Lone Star back in business

Just like that, racing is on at Lone Star Park.

The Dallas area track that had to postpone its meet just over a month due to the coronavirus pandemic is scheduled to launch its season Friday.

Entries for the card were taken on Wednesday morning, less than 24 hours after Lone Star president Scott Wells addressed the Texas Racing Commission at a meeting Tuesday.

Wells talked about the potential of opening as early as Friday after Texas on Monday moved into Phase 2 of the state’s reopening program. He said time was of the essence, noting a failure to launch the meet before the end of May could lead to the departure of stables that have been settled in at Lone Star since the barn area opened at the start of the month.

Texas racing is riding a newfound wave of momentum due to a law passed last year that sets aside a portion of existing taxes on equine goods and services for both purses and the state’s breeding industry. Sam Houston Race Park in Houston was the first meet conducted under the new law and handle was up about 40 percent.

Lone Star’s card for Friday will be conducted spectator-free. First post is 3 p.m. Central. There are a slew of new faces in the entries, and they are diverse. New York regular Mike Luzzi is named on horses, according to his local agent, Bradley White. Luzzi is in town for the new season and will be riding alongside his son, Lane Luzzi.

“He wanted to come down and visit,” said White, “and I said, ‘Why don’t you bring your tack?’ He said, ‘That’s a good idea.’ ”

Stewart Elliott and Ramon Vazquez are also new faces in the riding colony. Vazquez and Quincy Hamilton, back after an absence, will both ride regularly for trainer Robertino Diodoro.

Diodoro said he has a full barn set up at Lone Star. It will be the first time he has been based at the track, and his presence comes after he ventured to Texas earlier this year to be part of the meet at Sam Houston. Diodoro has a number of high-profile owners with ties to Texas, among them Mike and Mickala Sisk, whose M and M Racing won the recent title at Oaklawn.

Diodoro, who was the leading trainer at Oaklawn, also has horses for such Texas-based owners as Charles Garvey, Larry Hirsch of nearby Highlander Training Center, and Richard L. Davis. The trainer said the increase in purses at Lone Star and making some new connections in Texas led him to Lone Star. Diodoro also has divisions at Canterbury, Churchill, and Evangeline Downs.

Other new faces to the Lone Star training ranks include Chris Hartman, who is back with a barn at the track for the first time since 2009, and Boyd Caster, who has horses for prominent owners Gary and Mary West, in his first time to base at Lone Star.

Steve Asmussen, who is the all-time winningest trainer at his home track of Lone Star, and Karl Broberg, a multiple title winner at Lone Star, are among the familiar faces alongside trainers Bret Calhoun, Danny Pish, and Mindy Willis.

Lone Star’s racing schedule had yet to be announced as of Wednesday afternoon. An official said racing, using the offerings in the initial condition book, will be conducted this Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. The meet was to be 44 dates through July 19, and Wells asked commissioners Tuesday for flexibility, adding the track should know after a few weeks if a meet of that length is feasible.

"At this time, racing operations will be conducted with no spectators," Wells said in a statement.

Wells said the track's simulcast facility, Bar & Book, would open at 10:30 a.m. Central on Friday and would be limited to 25 percent occupancy. There will be social-distancing parameters in place.

"The health and safety of our patrons and employees continues to be our top priority," Wells said in the statement. "We continue to monitor closely all Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines and public health advancements, and we have implemented operational procedures and protocols throughout Bar & Book."

The Texas Racing Commission on Thursday approved a revised June calendar for Lone Star that calls for live racing every Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday beginning June 1. Post time will be 1:30 p.m. Central. The track also received approval to race Saturday, June 27, with a first post of 3 p.m.

Lone Star typically races Thursday through Sunday.