Hernandez guides Heroic Move to victory in Steve Sexton Mile

GRAND PRAIRIE, Texas – Jockey Harry Hernandez celebrated the richest win of his young career Monday, when he guided Heroic Move to a neck win over favorite Touchuponastar in the Grade 3, $400,000 Steve Sexton Mile at Lone Star Park. It was another half-length back in third to Frosted Grace.

The Sexton Mile was the richest race of the meet and it anchored a card of six stakes worth a total of $1.2 million. The attendance ontrack was 6,153 and handle on the 12-race card from all sources was $1,240,495, according to figures provided by Lone Star.

The track’s signal is limited to other tracks in Texas and international sites 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.

Hernandez, who recently celebrated his 1,000th career win, and Heroic Move trailed early in the Sexton Mile as Touchuponastar set pressured fractions of 24.34 for the opening quarter, 47.52 for the half-mile, and 1:11.74 for six furlongs. Heroic Move advanced three wide on the final turn, came three wide into the stretch, and dug in to get past Frosted Grace and a resurging Touchuponastar.

“Harry gave him a great ride,” said trainer Robertino Diodoro, who won the race for the second year in a row. “He was patient, sat behind the speed. The race set up quite well for us. He never panicked and the horse ran the way he’d been working of late. He had some very, very solid works coming into the race.”

Hernandez said after a sharp break the trip worked well for Heroic Move, who covered the distance on a fast track in 1:37.69.

“There were a couple horses going with him and my horse wasn’t exactly where I wanted to be,” he said in an interview conducted by Lone Star. “I just put him back behind horses and let him relax. After the half, by himself, he just wanted to go, asking. I just went to the outside and started making a move from there and he just did everything perfect after that.”

Hernandez’s other graded win came in 2019 aboard Hotshot Anna in the Grade 3, $100,000 Chicago at Arlington Park.

Heroic Move is a son of Quality Road. He won his first stakes race Monday and overall has compiled a 4-for-15 record for earnings of $544,715. The ownership group includes Arnold Bennewith, Rick Wiest, Clayton Wiest, Lana Wiest, Randy Howg, and R6 Stables.

Plans going forward are to be determined, said Diodoro.

The Sexton Mile was the 11th race on a card that closed with a pending storm threatening the running of the $200,000 Ouija Board Distaff. The one-mile turf race was run in the rain but on firm ground and Dana’s Beauty ($14.40) overtook leader Libban late for a head win in 1:35.44. Ramon Vazquez was aboard the daughter of Not This Time for Resolute Racing and trainer Mike Maker.

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