Mr Money Bags ready to live up to his name in Groovy

Racing and gaming do not intersect in Texas – except for a horse named Mr Money Bags.

He’s one of the headliners on the $300,000 Texas Champions program of six stakes Saturday night at Sam Houston Race Park. The races, for different divisions, are worth $50,000 each, with all restricted to horses bred in Texas.

Mr Money Bags won his debut at Zia Park in New Mexico and won an allowance at Delta Downs in Louisiana – both tracks that have slot machines that supplement purses. Gaming is not permitted in Texas, but it did inspire Roy Cobb to name his Silver City homebred Mr Money Bags. The clever name emerged during Cobb’s trip to an out-of-state casino, according to Mike Neatherlin, who trains Mr Money Bags.

“He was having a good day at the slots up in Oklahoma,” Neatherlin said. “His wife called to say the colt was born. At that present moment, the machine he was playing, that was the name on it.

“When they told me that, I said, ‘That’s a great story!’ ”

Mr Money Bags has lived up to his fun name. He’s won 3 of 4 starts, including a stakes at Sam Houston, and the record will make him a strong favorite in the $50,000 Groovy. The six-furlong race for 3-yearolds also drew another stakes winner – My Bling.

But the horse to beat is Mr Money Bags, who is coming off an 11 1/2-length win in the $65,000 Jim’s Orbit division of the Texas Stallion Stakes on Feb. 23 at Sam Houston. He set a quick pace and went on to cover six furlongs in a sharp 1:10.80, earning a career-best Beyer Figure of 89. For the Groovy, he will break from post 6 in the field of 8.

“He’s doing awfully well,” Neatherlin said. “We’re really glad he drew outside. He was on the rail last time.”

Neatherlin said Mr Money Bags is a “very manageable” horse and believes he also can be effective from off the pace if need be Saturday.

“I always thought this horse would run long. He rates so well,” Neatherlin said.

The plan was to give Mr Money Bags a shot at two turns in the Grade 3, $800,000 Sunland Derby on Sunday, but Neatherlin said the plan changed and a chance to route will come later in the year for Mr Money Bags.

Ernesto Valdez-Jiminez has the mount in the Groovy.

Supermason returns

Supermason will be making his first start since July when he meets Direct Dial, the reigning Texas-bred Horse of the Year, in the $50,000 Spirit of Texas. The six-furlong race is for 4-year-olds and up. The field of seven includes opencompany stakes winner A M Milky Way.

Supermason closed out his season last year with three consecutive wins, two of them Texas-bred stakes at Lone Star Park. Overall, he is a seventime stakes winner, all for owner Brad Grady. Supermason will be making his first start for trainer Joe Sharp on Saturday. He breaks from the rail under regular rider Lindey Wade.

“He’s been working great,” Sharp said. “Obviously this is my first round with having him in the barn. We’ve had him for a few months.”

Sharp said the horse came in from Grady’s farm and training center, Grand Oaks, in Ocala, Fla.

“We have a good percentage winning straight off the farm there,” Sharp said. “We’re happy with the breezes at Fair Grounds.”

Direct Dial is moving back into the Texas-bred ranks after finishing a close third in the $50,000 Stonerside Sprint on Jan. 27 at Sam Houston. Deshawn Parker has the mount on the Will Farish homebred for trainer Steve Asmussen.

◗ Golden Lullabye shakes multiple stakes winner Cowgirls Like Us in the Bara Lass for 3-year-old fillies at six furlongs. She was second to that rival last month in the $65,000 Two Altazano division of the Texas Stallion Stakes at Sam Houston.

◗ Shes Our Fastest gets back with statebreds for the Yellow Rose, a six-furlong race for fillies and mares, after running third to multiple stakes winner Testing One Two in a Jan. 19 allowance at Delta Downs.

◗ Texas Belle and Corluna will each be looking for her third straight win when they meet in the San Jacinto, a 1 1/16-mile turf race for fillies and mares. Texas Belle’s recent wins have both come over the turf at Sam Houston.

◗ Highway Song, winner of the $50,000 Houston Turf in January, tops the Richard King, a 1 1/8-mile turf race for older horses. He comes off a fast-closing second in a mile allowance March 2 at Sam Houston.