It's back to spring for $300,000 derby
The Grade 3, $300,000 Walmac Lone Star Derby will return to a spring date this year with Lone Star Park running just one meet in 2005. Last year, the track also held a fall meet to accommodate its hosting of the Breeders' Cup World Thoroughbred Championships, and the Lone Star Derby was run in October.
This year, the date for the 1 1/16-mile race will be May 14, one week after the Kentucky Derby. It is one of the highlights of a 67-date meet that will run from April 14 to July 17. Daily purses for the meet will average about $220,000.
Other major stakes that make up the 37-race, $4 million stakes schedule include the Grade 3, $300,000 Texas Mile on April 30. The one-mile race for 3-year-olds and upward will be supported by three other stakes, including two $125,000 divisions of the Texas Stallion Stakes, which are named the Stymie and the Got Koko.
Lone Star Million Day, a program of six stakes worth $1 million, will be run on May 30. The top events on the program include the Grade 3, $300,000 Lone Star Park Handicap, the Grade 3, $200,000 WinStar Distaff, and the $150,000 Stonerside Stakes for 3-year-old fillies.
The $200,000 Dallas Turf Cup at 1 1/8 miles is set for June 18, while the annual Stars of Texas Day, which features six restricted stakes, most for Texas-breds, will be run a week and a half later than usual, on July 9.
In other changes, Lone Star has added five overnight stakes to its schedule, each worth $40,000. Also this year, there is no Jockey Championship. Last year, Lone Star did not hold the event in the spring, and instead put on an International Jockey Championship the week of the Breeders' Cup.
2005 Lone Star stakes schedule
| DATE | EVENT | CONDITIONS | DISTANCE | PURSE |
| Thu., April 14 | Premiere Stakes | 3YO & Up* | 1 Mile | $50,000 |
| Sat., April 16 | Irving Distaff | F&M 3YO & Up | 7 1/2 Furlongs (T) | 75,000 |
| Fri.April 22 | Littlebitlively Stakes | 3YO & Up | 5 Furlongs (T) | 40,000 |
| Sat.April 23 | Wafare Farm Stakes | 3YO F | 6 Furlongs | 50,000 |
| Sat.April 30 | Texas Mile (G3) | 3YO & Up | 1 Mile | 300,000 |
| � | Grand Prairie Turf Challenge | 3YO | 1 Mile (T) | 75,000 |
| � | Texas Stallion Stakes (Stymie) | 3YO C&G | 1 1/16 Miles | 125,000 |
| � | Texas Stallion Stakes (Got Koko) | 3YO F | 1 1/16 Miles | 125,000 |
| Sat., May 7 | Connecting Terms Stakes | 3YO & Up | 1 1/16 Miles (T) | 40,000 |
| Sat. May 14 | Walmac Lone Star Derby (G3) | 3YO | 1 1/16 Miles | 300,000 |
| � | Ford Express Stakes | 3YO & Up | 6 Furlongs | 75,000 |
| Sat., May 21 | JEH Stallion Station Stakes | F&M 3YO & Up* | 6 1/2 Furlongs | 50,000 |
| Sat., May 28 | Carter McGregor Jr. Mem. S. | 3YO & Up* | 6 Furlongs | 50,000 |
| Mon., May 30 | Lone Star Park H. (G3) | 3YO & Up | 1 1/16 Miles | 300,000 |
| � | WinStar Distaff (G3)F&M | 3YO & Up | 1 Mile (T) | 200,000 |
| � | Pin Oak Stud USA Stakes | 3YO | 1 1/16 Miles (T) | 200,000 |
| � | Stonerside Stakes | 3YO F | 7 Furlongs | 150,000 |
| � | Beck Auto Group Turf Sprint | 3YO & Up | 5 Furlongs (T) | 100,000 |
| � | Valid Expectations Stakes | F&M 3YO & Up | 6 Furlongs | 100,000 |
| Sat.June 4 | Anet Stakes | 3YO | 5 1/2 Furlongs | 40,000 |
| Sat., June 11 | TTA Sales Futurity | 2YO C&G | 5 Furlongs | +150,000 |
| � | TTA Sales Futurity | 2YO F | 5 Furlongs | +150,000 |
| Fri., June 17 | Gold Nugget Stakes | 3YO & Up* | 7 1/2 Furlongs (T) | 40,000 |
| Sat., June 18 | Dallas Turf Cup | 3YO & Up | 1 1/8 Miles (T) | 200,000 |
| Sat., June 25 | Miller Lite Stakes | F&M 3YO & Up | 5 Furlongs (T) | 50,000 |
| Fri., July 1 | Fresa Stakes | F&M 3YO & Up | 1 1/16 Miles (T) | 40,000 |
| Sat., July 2 | Alysheba BC Stakes | 3YO | 6 Furlongs | 100,000 |
| � | Lone Star Oaks | 3YO F | 1 1/16 Miles (T) | 100,000 |
| Sat., July 9 | TX. Stallion S. (Staunch Avenger) | 2YO C&G | 5 1/2 Furlongs | 125,000 |
| � | TX. Stallion S. (Pan Zareta) | 2YO F | 5 1/2 Furlongs | 125,000 |
| � | Assault Stakes | 3YO & Up* | 1 1/16 Miles | 125,000 |
| � | Allen Bogan MEM. Stakes | F&M 3YO & Up* | 1 Mile | 100,000 |
| � | Harold V. Goodman MEM. S. | 3YO* | 6 1/2 Furlongs | 50,000 |
| � | Valor Farm Stakes | 3YO F* | 6 Furlongs | 50,000 |
| Sat., July 16 | Middleground BC Stakes | 2YO C&G | 6 Furlongs | 75,000 |
| � | Silver Spur BC Stakes | 2YO F | 6 Furlongs | 75,000 |
| Sun., July 17 | Bob Johnson Memorial Stakes | 3YO & Up | 1 Mile | 75,000 |
+ Estimated Purse; * Texas-breed