Good-sized fields on opening night at Lone Star Park

Lone Star Park in Grand Prairie, Texas, will launch its 44-date meet Thursday night with large fields, a purse increase to its richest race of the season, and a new turf stakes for fillies and mares. The meet runs through July 21.

The eight-race season opener drew 77 starters, for an average of 9.6 horses per race. The card features the first of 13 stakes to be run during the meet, the $50,000 Bluebonnet, a 6 1/2-furlong race for fillies and mares bred in Texas. It is led by Shes Our Fastest.

In the past, the Premier for Texas-bred sprinters had been run as the first race of each meet, but that division will see action later in the season in the $50,000 Wayne Hanks Memorial on June 23.

In changes to the $1.1 million stakes schedule, the purse of the Grade 3 Steve Sexton Mile – which has produced the last two winners of the Grade 1 Metropolitan Handicap at Belmont Park – has been increased $100,000 to $300,000. The date for the race has been moved back a week to April 28.

“We want to make it a better race, build it up,” said Bart Lang, director of racing for Lone Star.

Last year, Bee Jersey won the race before capturing the Met Mile. Mor Spirit did the same in 2017.

The Grade 3, $200,000 Lone Star Park Handicap has been replaced by the $100,000 Lone Star Park Turf Stakes for fillies and mares at a mile on the grass. It will be run May 27.

In other changes, Lone Star has created a new showcase card June 23, grouping four stakes that put the spotlight on horses with ties to Texas. There will be two new $65,000 divisions of the Texas Stallion Stakes for 2-year-olds – the Staunch Avenger and the Pan Zareta.

The other showcase program, Stars of Texas Day, features four stakes July 14, including two $100,000 divisions of the Texas Thoroughbred Futurity.

Purses this meet at Lone Star are projected to average $150,000 a program, the same as last season, said Lang. The track has a new racing secretary, Tim Williams. New stables for the season include a string from trainer Joe Sharp, said Lang.

Karl Broberg, who won last year’s training title, and Steve Asmussen, who is leading the standings at Oaklawn, both will be represented at Lone Star. Asmussen’s division includes Direct Dial, the reigning Texas-bred Horse of the Year.

The riding colony includes Iram Diego, C.J. McMahon and Lindey Wade.