Lone Star Park: Recent claim Cat Bells fits nicely with Texas-breds

GRAND PRAIRIE, Texas – Midwest Thoroughbreds and trainer Cody Autrey claimed about 30 horses during the Fair Grounds meet, and on Sunday one of those acquisitions looks like a solid choice in the featured fifth race at Lone Star Park.

Cat Bells will be returning to the Texas-bred ranks for the first time since 2009 in a first-level allowance for fillies and mares at a mile. It will be her first start for Midwest and Autrey after being claimed for $17,500 on March 20.

“We claimed her at the Fair Grounds strictly for this kind of race,” Autrey said. “She’s a Texas-bred and she’s got the conditions. That’s what made her appealing.”

Cat Bells will be moving back to the main track after pushing the pace and finishing 10th in a one-mile turf race last out. Earlier in the Fair Grounds meet, she had won a $17,500 claimer on the main track by 2 1/4 lengths Jan. 9. In her final prep for her Lone Star debut, Cat Bells worked five furlongs in 1:00.40 on April 25.

“She’s doing good,” Autrey said. “She’s worked really well here. We expect a good race out of her.”

Cat Bells will break from the rail, under Cliff Berry.

The chief threat could be Millenial Storm, who has a chance to dictate the pace on the stretch-out from 6 1/2 furlongs. She was fifth last out in the $50,000 JEH Stallion Station at Lone Star. Alfredo Contreras has the mount for trainer J.R. Bustamante.

Baltimore Bob eyes Dallas Turf Cup

Autrey sent out recent private purchase Baltimore Bob to win last weekend’s $50,000 Grand Prairie Turf Challenge and said the horse will likely run next in the $150,000 Dallas Turf Cup at Lone Star on May 30.

The Grand Prairie was Baltimore Bob’s second straight win for his new owner, Charles Fletcher, and Autrey. The horse also took an optional $62,500 claimer at Fair Grounds in March.

“We bought him privately off his last Gulfstream Park race,” Autrey said of a February optional claimer in which the horse ran second by a neck. “We bought him with the intention of bringing him here, because Mr. Fletcher is from here.

“If everything goes right, we’ll go in the Dallas Turf Cup. We expect it to be tougher than his last race, but the way he’s running right now, why not take a chance?”