Texas Shootout in Jersey

Texas Shootout was parked most of the mile—just as he was when he won a heat of the Adios—and still prevailed at the wire, winning the $274,225 James B. Dancer Memorial Saturday afternoon at Freehold Raceway. The time of the mile was 1:54.

Driver Yannick Gingras and Texas Shootout started from post nine. The 3-year-old gelding by The Panderosa stayed game through fractions of :27.4, :57 and 1:24.4. Livestrong, who started from post two, finished second.

Owned by Randy Ringer of Washington, Pa., Texas Shootout has now won six of 26 starts this year and compiled a 6-4-5 slate with $259,276 in earnings. Mikey Burke trains the horse for Ringer.

In other Freehold action, Watta Hotshot set most of the pace in his 1:56.1 triumph in the $160,000 Lou Babic Memorial for 2-year-old colts. Trained by Scott Bell and owned by Wayne Whebby of Nova Scotia, Watta Hotshot defeated his stablemate, Olay Olay, with Caviart Cody taking third. Cat Manzi drove the winner.

Watta Hotshot is a son of Artiscape out of the Tyler’s Mark mare Tyler’s Prime Time. He now has three wins in four starts.

The Babic Memorial division for fillies, worth $90,000, went to Spring Break, a filly bred and owned by Winbak Farm, who also bred Watta Hotshot. Spring Break picked up her second victory of her career with her 1:59.1 score.

Also on the card was the $85,000 New Jersey Sire Stakes final for 3-year-old pacing fillies. Western Starr, a filly by Western Ideal, had the longest nose in a three-horse photo, edging Pacific Philly and Ideal Weather. The time of the mile was 1:55.4.

Western Starr is trained by Ray Remmen and owned by John Lichtenberger. The filly picked up just her second win of the season in 13 starts.

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