Hidden Connection Seeks Redemption in Houston

Sam Houston Race Park's annual day in the spotlight returns Jan. 27 as the Houston Racing Festival features two graded stakes events.

Hidden Brook Farm and Black Type Thoroughbreds' Hidden Connection  looks for redemption in the 1 1/16-mile $300,000 Houston Ladies Classic Stakes (G3), a race in which she finished second to Pauline's Pearl  last year.

The 5-year-old daughter of Connect   earned her first victory in just over a year during her last start in the Joseph E. Spanky Broussard Memorial Stakes at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots Dec. 22. It was her first stakes victory since winning the 2021 Pocahontas Stakes (G3) at Churchill Downs in her second career start.

Multiple grade 1-placed Bellamore  looks for a first stakes victory in her first start for Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen. After spending the majority of her career with Simon Callaghan, owner Kaleem Shah transferred her to the barn of trainer Carlos Santamaria before a third-place finish to expected Eclipse champion Idiomatic  in the Spinster Stakes (G1) at Keeneland Oct. 8. After consecutive off-the-board stakes finishes for Santamaria, the 6-year-old daughter of Empire Maker switches trainers again in hopes of returning to the winners' circle.

Kenny McPeek sends out a pair of 4-year-old fillies in Five Fillies Stable and Balios Racing Stable's multiple stakes winner Corningstone , who most recently was second beaten four lengths by Hidden Connection in the Broussard, and Barry Fowler and Magdalena Racing's Dear Lady , who rides a two-race win streak into this competition.

The Houston Ladies Classic will go as the 10th race on the card with a post-time of 5:40 p.m. CT.

John B. Connally Turf Cup Stakes

Carolyn Barnett and Becky Harding's old veteran Sunlit Song  will look to defend his home turf in the 1 1/2-mile John B. Connally Turf Cup Stakes (G3T).

The 9-year-old My Golden Song  gelding is 13-for-16 in the money at Sam Houston, including five victories. Eighteen-for-43 lifetime, Sunlit Song has earned $735,000 for the owners who have raced him since his debut in February 2018.

The eight-time stakes winner returned from a three-and-a-half month layoff Jan. 5 with a third in a one-mile off-the-turf allowance optional claiming event behind a slow pace. In 2023, Sunlit Song won five of six starts at the age of 8.

Invading Sam Houston will be two horses who have done so successfully before.

Mike Maker's Red Run  returns to the site of his lone stakes victory as he breaks from the far outside. As a 3-year-old in 2022, the son of Gun Runner   closed from the back of the pack to win the Bob Bork Texas Turf Mile Stakes by a half-length. Since that win, Red Run has only one victory, but earned a graded stakes placing when third to the sensational Next  in the Brooklyn Stakes (G2) at Belmont Park June 10.

Gary Barber's Palazzi  won the 2021 Texas Turf Mile Stakes in his lone Sam Houston appearance. After a three-race win streak at Woodbine in the summer of 2023 that included a victory in the Singspiel Stakes (G3T) Sep. 9, the 6-year-old Pioneerof the Nile gelding has finished fourth in each of his last two starts.

Both Red Run and Palazzi can pass the half-million dollar mark with top finishes in the John B. Connally Turf Cup, which will be held as the 11th race with a post time of 6:10 p.m. CT.