Despite having his jockey, DeShawn Parker, covered in dirt, Texas Chrome shined brightest of all to win the $100,000 Gold Rush Futurity to cap the final day of the 2015 Arapahoe Park season. The nine-race card highlighted by four stakes races for Thoroughbreds, American Quarter Horses, and Arabians was the richest in the history of horse racing in Colorado with $500,000 in total purses.
Texas Chrome, who shipped to Colorado following a win in the TTA Sales Futurity at Lone Star Park, remained perfect in three races as he wore down California shipper Dubdubwatson in the homestretch. The Shea Stuart-trainee owned by Danny Keene pulled away for a 2 1/2-length victory in a final time of 1:11.02 for six furlongs in the field of 12 2-year-olds. Bred in Texas by Craig Upham, Texas Chrome is a son of Lane’s End Texas stallion Grasshopper.
“He did just like he did in Texas,” Parker said. “He’s just learning how to run. Going longer, he’ll be alright.”
In Sunday’s other $100,000 Thoroughbred stakes race, the Arapahoe Park Classic, Bourbon Sense led from start to finish for a one-length victory in 1:53.53 for 1 1/8 miles in a field of 10.
“He went to the lead, I slowed him down as much as I could, and he kept digging in and kept going,” jockey Brian Theriot said.
Bourbon Sense, who is trained by Ty Garrett and owned by Dale Arnold, had been specializing in sprint races in his recent starts but appreciated the increase in distance in beating Texas shipper Steelman Run and 2014 Classic runner-up Magical Twist.