Lone Star: Aloha Bold class of field

Aloha Bold, a close third in the Count Fleet Sprint at Oaklawn last month, may be favored in the feature at Lone Star, a $40,000 open allowance at five furlongs on the turf. The race serves as a prep for the $100,000 Beck Auto Group Turf Sprint on May 31.

Aloha Bold, who won the Colonel Power Stakes at Fair Grounds over the winter, comes in off a pair of third-place finishes in the Pelleteri at Fair Grounds and the Count Fleet. The margin of defeat was less than two lengths in both, which suggests Aloha Bold holds a slight class advantage over the rest of the field.

Aloha Bold has displayed versatility throughout his career, winning on turf as well as dirt. He has not started on the turf since January 2003, but has won three of his last five over the grass.

Bold Reply and Clever Pancho, the one-two finishers in the Sam Houston Turf Sprint earlier this month, also figure. While Clever Pancho has not run since the Turf Sprint, Bold Reply ran last week at Lone Star in an optional claimer on dirt, but finished sixth, beaten over 10 lengths.