victory in more than a year when he tackles Ronas Wind Dancer and El Zapatista in Friday night's 6666 Ranch Handicap, a 400-yard test worth $20,000 for 3-year-olds and up.

Ronas Wind Dancer, the 3-1 second choice, gamely beat Ida Snow Man on opening night in the $30,000 Classic Chevrolet Heartbeat of America Handicap over 350 yards. Ida Snow Man, third in the Grade 1 Sam Houston Classic, was off slow and shut off while finishing third.