2-23-26 Press Release

With a decisive thrust inside the eighth pole, Colonel Yorke surged past Mor Victory to win the $86,000 Sunlit Song Turf Stakes by a length Sunday at Sam Houston Race Park.  The 4 year-old gelding by Excaper earned his first turf stakes win in the process for trainer Mindy Willis and owners Steve Bragg and John Rigney.  Stewart Elliott, who has been aboard for his last 11 starts, was in the irons and the final time for a mile and a sixteenth on a firm Connally Turf Course was 1:42.69.  He paid $6.80 to win as the second choice in the field of nine.
Mor Victory opened up a sizable advantage early as he was 4 lengths in front after a half-mile in :47.34.  Colonel Yorke always raced prominently, stalking the pace in third before beginning a move in the vicinity of the 5/16 pole.  He was still well in hand in mid-stretch before Elliott roused him to move by the leader.
“He runs his race and places himself where he needs to be,” Elliott said to SHRP's Aidan Molinaro.  “We were watching the horse in front all the way, and I really wasn’t worried.”
The Sunlit Song Turf was Colonel Yorke’s second start of 2026 and in victory he avenged a defeat to Proven Advocate, who was sent off as the 2-1 favorite this afternoon.  This marked his 4th win in 8 career turf starts, and his first stakes victory over the sod.  He previously won the Oklahoma Stallion on dirt at Remington Park in 2025.
The win evoked memories of the venerable gray gelding for whom the race is now named.  Retired less than a year ago, Sunlit Song is always on Willis’ mind and she triumphantly held the trophy in the air while beaming throughout the winner’s circle presentation.
“This is a nice horse and the funny thing about him is he doesn’t like the paddock, just like Sunlit Song,” she said.  “So it’s kind of ironic.”
Elliott rides regularly for Willis and credited her for supporting him from day one after he moved his tack to the Texas/Oklahoma circuit in 2021.  Willis’ other entrant, Regal Terka, finished 3rd and Silver Assassin rounded out the superfecta.  Proven Advocate, North of Bali, Guitar Boy, Just Bernie and Supersecretweapon completed the field.
Many of these horses are expected to return in the Richard King Turf Stakes on March 21 as part of Texas Champions Day at Sam Houston Race Park.
Live racing resumes at SHRP on Friday night with a 6:30 PM first post and a concert with A Sure Thing in the Pavilion Centre at 9:30 PM.