DC Willful Spirit, 2004 bay filly

2008 Texas Yellow Rose and Texas Six Shooter

Sam Houston Race Park, March 29, 2008-- The running of the 2008 Texas Yellow Rose and Texas Six Shooter proved that sometimes all bets are off when a well bred field enters the starting gates. Some of the very finest fillies and colts in the U.S.A. vied for the wins in both Grade 2 stakes at Sam Houston Race Park March 29th. These prestigious races are run as the 2nd leg in the U.S. Arabian Triple Crown series.

Over $184,000 was wagered on the Texas Yellow Rose for 4 year old fillies. And over $155,000 was wagered on the Texas Six Shooter for 4 year old colts and geldings- a very respectable figure for the 10th and last race of the evening which generally does not produce extraordinary handle.

The favorites in the Yellow Rose included 2007 Darley Nominee Abra Caadabra and 2007 Darley Winner Dixie Dance, and favorites in the Six Shooter were 2 time stakes winner/4 time stakes placed Cool Sand Luke coupled with stablemate Throttle Up. However it was DC Willful Spirit going off at a almost 7/1 odds who drew clear to win the Texas Yellow Rose. In a similar surprise for the bettors, it was Remarkable Man at a little more than 8/1 odds who won the Texas Six Shooter in a driving finish.

DC Willful Spirit lives up to her name in the Texas Yellow Rose

DC Willful Spirit chased Darley Winner Dixie Dance and broke clear in the stretch, leaving eight other top fillies behind in the $43,350 Texas Yellow Rose. She is skillfully trained by Jernesto Torrez.

DC Willful Spirit, by Virgule Al Maury out of Wibwilcca by Wilkolak, is bred and owned by Dan & Claudia Spears. Virgule Al Maury is a two time leading sire of the year, and Wibwilcca is a Darley winning, pure Polish mare with four offspring to date- the first being 2 time stakes placed Vibvilcca, a full sister to DC Willful Spirit. DC Willful Spirit was piloted to victory in the Texas Yellow Rose by jockey Jorge Guzman. She was well prepped for this stake, having already won 2 races this year. In her 2007 record, she won 1 race, and had 3 seconds including her stakes placing in the Texas Arabian Futurity Fillies. Her career starts are now 11, with earnings of $43,172.

Ruby Earrings who ran second is a chestnut filly by Rubis De Carrere and out of Zeralda Josniere by Djelfor. She came into this race no stranger to high level stakes company. She was stakes placed in the 2007 Betsy Ross Distaff at Delaware Park. In the Texas Yellow Rose, jockey Larry Taylor helped her improve her race record to 6(1-3-1)0-2. Ruby Earrings is owned by Tom Fritz, and was bred by Kiki Courtelis.

Third placed Abra Caadabra went into the gates as the favorite, coupled with her sibling Ange De Gargassan. Abra Caadabra, a grey filly by Burning Sand out of Caarabine CS by Aneto, is owned by Mark Powell, bred by French Performance Arabians, LLC. She won the Texas Arabian Futurity in 2007 and in 2008 enjoyed a stakes win in the Sweetheart Distaff and was 2nd in the Daughters of the Desert Oaks, the first race in the leg of the Arabian Triple Crown. Abra Caadabra's record is now 21(5-6-2)2-2. She was ridden in the Yellow Rose by jockey Travis Wales.

All runners in order of finish: DC Willful Spirit, Ruby Earrings, Abra Caadabra, Topoftheclass, Tri Spring Proof, Dixie Dance, Macalin, Ange De Gargassan, Storm Surge.