Willis has trio for Shifflett

The $50,000 Lane’s End Danny Shifflett Scholarship Stakes on Saturday at Lone Star Park might go through the barn of trainer Mindy Willis. She will send out three of the eight starters – Special Rockstar, Texas Belle, and Mighty Ferrari.

The Shifflett, a 7 1/2-furlong turf race restricted to fillies and mares bred in Texas, also drew three-time stakes winner Zippit E and the promising 3-year-old filly Flight Queen. The race complements the Texas Thoroughbred Association’s annual ontrack awards banquet. Other highlights of the card include stakes winners Direct Dial and Galactica testing turf in a Texas-bred allowance and the debut of Lullaby Bling, the co-topper of last year’s TTA yearling auction at $100,000.

Special Rockstar could go favored in the Shifflett. She won the $50,000 Fiesta Mile over some of these rivals last October at Retama Park and in her first start at this meet was third in an optional $25,000 claiming race at a mile on turf May 26. Special Rockstar faced open company and was edged by a neck while making her first start since the middle of March.

“She’s very nice,” Willis said. “She always gives you 110 percent.”

The Beyer Speed Figure of 76 that Special Rockstar earned is the best last-race number in the Shifflett.

Danny Sorenson has the mount on the mare, a stalker owned by Willis, from post 7.

Texas Belle is looking for her second win on the year. She defeated open company in a turf allowance March 9 at Sam Houston in her 6-year-old debut. Texas Belle has started once since, finishing a troubled seventh in another turf allowance June 1 at Lone Star.

“She had a bad go in her last race,” Willis said. “She just got shuffled back, and she couldn’t catch up. That happens.”

Texas Belle, a front-runner, will break from post 8. Lindey Wade has the mount for owner Richard Chandler.

“She gives you everything she’s got when she runs,” said Willis.

Texas Belle is a six-time winner and a half-sister to Concerto’s Crown, a multiple Group 1 winner who earned $202,646.

Mighty Ferrari won an offthe-turf allowance in her most recent start May 20 at Lone Star. She defeated open rivals in the race for breeder and owner Culpepper Stock Co.

Trainer Bret Calhoun will counter with both Zippit E and Flight Queen. Zippit E will be looking for her third win over the local turf course from five starts, and she might be sitting on a peak effort Saturday in her third out since February. Flight Queen faces older rivals for the first time but brings pedigree as a half-sister to the multiple stakes winners Worldventurer, W V Jetsetter, and More Than Most.

Ruidoso: Mountain Top Futurity

Trainer Todd Fincher will send out three capable contenders in the $122,688 Mountain Top Futurity on Saturday at Ruidoso Downs. The fivefurlong race is restricted to 2-year-olds bred in New Mexico and drew a field of 10.

Hustle Up will put his perfect 3-for-3 record on the line. The Fincher trainee won his debut in a trial race for the Copper Top Futurity back in March at Sunland, then won the $162,000 finale April 15. Hustle Up’s other start came in a trial for the Mountain Top, which he won by seven lengths June 8 at Ruidoso.

Hustle Up will break from post 7 and could go favored under Tracy Hebert.

Storm Bayou, also trained by Fincher, will vie for favoritism after earning a field-best Beyer Speed Figure of 67 for his halflength trial win for the Mountain Top on June 8 at Ruidoso. He closed from well back while making his career debut. Comic Hot Rod, who contested the pace, finished third and also returns Saturday for Fincher.