Ruggeri Trainees Headline Allowance Event At Sam Houston Park

Houston, Texas- March 1, 2025- Two Nicole Ruggeri trained runners, Baseqanator and AA Sweet Victory, co-headline Saturday's Allowance Optional Claiming event at Sam Houston Race Park.

A field of seven sprinters will be contesting the five-and-one-half furlongs on the dirt with conditions of Four Year Olds And Upward Which Have Not Won A Race Since September 1, 2024 Or Claiming Price $15,000. 

The 9/5 morning-line favorite going into the race is James and Susan Meyer-bred son of Baseq Al Khalediah named Baseqanator. The 5yr-old gelding whose only lifetime victory has come in Maiden Special Weight company at Gillespie County Fairgrounds, will be seeking to find the winners circle after two starts in allowance company in 2025 that have resulted in both a 2nd and 3rd place finish.  Jockey Rudy Guerra has the mount on this Nicole and Andre Ruggeri-owned runner.  

The 5/2 morning-line second choice also comes from the Ruggeri barn.  The 2024 Darley Award winner for Older Mare Of The Year retains the guidance of jockey Jose Alvarez for Saturday's event that goes off as the first-race on the March 1, 2025 race card.  The six-year old daughter of Nashwan Al Khalidiah is a stakes winner that has posted 5 career victories going into Saturday's Arabian contest.  Bred by Dianne K. Waldron and Garrett Ford in Colorado,  the mare finished fourth in allowance company last time out.

In that allowance optional claiming event, the third place finisher in that race was TM Purncess,  who happens to be the 4/1 morning line choice for trainer Rhonda Tuley.   The six year-old mare is coming off of back-to-back third place finishes at the allowance optional claiming level going into Saturday's opener.  Jockey Mario Fuentes has the mount for the Todd Moak bred daughter of Burning Sand.

Post-time for Saturday's first race is 1pm CST.