Houston, Texas (March 12, 2005) - A field of six fillies went postward in tonight's feature at Sam Houston Race Park, the $40,000 Sam Houston Oaks. Thunderdoll, owned by Collett Stable LLC and conditioned by Al Stall, Jr.
entered tonight's feature with back-to-back victories at Fair Grounds. She broke her maiden going one mile on the turf on January 16 and followed it up with a main track victory on February 24. John Jacinto rode the dark bay filly in that race and came over to Sam Houston tonight for the Sam Houston Oaks.

Stall was not present, so trainer Michael McEachern saddled the bay daughter of Thunder Gulch. Parisparis was sent to the lead by rider Corey Lanerie and completed the first quarter in 25.98 and the half-mile in 51.68. Jacinto guided his filly to the outside and dueled to the wire, with Thunderdoll prevailing by a head, completing the one-mile contest in 1:40.87.

"She's a little filly, but she's got a lot of heart," said Jacinto. "The pace was so slow, so I had to make my move early. She's in the best shape ever and really dug in at the end."

Parisparis, owned by Coastal Racing LLC, was stretching out to two turns for the first time and ran well in her stakes debut.

"She relaxed great and we went very slow," said Lanerie. "At the quarter pole, I really didn't think she had any chance of being beaten. She sprinted home I just couldn't shake the other filly (Thunderdoll). I spoke to the trainer and the horse trained great and there was nothing I could have done different."

Leading Sam Houston Race Park trainer Steve Asmussen flew in from New Orleans. His filly Summerly was a convincing winner in the $300,000 Fair Grounds Oaks and will be pointed toward the Kentucky Oaks. Asmussen had two entrants in tonight's feature, Timber Jones and Mybrowneyedgal. They finished third and fourth, respectively.

"Those are two very nice fillies," commented Asmussen. "I was in both races that Thunderdoll won and she beat me soundly in both. And that number one showed she is just as good. To finish third and fourth behind those two is all I could ask of my fillies. That kept Timber Jones in good form for the next Texas Stallion Stakes, and MyBrowneyedgal is going to get better as she gets older."

Thunderdoll.returned $4.60 to win. The 6-1exacta paid $10.00 and the trifecta returned $23,00. Ms Seneca Rock and No Ya Aint I Am completed the order of finish. Angela Marjorie was an early scratch.