Lone Star Park: Halifax Flyer equally effective going long in Texas Stallion Stakes

GRAND PRAIRIE, Texas- Halifax Flyer showed the same kick he has at one turn going two on Saturday, when he rallied to overtake favorite Tamtastic for a half-length win in the $100,000 colts and geldings division of the Texas Stallion Stakes at Lone Star Park.

“My horse gave me a big burst, just what I needed,” said Lindey Wade, who rode Halifax Flyer.

The race was one of two 1 1/16-mile stakes on the card for the 3-year-old offspring of eligible stallions. Princess Turandot rolled home by five lengths in the $100,000 fillies division, giving her trainer, Bret Calhoun, his third win in the race since 2007.

Halifax Flyer ($9.60) came into the Stallion Stakes off a six-furlong allowance win last month at Lone Star. On the move to two turns Saturday, he settled in fifth, behind a wall of four horses who contested six furlongs in 1:13.40. Halifax Flyer advanced four-wide into the stretch, overtook leader Tamtastic, and covered the distance in 1:46.84.

“He dug in,” Wade said. “[Tamtastic] was coming back.”

Christie Grisham trains Halifax Flyer, and the win was her first in a stakes. Halifax Flyer is a son of Early Flyer who races for his breeders, Charles and Myra Eddy.

“Hali was our first born when we moved to Texas,” said Charles Eddy. “I was in the horse business up in Washington about 30 years ago and I got out, and this is our first foal back.”

Hidden Recipe, the morning-line favorite for the Stallion Stakes, and Safe Range, were both scratched Saturday.

Princess Turandot ($4.80) stalked the pace in third in the fillies division of the Stallion Stakes, and darted clear in the final sixteenth to cover the distance in 1:47.26. Triksta finished second, a neck in front of third-place finisher Patty’s Pride.

Luis Quinonez was aboard Princess Turandot for Calhoun, who won the fillies division last year with Tin Top Cat and in 2007 with Lilly Ladue.

Brian Cleveland bred and owns Princess Turnadot, a daughter of Gold Legend and the mare Chianti. He said he named the filly for the Italian opera because her dam is named for an Italian wine. Princess Turnadot came into the Stallion Stakes off a fourth-place finish to Arienza, a daughter of 2002 Horse of the Year Azeri, in an allowance at Oaklawn Park.