Saturday's Summer Turf Festival at Lone Star Park in Grand Prairie, Texas, featuring four stakes worth $750,000, will go on as scheduled after an impasse that led to racing being cancelled on Thursday and Friday was resolved.
Terry Meyoicks, national manager of the Jockeys' Guild, texted the Paulick Report Friday evening to say that Saturday's card at Lone Star Park is “good to go,” indicating riders were satisfied they will have access to medical specialists in the event of an on-track accident.
Meyocks, officials from track owner Global Gaming Solutions, and insurance broker John Unick were among those working to resolve a problem that arose after jockey Carlos Montalvo suffered head injuries in a July 4 spill. While he received treated at a local hospital, Montalvo said he has been unable to see a head trauma specialist or to undergo surgery because the track's $1-million insurance coverage for on-track accidents is not being honored by some medical facilities or specialists. Meyocks said some doctors wanted up-front payments for treatment rather than waiting for claims to go through.
The issue came to a head on Thursday when jockeys chose not to ride when they felt they were not getting assurances they would be able to see specialists. Friday evening's card was also cancelled while the parties worked on a solution.
Meyocks did not provide details.
Saturday's program begins at 11 a.m. CT, with the first of four stakes, the $150,000 Wasted Tears, scheduled for 12:52 p.m. That is followed by the $150,000 Chicken Fried Stakes at 1:20 p.m., the $150,000 Grand Prairie Turf Sprint Stakes at 2:15 p.m. and the $300,000 Texas Turf Classic Stakes.
While the Lone Star Park races will go on, there will be no interstate simulcasting on the Summer Turf Festival races. The Texas Racing Commission ordered Lone Star Park to shut down its interstate simulcast signal beginning July 1, saying the state could not comply with the newly created Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority. States that do not comply with the Authority are unable to conduct interstate simulcasting.
According to a report earlier this week in Horseracingnation.com, handle on Lone Star Park's races is down 87 percent since July 1.
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