Houston, Texas (February 7, 2004) - A field of seven fillies and mares took to the racetrack in tonight's feature, the $40,000 Tomball Stakes. There was a steward's inquiry involving the stretch duel between Coastalota and Prom Date. Following the review of the tape, Coastalota was disqualified from first and Prom Date was named the winner of the one-and one-sixteenth mile contest.

Prom Date, a 4-year-old filly owned by Leland Cook of Corsicana, Texas, was making her second start of the 2003/2004 Sam Houston Race Park Thoroughbred Meeting. She finished third in the $50,000 San Jacinto Stakes on Texas Champions Day, a turf stakes.

Coastalota, owned and bred by Hubert L. Southard was ridden by Bobby Walker, Jr. Trained by Randy Mayfield, Coastalota won the 2002 Tomball Stakes and was named Texas Thoroughbred Association Champion Older Mare in 2002. Walker was very upset with the steward's ruling and emphatically denied any wrongdoing.

"I never touched that mare," said Walker. "I may have intimidated her, but my mare never touched her."

"This was a tough call," said Cloninger. "The pace was really slow and I had to make up a lot of ground in the stretch. She took the turn well and when we caught the #1 horse, I held my ground on the rail, but the #1 was having trouble staying her course."

Lady Mallory was making her first start since October 4 for owner Ed Few and trainer Tommie Morgan. Named TTA Champion 3-year-old filly, Lady Mallory saved ground under rider Jeremy Beasley, but finished four lengths behind Coastalota and Prom Date.

"The time off did have an impact on her tonight," admitted Morgan. "She likes to lay a little bit further back in her race like she did tonight.

She was just fresh and she was just eager to race. She had more of your late running style than she should have."

Prom Date, the third betting choice, paid $9.80 to win, $4.40 to place and $2.40 to show, completing the 1 1/16 mile contest over a fast track in 1:46.95. The 5-1 exacta returned $44.20 and the trifecta paid $95.40. Completing the order of finish were Mystic Pine, Sarastorm, Miss Triple Turn and Angelic Jewel.

Owner Cook indicated that he would confer with Romero and consider either the Double Your Flavor Stakes on March 27 or the Jersey Lilly on April 10, the final night of the 2003/2004 Thoroughbred Meeting.