Chalk on a roll at Lone Star Park

Lone Star Park moves into the final week of its Thoroughbred meet Thursday night, and it’s been a good season to be the chalk. There have been 192 winning favorites after six of them came through Sunday, for a 46 percent strike rate, according to statistics provided by Lone Star. The track has put on 417 races through Sunday.

In other statistics of interest from Lone Star, the track has averaged 7.9 starters per race through Sunday. There have been 96 claims at the meet for $814,000 in transactions among stables. There were four claims Sunday.

Jockey C.J. McMahon leads all riders with 91 wins through Sunday, while Iram Diego ranks second with 77. Karl Broberg starts the last week of the meet atop the trainer standings with 56 wins, and Steve Asmussen sits in second with 44. The race for leading owner could come down to the Broberg-driven End Zone Athletics (19) and Asmussen (18).

As for the meet’s winningest horse, Kitty Blonde is tied with Cherishd Obsession but has a chance to claim the title outright in Thursday night’s sixth race. In another layer to the “title chase,” the horses Slick Pardoned Me and Artistic License will each be bidding for their fourth win of the meet in Thursday night’s third and seventh races at Lone Star.

Appleton going into PRCA Hall

The cowboy hat is no act with Dave Appleton.

The paddock host and handicapper for Lone Star Park was the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association’s all-around champion in 1988 and will enter the organization’s Hall of Fame next month. The induction will be Aug. 6 in Colorado Springs, Colo.

“When you rodeo, you go to rodeo and win titles, and I was lucky enough to win one, and this is just the crowning glory later in life, to get that honor,” Appleton, 56, said. “And really, what blows you away, there’s only like 250 people in that, and that’s a pretty small class to be joining, so that really says it all right there. That puts the special side on it, so I’m just humbled and honored. It really is a big thrill.”

Appleton is a native of Australia and was the first non-American to win the all-around title in the PRCA. On the rodeo circuit, he was known as “The Lone Roo,” and the moniker was the inspiration for the name of a horse who won his maiden a few seasons back at Lone Star. Appleton as a teenager was a jockey in his native Australia.