Pedigree the thing for Bling

Texas Bling owner Lewis Hall (center), trainer Danele Durham (right) and jockey Erik McNeil show off their trophies after McNeil guided the 2-year-old long shot to victory in the Springboard Mile last month at Remington Park in Oklahoma City. Texas Bling went off at 128-1.
Texas Bling owner Lewis Hall (center), trainer Danele Durham (right) and jockey Erik McNeil show off their trophies after McNeil guided the 2-year-old long shot to victory in the Springboard Mile last month at Remington Park in Oklahoma City. Texas Bling went off at 128-1.

— More than just the eyes of Texas figure to be on Lewis Hall’s Texas Bling when he makes his 3-year-old debut in the $150,000 Smarty Jones Stakes on Monday afternoon at Oaklawn Park.

In his last start, Texas Bling blew up the tote board in the $300,000 Springboard Mile Stakes on Dec. 9 at Remington Park in Oklahoma City, winning the race at odds of 128-1 under Erik McNeil.

“I hate to say it, but I knew that horse was going to run good,” trainer Danele Durham said. “Since I don’t gamble, I didn’t even look up at the board until I was about to leg Erik up. When I glanced up, I thought, ‘Is that wrong?’ I thought it was a misprint.”

Texas Bling paid $259.60 to win in the Springboard Mile, but only $8.80 when he broke his maiden Oct. 11 at Remington Park under Cliff Berry, who will be reunited with the Texas-bred son of Too Much Bling on Monday.

Texas Bling needed eight starts to break his maiden and is just 2 of 10 overall. But Durham said Texas Bling’s record is deceiving because his pedigree is geared more for two turns, and she doesn’t push her young horses early in their careers.

“I think an intelligent horseman would look back and see this horse, obviously,

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wasn’t bred to go 5/2 furlongs or anything like that,” Durham said. “Mr. Hall and I are both a firm believer in skipping the schooling races that they hold at the racetracks. We kind of give them three or four little outs at those little distances.

“But we knew this colt, his lick was going to be a mile.”

Hall, a businessman from Aledo, Texas, campaigns Texas Bling under the Hall’s Family Trust banner.

Durham said Hall is a University of Texas graduate and a huge booster of the Longhorns. Hall’s silks are burnt orange and white — Texas’ school colors — and adorned with the Longhorns logo.

Another one of Hall’s horses with Durham at Oaklawn, J Gray, was named after Texas sophomore tailback Johnathan Gray, the 2011 Gatorade National Player of the Year at Aledo.

After Texas Bling captured the Springboard Mile, Durham flashed Hook ’em Horns — UT’s familiar hand signal — for a winner’s circle photo.

“I did that for him,” Durham said, referring to Hall, “because Texas Bling is a home-bred.”

Sports, Pages 24 on 01/18/2013

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