Lasting Bubbles looks to rebound in Wayne Hanks Memorial

Last April, Lasting Bubbles kicked off her Lone Star meet with a 5 1/2-length romp in the JEH Stallion Station Stakes, one of two victories she would record in four starts during the season.

Saturday at Lone Star Park, she is back to defend her title against seven rivals, though the race’s name has changed – with it now being run as the $50,000 Wayne Hanks Memorial.

The name change was made to honor Hanks, a longtime Grand Prairie Sports Facilities and Development Corporation member who died in October 2012.

Although Lasting Bubbles won her first two races of 2014, first in the Yellow Rose at Sam Houston and then an optional claimer at Oaklawn Park, her last race was a disappointment – a sixth-place finish in richer optional claiming race at Oaklawn on April 4.

Chris Rosier rides the quick-returning Lasting Bubbles, the 7-5 morning-line favorite trained by Kevin Peek.

If Lasting Bubbles is unable to rebound from that relatively flat effort while racing on short rest, Joyful Hannah seems poised to take advantage. She ran second in the Texas Stallion Stakes here last year as a 3-year-old, and ran fifth in a fast optional claiming race at Oaklawn on March 21 in her only start of the year.

Of the rest, Molly’s Honour would appear to have the next-best chance, having finished third in an open stakes race at Will Rogers Downs last month in her seasonal debut. She has a win and a second in two starts over the Lone Star main track.