Full barns, bigger purses, more stakes at 48-date meet

The resurgent Texas racing circuit moves to Lone Star Park near Dallas on Thursday night for a 48-date meet that will feature an expanded stakes schedule and a strong collection of stables.

Lone Star will race through July 11.

Lone Star, like other tracks in Texas, is just beginning to benefit from a law that earmarks a portion of taxes on select equine goods and services for purses.

“We’re excited about the meet,” said Tim Williams, director of racing for Global Gaming, the parent company of Lone Star and Remington Park. “Last year was a heck of a boost for us with the [new] money.”

Williams said purses are projected to average $245,000 per day this meet. The number is up substantially from the $150,000 range just a few years ago. Lone Star also has 20 stakes scheduled for the meet, worth a cumulative $2.2 million.

As part of the stakes schedule, the track is bringing back its popular Lone Star Million Day on Memorial Day, May 31. The card, which was last run in 2011, features five stakes, led by the Grade 3, $400,000 Steve Sexton Mile, which due to the coronavirus pandemic was not run in 2020.

The other stakes on the program are the new $300,000 Texas Derby at 1 1/16 miles, the resurrected $200,000 Ouija Board Distaff for fillies and mares at a mile on turf, the new $100,000 Chamberlain Bridge for 3-year-olds and up at five furlongs on turf, and the $100,000 Memorial Day Sprint for fillies and mares at six furlongs.

Lone Star also will feature multiple stakes on three other programs. The Lone Star Showcase Day of five stakes worth $350,000 is June 13. The new Summer Turf Festival of four stakes worth $300,000 is June 27. The annual Stars of Texas Day will feature four restricted stakes worth $400,000 on July 10.

Williams said the purse structure has led to interest in the track’s near 1,500 stalls.

“We do have all our stalls spoken for,” he said.

Trainers Steve Asmussen, Karl Broberg, Bret Calhoun, Robertino Diodoro, Austin Gustafson, Danny Pish, and Mindy Willis are among the mainstays returning, while new faces include trainers Todd Fincher, Scott Gelner, and Greg Green. The riding colony includes Stewart Elliott, who is coming off the title at Sam Houston.

Williams said Mike Acton is the new racing secretary for the Thoroughbred meet, while Matt Crawford is the new assistant racing secretary at Lone Star.

Williams said optimism is high for the start of Lone Star a year removed from the early stages of the pandemic, which led to attendance restrictions.

“We’re getting a huge response of people wanting to come enjoy the Turf Club and the suites,” he said. “It’s going to look a whole lot more like normal. As you can imagine, it won’t be completely normal, but it should be like the Lone Star of old.”

◗ Ima Discreet Lady will be going for her third consecutive stakes win when she starts in Thursday night’s first race, the $75,000 Bluebonnet. A full field is set to start in the 6 1/2-furlong race for fillies and mares bred in Texas.

◗ Lone Star will race on a Thursday-through-Sunday schedule for most weeks in April, May, and July, while the month of June features racing Friday through Monday. Post time is 6:35 p.m. Central on Thursdays, and 2:35 p.m. for most other race dates at Lone Star.