November 2-3 Stakes Recap

Following is a recap of all official American Quarter Horse stakes for the week of November 2-3. For recaps of most graded stakes, Bank of America Racing Challenge stakes and trials, and most stakes with purses of $100,000 or more, see the individual recaps in the Racing News section. This page will be updated throughout the week.

Lone Star Park
First Time For Wine, a homebred 4-year-old daughter of champion First Moonflash racing for Pete Scarmardo of Caldwell, Texas, rallied to win Saturday's $58,500 Yellow Rose of Texas Stakes (R) for state-bred distaffers.

Racing against a reported 12-mph head wind, First Time For Wine covered 400 yards in :20.327, and her margin of victory was three-quarters of a length from Dakota Gurl. Ali Rivera rode the brown mare for trainer John Stinebaugh.

First Time For Wine was coming off of a second-place finish, a half of a length from winner Curls Joyful Wagon, in the September 28, $40,000 Cox Ranch Lone Star Distaff Challenge Stakes at this track. The mare is out of Time For Wine, a multiple graded stakes winning Mr Jess Perry mare purchased by Scarmardo for $23,000 at the 2013 Ruidoso Select Yearling Sale.

All told, First Time For Wine has won five of her 21 races, and the $35,685 winner's share of the purse from her second career stakes victory increased her earnings to $158,473.

Also on Saturday, reigning distance champion The Grand Legend led at every call en route to a 2 1/4-length victory in the $50,000 Let 'Er Rip Lip Chip LLC Stakes.

Trained by Adan Guzman for owner James C. Whitener LLC and racing against a reported 8-mph head wind into the homestretch, The Grand Legend went 870 yards in :45.497. Noe Villatoro rode the 8-year-old son of the FDD Dynasty stallion FDD Going Grand.

The Grand Legend was bred in Texas by Mercy Hinklin's Horse Farm. The sorrel gelding is out of Legendary Seis,a homebred winning daughter of champion Tres Seis.

Raced in four states, including Oklahoma and New Mexico, The Grand Legend has won 16 of his 39 starts -- including 12 of 16 at the 870-yard trip and seven of 14 at this track -- and the $29,400 winner's share of the purse from his seventh lifetime stakes score pushed his bankroll to $392,580.

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