Lone Star moves Texas Mile back to May 6
The Grade 3, $200,000 Texas Mile will be run a few weeks later than usual during the upcoming Lone Star Park meet in one of the most significant changes to the track’s 11-race, $1 million stakes schedule. Lone Star opens April 7 for a 50-date meet that runs through July 17.
The Texas Mile, for 3-year-olds and up, is set for May 6. The race traditionally had been run in late April and last season ended up being held May 1 because heavy rains forced it to be delayed for one week.
The other major offering on the track’s calendar is the Grade 3, $200,000 Lone Star Park Handicap on May 30. It is for 3-year-olds and up at 1 1/16 miles.
In changes to the stakes schedule, three stakes have been moved to Sundays, said Bart Lang, director of racing for Lone Star. They are the Wayne Hanks Memorial on April 10 and a pair of divisions of the Texas Stallion Stakes on May 15.
Lang said purses will be up for the meet at Lone Star.
“We are very happy to be able to offer an across-the-board purse increase of $1,000 a race this year,” he said. “Our projected daily average will now be slightly over $150,000.”
Last year, purses averaged $140,000 a program.
In another change, post times will be a half-hour later than usual, with night cards to start at 7:05 Central and afternoon cards at 2:05. Lang said stall applications are due Feb. 24.
2016 Lone Star stakes schedule
| DATE | RACE | CONDITIONS | DISTANCE | PURSE |
| Thurs., Apr. 7 | Premiere Stakes | 3YO & UP Open* | 6 1/2F | $50,000 |
| Sun., Apr. 10 | Wayne Hanks Memorial | 3YO & UP F&M* | 6 1/2F | $50,000 |
| Fri., May 6 | Texas Mile (G3) | 3YO & UP Open | 1M | $200,000 |
| Sun., May 15 | Texas Stallion Stakes | 3YO Fillies** | 1M | $75,000 |
| Sun., May 15 | Texas Stallion Stakes | 3YO C&G** | 1M | $75,000 |
| Mon., May 30 | Lone Star Park Handicap (G3) | 3YO & UP Open | 1 1/16M | $200,000 |
| Sat., June 18 | Lane's End Stallion Scholarship Stakes | 3YO & UP F&M* | 7 1/2F (T) | $50,000 |
| Sat., July 9 | TTA Sales Futurity | 2YO Fillies** | 5F | $100,000 |
| Sat., July 9 | TTA Sales Futurity | 2YO C&G** | 5F | $100,000 |
| Sat., July 9 | Valor Farm | 3YO & UP Open* | 6F | $50,000 |
| Sat., July 9 | Assault | 3YO & UP Open* | 1M | $50,000 |
*Texas-bred
**Restricted