Blueridge Traveler seeks first stakes win in Maxxam

Blueridge Traveler will return to the stakes ranks Saturday night for the $100,000 Maxxam Gold Cup at Sam Houston. The horse was second in last year’s Grade 3 Spiral in his lone stakes appearance and figures to go favored over a field of six that includes stakes winners Social Misfit, Net Gain, Holiday Mischief, and Hyper Drive.

The Maxxam Gold Cup is the richest of four stakes on the card. It is for 4-year-olds and up over 1 1/8 miles. Trainer Ken McPeek said the distance was one of the appeals of the race for Blueridge Traveler. The horse first ran over nine furlongs in the Spiral at Turfway and was beaten there-quarters of a length.

He enters off an allowance win at Oaklawn on Feb. 19. Blueridge Traveler closed fast in the stretch for a three-quarter-length victory, earning an 85 Beyer Speed Figure that is the best last-race number in the Maxxam Gold Cup field.

“He’s really consistent,” McPeek said. “He worked his way through traffic.”

Blueridge Traveler will break from post 2. Channing Hill, who was aboard the horse last out and in the Spiral, has the mount for Horizon Stables.

“He can lay a little closer if need be,” said McPeek, a prior Maxxam Gold Cup winner.

“It will be interesting to see how he handles the track.”

Trainer Karl Broberg is looking forward to seeing how Social Misfit handles a new distance in the Maxxam Gold Cup.

“He’s unproven at the distance,” Broberg said. “We’ll see if he can get the trip. There’s only one way to find out.”

Social Misfit enters off a third-place finish in the $170,000 Premier Night Championship at Delta Downs. He finished third, 5 1/2 lengths behind Mobile Bay, the millionaire who won by a nose over Underpressure. Social Misfit earned a 77 Beyer last out.

“He was clearly no match for the top two while being best of the rest,” Broberg said.

Social Misfit was forwardly placed in that 1 1/16-mile race and on Saturday will break from the rail under Iram Diego.

“I’m fortunate enough to have the leading jockey at Houston riding, and I’ll let him take care of” strategy, Broberg said.

Blueridge Traveler and Social Misfit were supplemental entrants.

Net Gain returns to dirt after finishing fifth in the Grade 3 Connally Turf Cup on Jan. 28 at Sam Houston. The race was captured by Grade 1 winner Bigger Picture. Clinton Stuart, who trains Net Gain, likes the distance Saturday.

“I think that’s the biggest reason we went in the Connally, for the mile and a half,” he said. “I think a mile and an eighth is great.

“I’d kind of like to see a little more speed in the race. He’s pretty much coming from off the pace.”

Glenn Corbett has the mount from post 4.

Wings Locked Up in Sprint Cup

Wings Locked Up will make a rare appearance on the local main track in the $50,000 Sam Houston Sprint Cup.

“He has never run on the dirt at Sam Houston,” Stuart said. “He works on it a lot, likes it.”

The Sam Houston Sprint Cup will be run over six furlongs. The field of nine includes Supermason, a multiple stakes winner bred in Texas, and Counterforce, who ran third in both the David M. Vance at Remington Park and the Zia Park Sprint Cup in November in New Mexico.

Wings Locked Up was third in an optional $40,000 claiming race Feb. 14 at Delta Downs. The seven-furlong race was run around two turns in the fog.

“It was a foggy deal,” Stuart said. “It was as bad of a fog race as I’ve ever run in. It just rolled in right before the race. You could see maybe 100 yards of the race. He was right there, bounced out of it really good.”

Corbett has the mount from post 2.

◗ Proud Reunion enters the $50,000 Jersey Lilly off a runner-up finish in an optional $40,000 claiming race at Fair Grounds. Sophie Doyle has the mount for trainer Tom Proctor in the 1 1/16-mile turf race for fillies and mares that also drew recent Sam Houston stakes winner Witt’s Town.

◗ Mav Master seeks his second straight stakes win at the meet in the $50,000 Houston Turf for 4-year-olds and up bred in Texas. In his last start, he won the $50,000 Richard King Turf on Texas Champions Weekend.