Veteran stakes winners Victory for Vets, Too Much Action highlight Star of Texas, Spirit of Texas
March 18, 2026
March 18, 2026
Veteran stakes winners Victory for Vets, Too Much Action highlight Star of Texas, Spirit of Texas
Veteran stakes winners Victory for Vets, Too Much Action highlight Star of Texas, Spirit of Texas
Seven stakes races comprise the Texas Champions Day program at Sam Houston Race Park on Saturday, March 21, 2026. Highlighted by the third runnings of the Texas Thoroughbred Association Oaks and Texas Thoroughbred Association Derby, the annual event showcases Texas-breds and graduates from the Texas Thoroughbred Association sales.
“Texas-bred racing is a fundamental part of our program,” Sam Houston Race Park Vice President and General Manager of Texas Operations Bryan Pettigrew said. “This card shows the strength of the Texas-breds and we look forward to seeing many familiar faces square off once again.
STAR OF TEXAS
The $75,000 Star of Texas presented by the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance will kick off the stakes races on the card. The 8/5 morning line favorite is Victory for Vets, who will bid for his 2nd straight win in this event after dominated by six lengths a year ago. While he scored in wire-to-wire fashion in 2025, he will likely stalk the pace this year.
“We’re very comfortable coming from off the pace,” trainer Bret Calhoun said. “Whatever the pace scenario is, he’s capable of adjusting. I like his form at Sam Houston and am glad he’s racing there.”
Victory for Vets has amassed over 363k in earnings and two stakes wins in his career for James Stodola including the TTA Derby in 2024. He will be ridden once again by Jose Alvarez.
Calhoun will also start 2025 Assault winner Tx Code for Mansfield Racing, who was fourth in the David E. Hooper over the SHRP oval last month. He is a two-time winner over the Brazos River sand in Houston and has shown versatility winning sprinting and around two turns thus far in his career.
“Tx Code’s last race was good and we figured he would need it,” Calhoun said. “It served as a very good starting point for this race.
Turn North, Proven Advocate and Bobby Brinkley are in the field but are cross-entered in other races on the program. Mr Jaws and 2025 David E. Hooper winner Dust Em complete the field.
SPIRIT OF TEXAS
Few Texas-breds are as decorated as Too Much Action, a 7 year-old son of Too Much Bling who won the 2024 David E. Hooper and the 2025 Spirit of Texas. His “tune-up” race came in an allowance 20 days ago in which he scored by over 5 lengths in dominant fashion for trainer JR Caldwell and ownership that includes Jeff and Penny Scott and Bradley Thoroughreds. He was installed at 6/5 on track announcer Nick Tammaro’s morning line and will have Rene Diaz aboard.
Turn North is cross-entered in the Star of Texas and has earned consecutive runner-up finishes recently, the first of which came in the David E. Hooper. The son of 2016 Eclipse Award winner Classic Empire is 7/2 on the morning line and races for Russell Welch and trainer Abel Ramirez-Rodriguez.
The 2025 Groovy Stakes winner Tizabling is a major contender as well given his improved effort last time out for Matt Hebert. All three of his lifetime victories have come at Sam Houston Race Park and he drew well in post 6 in the field of seven.
Also entered are Bobby Brinkley (cross-entered in Star of Texas), 2024 Spirit of Texas winner Josh’s Dream, Mikel W, and Unbridled Bling.
“Texas-bred racing is a fundamental part of our program,” Sam Houston Race Park Vice President and General Manager of Texas Operations Bryan Pettigrew said. “This card shows the strength of the Texas-breds and we look forward to seeing many familiar faces square off once again.
STAR OF TEXAS
The $75,000 Star of Texas presented by the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance will kick off the stakes races on the card. The 8/5 morning line favorite is Victory for Vets, who will bid for his 2nd straight win in this event after dominated by six lengths a year ago. While he scored in wire-to-wire fashion in 2025, he will likely stalk the pace this year.
“We’re very comfortable coming from off the pace,” trainer Bret Calhoun said. “Whatever the pace scenario is, he’s capable of adjusting. I like his form at Sam Houston and am glad he’s racing there.”
Victory for Vets has amassed over 363k in earnings and two stakes wins in his career for James Stodola including the TTA Derby in 2024. He will be ridden once again by Jose Alvarez.
Calhoun will also start 2025 Assault winner Tx Code for Mansfield Racing, who was fourth in the David E. Hooper over the SHRP oval last month. He is a two-time winner over the Brazos River sand in Houston and has shown versatility winning sprinting and around two turns thus far in his career.
“Tx Code’s last race was good and we figured he would need it,” Calhoun said. “It served as a very good starting point for this race.
Turn North, Proven Advocate and Bobby Brinkley are in the field but are cross-entered in other races on the program. Mr Jaws and 2025 David E. Hooper winner Dust Em complete the field.
SPIRIT OF TEXAS
Few Texas-breds are as decorated as Too Much Action, a 7 year-old son of Too Much Bling who won the 2024 David E. Hooper and the 2025 Spirit of Texas. His “tune-up” race came in an allowance 20 days ago in which he scored by over 5 lengths in dominant fashion for trainer JR Caldwell and ownership that includes Jeff and Penny Scott and Bradley Thoroughreds. He was installed at 6/5 on track announcer Nick Tammaro’s morning line and will have Rene Diaz aboard.
Turn North is cross-entered in the Star of Texas and has earned consecutive runner-up finishes recently, the first of which came in the David E. Hooper. The son of 2016 Eclipse Award winner Classic Empire is 7/2 on the morning line and races for Russell Welch and trainer Abel Ramirez-Rodriguez.
The 2025 Groovy Stakes winner Tizabling is a major contender as well given his improved effort last time out for Matt Hebert. All three of his lifetime victories have come at Sam Houston Race Park and he drew well in post 6 in the field of seven.
Also entered are Bobby Brinkley (cross-entered in Star of Texas), 2024 Spirit of Texas winner Josh’s Dream, Mikel W, and Unbridled Bling.