Billy Batts, Jack and Noah Head Texas Turf Mile

Rockingham Ranch's Billy Batts and Gary Barber's Jack and Noah head 3-year-olds lining up in the inaugural $200,000 Texas Turf Mile at Sam Houston Race Park on the Jan. 26 Houston Racing Festival undercard.

A field of 12 is slated to leave the gate Saturday with Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Presented by Coolmore America (G1T) runner-up Billy Bates leaving post 4 with prominent California jockey Flavien Prat aboard. The City Zip colt trained by Peter Miller has only won once in seven starts—breaking his maiden at Del Mar in his fourth start—but has been either second or third in his three stakes since.

Billy Batts, out of the unraced Giant's Causeway mare Down to Hearth, has been training steadily at San Luis Rey Training Center. in California. Miller signed for the colt, who sold for $200,000 during the Ocala Breeders' Sales March Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training, where he was consigned by Wavertree Stables.

The French-bred Jack and Noah was another overseas purchase by Justin Casse, brother to the horse's trainer, Mark Casse. Purchased for US$179,760 during the Arqana May Breeze-Up Sale, the colt is by Bated Breath out of the unraced Mizzen Mast  mare Winter Count.

In his three starts, the colt broke his maiden on debut in September at Belmont Park, and then finished fourth in the Oct. 6 Futurity Stakes (G3) there behind subsequent Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint (G2T) winner Four Wheel Drive. He most recently took the Nov. 9 Atlantic Beach Stakes at Aqueduct Racetrack over Embolden, who had finished ahead of him in the Futurity.

Video: Atlantic Beach S. (BT)

Jack and Noah will leave the outside post in the two-turn race with jockey Tyler Gaffalione up for the first time.

Another Breeders Cup contender will line up Saturday in the Texas Turf Mile: Juvenile Turf Sprint runner up Chimney Rock for owners Three Diamonds Farm. In seven starts under the direction of trainer Mike Maker, the Artie Schiller colt has only been off the board once and most recently ran off to a 6 1/2-length score in the Dec. 14 Louisiana Champions Day Juvenile Stakes on dirt at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots.

Corey Lanerie has the ride from post 7.

Godolphin's Pixelate garnered morning-line odds of 4-1 with a win by a head in the Dec. 6 Central Park Stakes at Aqueduct. Trained by Mike Stidham, the City Zip colt has two wins and has not finished worse than third in five starts.

In addition to the John B. Connally Turf Cup (G3T) and Houston Ladies Classic (G3) on the Houston Racing Festival card, the track will also present the $100,000 Frontier Utilities Turf Sprint, a five-furlong turf test for 4 year-olds and older; the $75,000 Jersey Lilly Turf for fillies and mares, 4 and up, going 1 1/16 miles; and the $75,000 Stonerside Sprint, a six-furlong dirt test for older horses.

"We are very appreciative of the trainers and owners supporting the 2020 Houston Racing Festival," said Frank Hopf, Sam Houston Race Park's senior director of racing operations. "The Festival continues to evolve and is becoming a great opportunity for horses to start their racing seasons. The day has always been anchored by our two graded stakes. ... The addition of the Texas Turf Mile, has been incredibly well received and may quickly rival the Houston Ladies Classic and Connally Turf in popularity."

Entries: Texas Turf Mile S.

Sam Houston Race Park, Sunday, January 26, 2020, Race 7

• STK
• 1m
• Turf
• $200,000
• 3 yo
• 4:40 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Pixelate (KY)	Florent Geroux	122	Michael Stidham	4/1
2	2Deviant (ON)	Lane J. Luzzi	122	Danny Pish	20/1
3	3Memorable (KY)	Ricardo Santana, Jr.	117	Steven M. Asmussen	10/1
4	4Billy Batts (KY)	Flavien Prat	115	Peter Miller	7/2
5	5Southgate (OK)	Floyd Wethey, Jr.	122	Scott E. Young	30/1
6	6Drewpower (KY)	Luis Batista	115	Lonnie Briley	20/1
7	7Chimney Rock (LA)	Corey J. Lanerie	122	Michael J. Maker	6/1
8	8Toma Todo (KY)	Miguel Mena	115	Michael J. Maker	12/1
9	9Alohlouya (IA)	David Cabrera	115	Clinton C. Stuart	20/1
10	10Bodecream (KY)	Deshawn L. Parker	115	Danny Pish	8/1
11	11Field Pass (MD)	Colby J. Hernandez	115	Michael J. Maker	10/1
12	12Jack and Noah (FR)	Tyler Gaffalione	122	Mark E. Casse	9/2