Lone Star Park: Shotgun Gulch back on track with stakes on her agenda

GRAND PRAIRIE, Texas – Shotgun Gulch, who became a Grade 1 winner in April, returned to her Lone Star Park base on Wednesday after a freshening and has a longterm goal of making the Grade 2, $400,000 Masters at Presque Isle Downs, said her trainer, C.R. Trout.

The 6 1/2-furlong race for fillies and mares in Erie, Pa., is not until Sept. 10, so before then Shotgun Gulch could see action at Arlington Park. Trout said an option is the Grade 3, $100,000 Chicago Handicap at seven furlongs on July 3.

“I may haul her up there and run her in that, stay there with her, then make the trip on up to Presque Isle,” he said Wednesday.

Both races will be run over synthetic surfaces, the same type of track over which Shotgun Gulch won the Grade 1 Vinery Madison at Keeneland on April 14. The race was her first on Polytrack, and Trout said he would like to continue to target synthetic-track races for the filly because he feels they are kinder on her feet. Shotgun Gulch has raced once since the Madison, and finished fifth on dirt in the Grade 1 Humana Distaff at Churchill Downs on May 7.

“The last race, she just didn’t like that track,” Trout said. “She has tender feet. The track was hard and fast, and when she started to make her move she didn’t have that burst like she did [in the Madison].”

Trout brought Shotgun Gulch home to his farm in Oklahoma for 10 days of vacation after the Distaff. He said she will now resume light training at Lone Star before gearing up for a possible start at Arlington.

Trout is also the breeder and owner of Shotgun Gulch, a 4-year-old filly by Thunder Gulch. Her dam is Rosieville, a Boston Harbor mare who is a half-sister to Maysville Slew, a millionaire Trout raced. Shotgun Gulch, who has won five stakes, gave Trout his first Grade 1 win in the Madison.

Dreaminofthewin targets Lone Star Derby

Trout said Dreaminofthewin, who breezed five furlongs in 1:02 on Wednesday morning, is being pointed for the $200,000 Lone Star Derby on May 30.

“He’s on go,” said Trout, who trains Dreaminofthewin for Clint Gilchrist.

The Lone Star Derby will be run on turf for the first time, as part of the Lone Star Million Day program of stakes. Dreaminofthewin will come into the 1 1/16-mile race off a third-place finish in the Grade 3, $200,000 Texas Mile at Lone Star on April 23.

Before that race, Dreaminofthewin was second to future Grade 2 Peter Pan winner Alternation in an allowance at Oaklawn on Feb. 21.

Stakes winner leads optional claimer

The best race on the card Friday night is the second, with stakes winner Pleasantly Blessed set to start in a $50,000 optional claiming allowance for fillies and mares. The 7 1/2-furlong turf race drew six fillies and mares, including Sugar Added.

Pleasantly Blessed and Sugar Added finished a respective fourth and fifth in the $50,000 Irving Distaff at Lone Star on April 23. The race was Pleasantly Blessed’s first since February 2010, and she can move forward in her second start back Friday. Luis Quinonez has the mount for owner-trainer Steve Asmussen.

Sugar Added was also returning from a layoff in the Irving, which was her first start since October. The Irving has been a productive race, as it has produced two next-out winners since last month, including third-place finisher The Cat Who. She came back to account for a Lone Star allowance last weekend, with a strong Beyer Figure of 82.

◗ Lone Star’s leading rider, Lindey Wade, on Friday night will begin serving a seven-day suspension for a riding infraction. He will be back in action next Friday, according to his agent, Monty Penney.

◗ Global Gaming has announced that its acquisition of Lone Star is final following a closing on Monday. Last week, Global received license approvals from the Texas Racing Commission.