Houston, Texas—Fresh off a third-place finish in a six-figure stakes race last month at Fair Grounds, Louisiana-bred Thebabeslayer shipped approximately 360 miles west to Texas and captured his first career stakes title with panache in the $110,000 Texas Thoroughbred Association Derby at Sam Houston Race Park on March 21.

The 3-year-old colt by leading California sire Collected made easy work of the eight-horse field, employing a stalking bid under jockey Stewart Elliott throughout most of the trip before pulling away late for a 5 1/2-length victory in a final time of 1:42.05 for the distance of one mile and 70 yards. Race favorite and runner-up It’s All Right was 12 3/4 lengths clear of the third-place finisher, leading to an authoritative visual display by the winner.

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Purchased for $100,000 as the second-highest-selling horse of the 2024 Texas Summer Yearling Sale, Thebabeslayer has subsequently earned $168,139 from 10 starts on dirt and turf for owners Bradley Kent and Ken Reimer and his Racing Hall of Fame trainer, Steve Asmussen.

He is out of Candy Bay, an unraced daughter of Candy Ride (Arg), and was bred by Elm Tree Farm.

Thebabeslayer is the 23rd stakes winner from four crops to race for Grade 1 winner Collected. The 13-year-old son of City Zip stands for $7,500 at Rancho San Miguel in California, and has progeny earnings of more than $20 million overall.

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