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Lone Star Meet Concludes With Solid Handle, Attendance Numbers

Lone Star Park concluded its 25th Thoroughbred Racing season on Sunday, July 11 handling a daily average of $1,693,866 in merged handle (Live on-track plus Export) and a daily average of $1,459,096 specifically in export, over the 48-day meet, which was their most since 2006 in both categories, not including last year's unique pandemic season.

Average daily grandstand attendance on weekends and holidays for the meet was just over 4,000 per day, which, when compared to similar days, was only a four percent decline from 2019.

“The attendance figures were a very positive takeaway for the meet” said Brandon Leigh, Lone Star Park's Director of Marketing & Player Development. “There is lots of momentum to build upon for next year, considering that a majority of our indoor reserved seating areas were limited to just 50 percent capacity this year.”

The on-track fans wagered a daily average of $234,770 in Live Handle, the most since 2018.

Boosted in part by the passage of House Bill 2436 last year, the total amount of purses paid out to horsemen during the 48-day season was $13,692,325, the highest level since 2005.

The highlight of the meet was undoubtedly Lone Star Million Day on Memorial Day, returning after a ten-year hiatus. The on-track fans wagered $904,299 in Live Handle, the most since Memorial Day in 2008. The Export Handle was $5,494,680, setting the all-time record for a single day at Lone Star Park, not including the 2004 Breeders' Cup.

Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen earned his 14th training title at Lone Star Park. He visited the winners circle 71 times from 344 starts. His earnings total for the season were $1,999,134. As of this writing, Asmussen is 19 wins away from becoming the all-time leading trainer in North America in history.

Jockey Stewart Elliott won his first Lone Star Park riding title. The top rider won 71 races from 317 starts and earned $1,807,735 in purse money.

Karl Broberg's End Zone Athletics' Inc. was tops in the owner category with a total of 40 wins from 184 starts. The stable earnings total was $797,651.

Lone Star Park's 2021 Fall Meeting of Champions begins Friday, September 17 and runs through Saturday, December 18.

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Five Stakes Highlight State Breds On Stars Of Texas Day At Lone Star

Five stakes were carded Saturday at Lone Star Park in Grand Prairie, Texas on Stars of Texas Day. The first of the five was Race 7, the $75,000 Valor Farm Stakes for Accredited Texas-bred fillies & mares, 3-yr-olds & up.

Ima Discreet Lady and Shes Our Fastest dueled for the early lead in the six-furlong sprint on the main track. Ima Discreet Lady got the edge and carried the winner and favorite wide, Shes Our Fastest (2.60). The winner drew clear late to win under a drive.

Final time was 1:10.96 on a fast track. Fractions were :22.98; :45.72, and :58.13. Natalies Joy made a mild late rally to get up for third and Samborita finished last. Boerne and Gee She Sparkles were scratched from the race.

Scott Gelner was the winning trainer for owners Mark Norman and Norman Stables LLC. Winning rider was Stewart Elliott.

Saturday also saw the $75,000 Fiesta Mile for Accredited Texas-bred fillies & mares 3-yr-olds & up contested on the turf course which was labeled firm.

Favorite Boerne vied for the early lead on the inside, made an inside move leaving the turn to draw clear in the final furlong. It was a good effort, but she was caught late by the winner, Miss Perfecta (8.60). Miss Perfecta angled out for racing room leaving the turn and was set down to get up late driving. Corluna moved into contention out of the turn, but lacked needed effort and got up for the show. Zarelda was fourth followed by Herbs Love, Discreet Smile, Kitty's Queen, and Set the Pace completing the order of finish.

Final time for the mile on grass was 1:35.20. Winning owners were Tyree J. Wolesensky and Jose Silva, Jr. Miss Perfecta is trained by Hall of Fame trainer, Steve Asmussen. Jockey Stewart Elliot was aboard.

The $100,000 Texas Thoroughbred Futurity, Filly Division produced longshot winner, Streak of Silver (36.00), for owner Carl R. Moore Management LLC. Second place finisher, Expect the Boss was crushed on both sides leaving the gate, recovering to get into contention with the winner, but flattened out late. Favorite, Red Hot Moon dueled early, but weakened on the drive, but was better than the others for the show.

The final time for the five and one half furlong futurity was 1:05.91 on a fast track. Fractions were :22.63, :46.49, and :59.22.

Karen Jacks was the winning trainer and Iram Diego was the winning jockey.

Wayne Sanders and Larry Hirsch's Tengo Mis Pepeles (3.80), trained by Bret Calhoun, impressed again today winning the $100,000 Colt & Gelding Division of the Texas Thoroughbred Futurity. The victorious grey colt by My Golden Song won his debut here on June 13 in the Texas Stallion Stakes by nine and three-quarters lengths. Today's win margin wasn't as far as that effort, but the one and one half length win today showed the 2-yr-old's confidence and professionalism. Reylu Gutierrez was the winning rider.

Final time for the five and one half furlongs was 1:50.02 behind fractions of :22.14, :45.56, and :58.42.

Sparky Hale took aim on the winner out of the turn and was gaining and held on to second over third-place finisher Stan's Miracle Man who was gaining fast.

Fourth-place finisher was Simply Wicked, followed by Ghost Cowboy, Hedaresthedevil, Dare to Fail, Linc's Boy, On My List, Pickingupstrangers, Timed Event, and Royal Tap.

The final stake on the card was the $75,000 Assault Stakes at one mile on the turf for Accredited Texas-bred horses, three years olds and up.

Winner, Kenai Bob (11.50) was off first, but allowed second-placed Mr Money Bags to set the pace shortly thereafter, settling in behind him through ultra slow early fractions. Kenai Bob made a bid in the stretch, slowly edging clear late to win by three-quarters of a length. Mr Money Bags was the leader throughout most of the race, but was out-finished to get second. Favorite Sunlit Song was well placed, but was boxed in and was slowly gaining late only to get third. Moojab, Jr. ran fourth with Men of Kyle, Gold Pilot, Direct Dial, and Gottherightonebaby completing the order of finish. There were three late scratches, Gunnerscelesticman, He's a Sailor, and Quarterback Dak.

Final time for the Assault was 1:36.12 over a firm turf course. Fractions were :24.64, :49.62, 1:12.83, and 1:24.51.

Kenai Bob is owned by Michael Grossman, trained by Francisco Bravo, and was ridden by Luis Quinonez.

Tomorrow, Sunday, July 11 is the final day of the meeting. First race post time is at 2:05 p.m. There are 11 races on the final card.

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Lone Star: Dependable Direct Dial Shows Up Again On Sunday’s Texas-Bred Stakes Card

Five Texas-bred stakes races highlighted Sunday's racing action at Lone Star Park, highlighted by Direct Dial's victory in the Wayne Hanks Memorial.

The W.S. Farish homebred has now pushed his career earnings over $500,000, winning in state-bred company for the fifth time in a year.

Direct Dial is trained by Steve Asmussen and ridden by Stewart Elliot, who was aboard for all five of the Texas-bred victories.

Favorite, Mr. Money Bags set the pace and was in front from the quarter pole, but Direct Dial got the best of him late to win by a half-length. Kenai Bob was a weakening third.

Final time for the six and a half furlongs was 1:16.37.

First stakes on the card was the $50,000 Texas Horseracing Hall of Fame Stakes and it was Carolyn Barnett and Becky Harding's Sunlit Song ($2.60) was all business focusing on the task at hand. When asked once down the lane he responded perfectly to win by two lengths. Moojab Jr. finished second two and a half lengths ahead of Gotherightonebaby in third. Redatory stalked the early pace and made a bid on the far turn, but came up empty finishing last of the field of five. Beta Lake finished a neck in from of him.

Final time for the mile and a sixteenth on the grass was 1:42.35. David Cabrera was up for the win and said, “I just let him do his thing and he was relaxed sitting second and they so slow it set us up perfect. It's to ride a horse like this.”

This was his eighth win from twelve starts over this course. Winning trainer was Mindy Willis.

Staunch Avenger Division of the Texas Stallion Stakes for Colts & Geldings

Favorite, Tengo Mis Papeles, owned by Wayne Sanders & Larry Hirsch was outstanding in this five furlong contest. The My Golden Song colt broke quickly and clear. Briefly challenged, he put that foe away with ease and drew off to a perfect nine and three quarter length victory in his debut. Pickingupstrangers grabbed the place and Pinky Ring Bling challenged the winner on the turn and faded to third. Bodymoor Heath was last in this short field of four.

Final time for the five eights on the dirt was :58.97.

Winning rider Reylu Gutierrez said, “When I poked a head in front at the quarter pole, I knew it was over.”

Winning trainer was Bret Calhoun

Lane's End Danny Shiffett Scholarship Stakes

Eleven fillies & mares went forward in this and it was De Luca and Sons Stables, Boerne who proved best today. She was away first, then briefly letting Discreet Smile run on the lead, but when she made her bid on the far turn it was all over for the others. Boerne ($11.20) crossed the finish first by one and a quarter lengths. Zarelda was second with third going to Shes Our Fastest. In fourth it was favorite Miss Perfecta followed by Corluna, Ima Discreet Lady, Herbs Love, Discreet Smile, Gee She Sparkles, No Mas Tequila and Tahitian Breeze completed the order of finish. Light Up the Devil was a late scratch.

Winning trainer was Robertino Diodoro, winning jockey, Ramon Vazquez.

Final time was 1:28.83 for the seven and a half furlongs on the Lone Star Park turf course.

Pan Zareta Division of the Texas Stallion Stakes for Fillies

Winning the filly division for owner W. S. Farish was Eagle Express ($6.00), by Eagle. Trained by Steve Asmussen, she finished second in her debut here last month, but showed much improvement today running like a professional. Going forward today as post time favorite, she was five lengths the best in this five furlong contest on the main track.

With Stewart Elliott up, the pair completed the race in :58.82 seconds over a fast track. It's a Gee Thing was second and Texas Thunder was a weakening third beaten by 13 lengths in his debut, racing greenly.

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Rowdy Yates The Morning-Line Favorite In Friday’s Oklahoma Classics Cup

For the second year in a row, Deal Driven, a stakes winner at Parx in Philadelphia is shipping in from the East Coast to try his wares in the $175,000 Oklahoma Classics Cup on Friday, Oct. 16 at Remington Park.

In 2019, now-retired millionaire Shotgun Kowboy, a four-time winner of the Oklahoma Classics Cup, easily put Deal Driven away. This year, Deal Driven has been made the second choice in the morning-line at 5-2 odds, behind only Rowdy Yates who is the 2-1 favorite. Remington Park odds-maker Jerry Shottenkirk established the latter at the top of the line, based off his multiple stakes wins at this Oklahoma City track. Rowdy Yates won the Oklahoma Classics Juvenile last year and then followed that with a victory in the Don McNeill Stakes here.

Rowdy Yates, a 3-year-old colt by Morning Line, out of the Yes It's True mare Spring Station, is the top earner in the field with $346,556 in his bankroll, just barely more than Deal Driven at $342,896. Deal Driven, a 6-year-old gelded son of the hottest sire in the country this year – Into Mischief – comes from the Tiznow mare Tiz Merry. Deal Driven won the $60,000 Parx Hall of Fame Handicap on Sept. 14, 2019.

Deal Driven could do no better than fifth in the Classics Cup last year, beaten 20-1/4 lengths by Shotgun Kowboy, who holds the record for winning the race four times. Shotgun Kowboy took the trophy in 2015, 2017, 2018, and 2019, for owner-trainer C.R. Trout of Edmond. Shotgun Kowboy also is one of two horses to have won this race three years in a row. The other was Mr. Ross from 1999-2001. Zee Oh Six won three times but not in consecutive years.

Fifteen-time Remington Park top trainer Steve Asmussen, and the country's top conditioner by money earned, campaigns Rowdy Yates. That colt, owned by L and N Racing of Tulsa, Okla., is coming off a sixth-place finish in the Grade 3, $200,000 Oklahoma Derby here on Sept. 27 at 1-1/8^th miles. Deal Driven last raced Sept. 10 at Laurel, running second in an allowance-optional $50,000 claiming race at seven furlongs. The Oklahoma Classics Cup is raced at 1-1/16^th miles. Jockey Stewart Elliott gets the call on Rowdy Yates, while Ramon Vazquez is aboard Deal Driven for trainer Robert Mosco and owner Troy Johnson and Charles Lo of Vacaville, Calif.

Trout will try to keep his winning streak alive in the cup with Fast Breakin Cash at 5-1 odds. His resume is blackened with excellent efforts in stakes-company, running second in the $75,000 Kip Deville and $100,000 Oklahoma Classics Juvenile in 2018, and the $70,000 Jim Thorpe Stakes in 2019. All those races were over the Remington Park surface. Fast Breaking Cash finished third behind two-time Oklahoma Horse of the Year, Welder, in last year's $130,000 Oklahoma Classics Sprint.

Here's a look at Classics Cup field of eight, from the rail out with jockey, trainer and morning-line odds:

1) Dont Tell Noobody: Sophie Doyle, Federico Villafranco, 15-1

2) Georgia Deputy: Ezequiel Lara, Joe Petalino, 20-1

3) United Patriot: Lori Biehler, Michael Biehler, 10-1

4) Rowdy Yates: Stewart Elliott, Steve Asmussen, 2-1

5) Fast Breakin Cash: Luis Quinonez, C.R. Trout, 5-1

6) Dak Da Man: Lane Luzzi, Kari Craddock, 6-1

7) Kwik: David Cabrera, Karl Broberg, 10-1

8) Deal Driven: Ramon Vazquez, Robert Mosco, 5-2

Remington Park racing continues Saturday, Oct. 10, with nine races underway at 7:07pm-Central.

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