Big fields in Futurity divisions

GRAND PRAIRIE, Texas – A collection of some of the most notable 2-year-olds to have raced this meet at Lone Star Park will meet Sunday in a pair of $100,000 divisions of the Texas Thoroughbred Futurity.

The races are part of the Stars of Texas Day program, featuring four restricted stakes worth a total of $300,000. There will be a pick four linking the races, and it will have a minimum guaranteed pool of $50,000. The all-stakes sequence runs on races 7-10.

The Texas Thoroughbred Futurity divisions are at five furlongs. The colts and geldings side drew 12, including Wakefield, Lullaby Bling, and gate-to-wire threat Stupify. Ten fillies will meet in a division led by Silvercents and Silver Moon Rising.

Wakefield was an impressive debut winner May 24 at Lone Star, and the Beyer of 69 that he earned for his 1 1/2-length win in the Texas-bred maiden special weight is the best lastrace number in the field. Wakefield, by Munnings, races for Jerry Namy. He was a $65,000 purchase out of the Texas Thoroughbred Association’s auction of 2-year-olds in training in April.

“He’s really fast,” trainer Karl Broberg said. “I mean, he just worked so well in that sale, and he has just continued to grow.

“He’s done fabulous. With him winning first time out, we knew what the next spot would be and we’ve had the luxury of being able to train toward this since the day he ran.”

Richard Eramia has the mount from post 7.

Lullaby Bling will break from the rail one start after a 6 1/4-length debut win in a maiden special weight for Texas-breds on June 23 at Lone Star.

“He’s training forwardly,” trainer Danele Durham said. “Everything’s gone just like we expected. It’s almost like he’s training to the chart. He hasn’t missed a meal. He put his weight back on – of course there were fluid losses and stuff with the heat that day. He put that back on. I’m really happy with him.”

Durham said Lullaby Bling has schooled in the gate since his debut, and during the sessions was loaded in the onehole. She noted his sister, Bling on the Music, won the filly division of this race from the rail. Luis Quinonez has the mount Sunday.

Silvercents was a 4 3/4-length winner of a maiden special weight July 1 at Lone Star, and the Beyer of 70 that she earned is one of the highest for a 2-year-old filly so far in 2018. Sasha Risenhoover was aboard and has the mount again from post 6.

“Sasha said she had plenty of horse down the lane,” trainer Terry Eoff said. “She just kind of cruised, won pretty handily.

“She’s training just perfect right now, everything’s pointing in the right direction. I think she’s going to perform well.”

Broberg counters with Silver Moon Rising, a debut winner in a May 12 maiden special weight at Lone Star who has seen two of the horses she defeated return to win maiden races in their next starts. Silver Moon Rising earned a Beyer of 55.

“She had a troubled break,” Broberg said. “She was bumped really hard at the start, which is normally the end of it for babies in their career debut, but she fought through it and did it the right way.”

Here’s the Deal, one of the best bred horses in the field, was favored in a maiden special weight June 16, finishing sixth at Lone Star.

“She got bumped around and boxed in and she was crosscantering – enough trouble for a baby,” trainer Joe Petalino said.