Annie Savoy should get right setup

GRAND PRAIRIE, Texas - A few hours after Lone Star Park inducts its inaugural class of 14 into its new hall of fame on Saturday, Annie Savoy and Olmosta, who finished a length apart in their last start, will meet again in the $50,000 JEH Stallion Station Stakes. The 6 1/2-furlong race is restricted to fillies and mares bred in Texas.

Annie Savoy could get a nice pace setup, and she could also go favored following her one-length win over Olmosta last out in the $45,000 Mission Stakes at Sam Houston Race Park on March 24. She stalked the pace and drove home in the seven-furlong race. Annie Savoy could get a similar trip Saturday off the rail-drawn Best Expectations, who was a wire-to-wire winner of a 5 1/2-furlong allowance in her last start March 22, and perhaps Sweet Idea, who was prominent early in the Mission.

Annie Savoy, trained by Kari Craddock, will be ridden by Ramsey Zimmerman.

Olmosta closed from seventh in the Mission, and again figures to be threatening in the late stages. Trainer Andrew Konkoly has given the mount to Richard Eramia. The chief threat to the top two is Sweet Idea, who was fourth as the favorite in the Mission.

Asmussen, Baffert among inductees

Steve Asmussen, the trainer of leading Kentucky Derby candidate Curlin and an eight-time title winner at Lone Star, and Bob Baffert, an Eclipse Award-winning trainer who has won 12 stakes here, are among the initial members in the track's hall of fame. The creation of the hall coincides with the track's 10th anniversary season this meet. Lone Star will honor members of the foundation class between races Saturday. The inductees will be honored with raised letters above the saddling area in a ceremony to begin at 1 p.m.

Others to enter the hall are Anet, the horse of the meet in 1997; Ronald Ardoin, the leading rider here in 1997; Jack Brooks, a Hall of Fame Quarter Horse trainer; J.S. "Ponti" Campagna, a horseplayer; the Trammell Crow family, the original investors in Lone Star; Tom Durant, a four-time leading owner here; Charles England, the mayor of Grand Prairie; Corey Johnsen, the former president of Lone Star; Jim and Marilyn Helzer, owners and breeders who are sponsoring the JEH; Bob Kaminski, a former chairman of Lone Star; Kool Kue Baby, winner of 25 stakes for Quarter Horses; and Mocha Express, a two-time winner of the Lone Star Park Handicap.

The first 10,000 patrons through the gate Saturday will receive a free commemorative T-shirt.