Scarlet Stable's King David and jockey Rosie Napravnik figure to be a tough act in the John B. Connally Turf Cup Stakes (gr. IIIT) at Sam Houston Race Park Jan. 26.
In October, they teamed to win the Jamaica Handicap (gr. IT) at Belmont Park at the 1 1/8-mile Connally distance. The son of Hat Trick had won four straight races leading up to the Jamaica.
Since the Jamaica, King David ran second in the Commonwealth Turf Stakes (gr. IIIT) at Churchill Downs and closed out the year with a fourth, beaten 1 1/2 lengths, in the Claiming Crown Emerald Stakes on grass at Gulfstream Park. Mike Maker trains.
Willcox Inn exited a season in which three of his starts came in grade I grass stakes, and he came away with a second in the Shadwell Turf Mile Classic Stakes at Keeneland. The son of Harlan's Holiday was highly productive the year before, winning three stakes including the American Derby (gr. IIT) and the Hawthorne Derby (gr. IIIT). Trained by Mike Stidham, he races for All in Stable and Lael Stable.
Seal Cove, a son of Strong Hope raced by owner/breeder Stuart S. Janney III and trained by Shug McGaughey, heads into the Connally off two straight wins including the If Winter Comes Stakes on grass at Aqueduct Racecourse in November last time out. He has won five of eight starts including the Gleaming Stakes on turf at Saratoga Race Course in 2011.
John C. Oxley's Lockout, who finished third in the Commonwealth, has been worse than third only once in 10 starts and in that race, the Hansel Stakes, he finished fourth. His biggest win came in the Remington Green Stakes on turf in September. Mark Casse trains the son of Limehouse .
The Connally also attracted French group II winner Marinous, whose most prominent win came in 2010. Marinous, by Numerous and trained by Jerenesto Torrez, has raced twice on the main track at Retama Park following her overseas arrival, finishing third and ninth.
The remainder of the field consists of Capture the Flag, Holiday Promise, Ocean Seven, Red Lead, and Swift Warrior.
$200,000 John B. Connally Turf Cup Stakes (gr. IIIT, Race 8, 9:15 p.m. CT), 4-Year-Olds and up, 1 1/8 Miles (Turf)
Post Horse Jockey Weight Trainer
1 Swift Warrior, J L Espinoza, 118, J P Terranova II
2 Capture the Flag, I Arellano, 118, J S Offolter
3 Lockout, L Saez, 123, M E Casse
4 Seal Cove, J Castellano, 123, C R McGaughey
5 Red Lead, C Landeros, 118, C A Hartman
6 King David, R Napravnik, 123, M J Maker
7 Marinous, G Saez, 118, J Torrez
8 Holiday Promise, E Valdez-Jiminez, 118, J Torrez
9 Willcox Inn, J Graham, 118, M Stidham
10 Ocean Seven, C Kimes, 118, S Borunda