(September 8, 2006) - The 2006 Sam Houston Race Park Quarter Horse meeting will conclude on Saturday, September 9, but Snowy Alibi put an exclamation mark on a brilliant season tonight as he captured the $316,000 Sam Houston Futurity (G1).

Trainer Janet Van Bebber won her first Sam Houston Futurity this evening as she saddled both the winner, Snowy Alibi and fastest qualifier, Streakin Illusively in the final. Snowy Alibi, who was purchased at the 2005 TQHA Yearling Sale for $38,000 by D. D. Lightsey of Caldwell, Texas, has been an outstanding horse for Van Bebber. He captured the $343,305 TQHA Sale Futurity on July 28 and returned to the winner’s circle this evening as only the third horse in Sam Houston Race Park history to win both premier races. War Colors in 1999, trained by Steve Van Bebber and Azoom, conditioned by Frank Cavazos in 2004 are the only other 2-year-olds to accomplish this impressive feat.

Rider Alfonso Lujan qualified both of the Van Bebber runners, but opted to ride Streakin Illusively in the final. Van Bebber asked veteran Quarter Horse jockey, Jacky Martin to ride Snowy Alibi and he did a fine job on the son of This Snow Is Royal, breaking from the far outside post and crossing the wire of the 400-yard stakes in: 20.063.

“Last week I was down here and rode one for Janet and stayed over and stood Snowy Alibi in the gate,” said Martin. “He was just kind of dead-headed, like a regular horse, but tonight, he was on his toes and she had him ready. He couldn’t have been better.”

“What a blessing he has been,” said Van Bebber following the victory. “I said it before and it is worth repeating: the Lightseys have given me carte blanche to completely manage these horses. We brought this horse last year and he needed surgery following the yearling sale. That would have set a lot of people back and given them a bad taste in their mouth, but I assured that everything would be okay; we just needed to be patient. They have been 110% patient. We waited to start the colt; we gave him the time he required, both physically and mentally and how it’s paid off. I feel so fortunate that we’ve had this success with him. It rewards their support of the decisions that we make as a team.”

“We feel so blessed to a trainer the caliber of Janet Van Bebber,” commented owner Edile Lightsey.

“I tithe a portion of my wins to the church,” added Van Bebber. “When we did so well in the TQHA Sale Futurity, I gave a portion to two churches and chose a third recipient, the church where Taylor Anne (Janet’s 8-year-old daughter) goes to school. They told me today that they were going to take that money and replace their playground equipment that they lost in the storm. I told them to pray for us, that we might have good fortune tonight and maybe we can get some more. So it just goes to show how when you take your good fortune and bless others, how it comes back to you again.”

Bridled Lightnin, who began her career this year winning four in a row, ran a game second for trainer Bobby Moore, Jr. She broke through the gate in the final of the TQHA Sale Futurity and finished second to last. Tonight was a much better effort and she outran her odds of 43-1, under rider Jeff Jerman.

“She’s a great filly,” said Jerman. “Being by that thoroughbred horse (Phone Prince), she always tries hard on this other end. Once we start running her a quarter of a mile, she will be something. I broke this filly for them last winter, and I know she’s a good filly. She gives you everything she’s got. I knew we had second, but I was wishing that we had a little further to go, because I was catching him. And the filly, she thinks she won. She didn’t even see the ten horse out there. When she got by the one horse she started pulling up, and you could just tell she thinks she’s the winner.”

“I’m real excited about this filly,” added Moore. “With everything that went on with the gate deal in the Sale Futurity, she’s been under a lot of stress. She hasn’t been eating very well, and she drawed up on us. But this filly’s got a lot of heart, and she showed it all the way to here. She’s just had a lot of problems here. She came back and run the class that she is. She’s in the Challenge Championship in Dallas, and after that we’ll go into her derby year. She’s a very classy filly, and she’s run well here.”

Snowy Alibi was sent off as the third betting choice at 4-1 and paid $10.80 to win. The 10-3 exacta returned $287.80 and the trifecta with Retama Park Futurity winner, Zoomin for Bux returned $1,022.60. Van Bebber’s other entrant, Streakin Illusively ran fourth followed by Rosemarys Baby, Nc Zoom, Zoom, Perrys Little Sis, Jess a Little Smart. Streakin Cartel and First Tea Rose, who finished last and was vanned off.

Snowy Alibi collected $126,400 for the win. Van Bebber indicated that he would be pointed toward the Dash for Cash Futurity at Lone Star Park.

Toole N Round Wins the TQHA Quarter Horse Oaks

A field of nine 3-year-old fillies went postward in tonight’s $17,000 TQHA Quarter Horse Oaks. Toole N Round, owned and bred by Pat Allen of Austin, Texas, kept her winning streak alive as she captured her third in a row this evening. Trained by Bobby Moore, Jr. and ridden by Alfonso Lujan, the daughter of Jody O Toole is undefeated this season and beat a classy field of fillies, including Sheza Dashing Disco, who won $69,030 Bayer Legend Texas Derby Challenge (G3).

“It’s unbelievable,” said Allen. “I’ve been doing this a long time and am so proud of her. “When we were raising her, I never saw her run and thought she would be pretty lazy. I’m amazed and very proud to be her owner.”

“She’s just a tough, classy filly, and I’ve been fortunate to have (her and Bridled Lightnin) in my barn,” said Moore. “She looked like she stumbled a little bit getting away. I talked to Alfonso (Lujan), and he said she just couldn’t get a hold of the racetrack. But once she kind of got a hold of it, she just left there. But, you know, three outs and three wins, she’s just now learning how to run.”

Sheza Dashing Disco, owned by Jodie and Johnny R. Johnson of Tomball, Texas, was sent off the favorite, but broke poorly and finished sixth under rider Rodrigo Vallejo.

“Rodrigo said she just turned her head and backed up when the gate opened,” said trainer Benny Pennington. “He just sat on her and held her the rest of the race, because she didn’t have a chance. He didn’t want to use her that much, so he just saved her. We’re going to run her in one other filly and mares stake at Lone Star before the Bayer (Legend Challenge). It’ll be about 30 days from now and about 30 days out from the Bayer, so hopefully we’ll get her tuned up. It’s better to happen tonight than later on.”