-photo by Jack Coady/Coady Photography

(March 31, 2007) - A field of nine accredited Texas-bred 3-year-olds were featured in the $45,000 Fort Bend County Stakes tonight at Sam Houston Race Park. I Spy Wolfie was the winner under rider Alex Birzer. Owned and trained by Charles Edwin Smith of Weatherford, Texas, I Spy Wolfie ran second in the $45,000 Texas Heritage Stakes on March 3 and notched his first black-type stakes win this evening.

“This colt is pretty useful and didn’t mind the off track one bit,” said Birzer. “I think he’d run right over the top of a barn if you asked him. Charlie and his crew did a really nice job getting this colt ready. This colt had been riddled with rough trips and we’ve run into a lot of bad luck. He just had a perfect trip tonight.”

This was the 10th career start for the son of Chief Three Sox, who earned $27,000 this evening as he crossed the wire of the seven furlong stakes in 1:24.58.

“We’re really tickled with the colt,” added Smith. “He’s really maturing and has developed in the last month. He’s a real sound colt. We’ll head back to Lone Star and may run one race before the Texas Stallion Stakes up there.”

Trainer Danny Pish decided to test two lightly raced colts and both ran extremely well. Filet Gumbo, who was just making his fourth career start, closed for second under Quincy Hamilton and Barnett Shale, who broke his maiden here on February 18, ran third with Don Simington aboard.

“He ran a good race,” commented Hamilton of Filet Gumbo. “He broke well, settled in behind the pace nicely and when I called on him, he was getting closer, but just ran out of racetrack.”

“He’s a full brother to (multiple-stakes winner) Goosey Moose,” said Brandon Jenkins, who saddled tonight for Pish. “The horse has been training great and the older he gets, the better he’s going to perform. This was just a little test; but Danny and I expect really big things from him.”

I Spy Wolfie ($6.60) was sent off as the second betting choice behind Banquo, who won the $125,000 Jim’s Orbit on February 17. The exacta with 16-1 Filet Gumbo returned $98.80 and the trifecta paid $521.40. Joanie’s Tunnel, Banquo, Snifters Spirit, High N Tight, Axel Pegasus and Country Legend completed the order of finish.

News and Notes

Jockey Don Simington won four races on the Saturday night card. He won both halves of the early daily double with Roping Kidd ($3.80) and Kathys Kris ($10.60); added the fourth aboard Roaring Dreams ($4.40) and a win with Hart’s Sunset ($4.20) in the sixth race.

The final Sunday racing card of the 2006/2007 Sam Houston Race Park Thoroughbred meeting will take place on Sunday, April 1 at 5:00 p.m. Racing will continue on Thursday, April 5, Friday, April 6 and Saturday, April 7 with the running of the Grade III Connally Breeders’ Cup Turf as well as the $50,000 Jersey Lilly Stakes and the $50,000 Sam Houston Turf Sprint Cup.