Shotgun Kowboy Seeks Texas Mile Prize

C. R. Trout's Shotgun Kowboy, an Oklahoma-bred who last year showed enough promise to warrant a start in the grade I Clark Handicap at Churchill Downs, will make his third start off a layoff in the May 6 Texas Mile (gr. III) at Lone Star Park.

Trained by Trout, Shotgun Kowboy began 2016 with a fifth-place finish in the six-furlong Duncan F. Kenner Stakes at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots Feb. 20, and followed up with a quality fourth-place finish in the 1 1/16-mile Razorback Handicap (gr. III) March 19 at Oaklawn Park. He since has worked three times at Lone Star.

Last year Shotgun Kowboy, a 4-year-old Kodiak Kowboy gelding bred by Trout, won the grade III Oklahoma Derby and the Oklahoma Classic Cup for state-breds, both at Remington Park. That led Trout to ship him to Churchill, where he finished seventh in the 1 1/8-mile Clark after pressing the pace for about seven furlongs.

Jareth Loveberry, who was aboard Shotgun Kowboy last time out and when he broke his maiden in his career debut in 2014, has the call from post 5 in a nine-horse field in the Texas Mile.

Only two members of the field have raced at Lone Star: Michael Langford's Carve, who was seventh in the Razorback and the April 16 Oaklawn Handicap (gr. II) but last year finished second in the Lone Star Park Handicap (gr. III), and J-Lu Ltd.'s Hip Four Sixtynine, who hasn't raced since last May and finished second in last year's Texas Mile.

Carve, a 6-year-old First Samurai   gelding trained by Steve Asmussen, will break from post 3 with Iram Diego aboard. Hip Four Sixtynine, a 6-year-old Southern Image   horse trained by Scott Tubbs, will be ridden by Garrett Steinberg from post 7.