Stakes clustered on 4 big days

Lone Star Park in Grand Prairie, Texas, will showcase most of its stakes races over four key cards during the track’s 41-date meet that opens Thursday night. The season will run through July 14.

The richest of the cards will be Lone Star Million Day, when six stakes worth a total of $1.2 million will be run on May 27. The program is anchored by the Grade 3, $400,000 Steve Sexton Mile and includes the $300,000 Texas Derby.

Lone Star’s other major stakes cards are June 1, when five restricted races worth a total of $375,000 will make up Lone Star Showcase Day. The $625,000 Summer Turf Festival of four stakes led by the $250,000 Turf Classic at 1 1/8 miles is June 29. The $525,000 Stars of Texas program of five stakes is

July 13.

Lone Star’s races are again unable to be exported to U.S. locales other than Texas tracks due to an ongoing impasse between the Texas Racing Commission and the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority. Texas does not race under the jurisdiction of HISA.

The Steve Sexton Mile is the richest Thoroughbred race in Texas. Three horses exiting wins in major regional stakes are candidates for the race. Presidential, who earlier this month won the $200,000 Sunland Park Handicap, is settled in at Lone Star and being considered for the Sexton, trainer Steve Asmussen said.

Frosted Grace, who won last year’s Sexton, is possible for the race, trainer Mike Maker said following the horse’s win in last month’s Grade 3, $500,000 Oaklawn Mile.

Kupuna, who is coming off a win in the $100,000 Evangeline Downs Mile, “is highly under consideration for the Steve Sexton Mile,” according to his trainer, Bret Calhoun.

Lone Star will have 6:35 p.m. Central post times on Thursdays and Fridays; 1:35 p.m. on Saturdays, Sundays, and Mondays; and a 5 p.m. post for two cards followed by fireworks on July 3-4.

Jockey Stewart Elliott, who won the title at the recent Sam Houston meet, leads the local riding colony, while Asmussen, who is coming off his 16th title at Sam Houston, will be part of the training ranks at his home track of Lone Star.

Purses for maiden special weight races for open company are $33,000, while the same division for Texas-breds is worth $40,000. The track’s $5,000 claiming races have a purse of $13,500. Lone Star’s eight-race card Thursday drew 73 horses, and Friday’s eightrace card, 71.

The feature Thursday night comes in the first race, when Too Much Kiki meets older rivals in the $75,000 Bluebonnet. The 6 1/2-furlong race is for fillies and mares bred in Texas.

Too Much Kiki won three straight sprint stakes during the Sam Houston meet before finishing second in the $100,000 Texas Thoroughbred Association Oaks in her two-turn debut March 23. She is cutting back to the sprint ranks Thursday.

“She’s doing well, been very consistent,” Calhoun said. “I think the distance suits her very well. It will be her first test against older horses. I do think that’s a step up in class, as well. Hopefully, she will step up.”

Jose Alvarez has the mount for Mansfield Racing.