(Grand Prairie, Texas - Saturday, November 3, 2018) - After a delay of nearly an hour while a line of thunderstorms rolled through the area, producing excessive cloud to ground lightning strikes and turning the track from fast to sloppy, they were finally off in the 21st edition of the $25,000 B. F. Phillips, Jr. Stakes (G3). Sf Hot Pass, guided byFrancisco Calderon, was first to the wire, winning the 400-yard race, restricted to Texas-breds three-year-old & up, in :19.343, a length in front of the rest. Speed Index was 107.

Owned by Shannon Fisher of Midland and trained by Leon Bard, Sf Hot Pass earned his third stakes victory of the meet. The five-year-old gelding by Ivory James won the Nevill Stakes, the Refrigerator Stakes (G1), and now adds the Phillips to his resume. He is the first horse to win all three during a single race season since the track opened in 1997. 

Sf Hot Pass went off as the favorite, with mutuels returning $3.40, $2.20 and $2.10. The Golden Bowl placed, returning $2.80 & $2.20. Dm La Jolla got the show and returned $3.40. Two-time winner of this race Rc Me Leaving You finished fourth, followed by Fast N Famous Eagle, Deala Quick Game, Fdp Rock Solid, and Saved by Jesus Jm was last.

The addition of the winner's share of the purse upped Sf Hot Pass' earnings to $110,530. This was his sixth win from 15 career starts and raised his perfect 2018 record to four of four.

Meet Leaders

The Phillips Stakes win moved trainer Bard within one win of the season leader, Josue Ponce, but Ponce won the nightcap, so Bard is again two back of Ponce. Their numbers going into the final weekend are 12 to 14, respectively. Neither Bard nor Ponce has won a training title here. It will be a first for either if they finish on top. The stakes victory also boosted jockey Francisco Calderon, who won a total of three races on the tonight's card, within one of leading rider Jessie Levario, but yes, Levario was aboard the winner in the nightcap, so two wins separate them in the rider's standings. Levario has 15 wins to Calderon's 13. If Levario holds the lead, it will be his first ever Lone Star Park riding title. If Calderon gets up, it will be his second riding title at the Grand Prairie track. He won his first in 2016.

Only two days of live racing remain in the 2018 Quarter Horse Season. Live racing will resume on Friday, November 9 and conclude with the featured Texas Classic Juvenile, Derby and Futurity on Saturday, November 10. Gates open at 5:00 p.m. both nights for closing weekend, and first race post time for each is 6:05 p.m.