Lone Star Park: Slide on Bye looking for stalking trip in allowance

Slide on Bye and The Cat Who will both shake one of the top turf mares in training, Wasted Tears, when they move back into the allowance ranks for Monday’s featured seventh race at Lone Star Park. The 7 1/2-furlong race drew 12 fillies and mares, including the comebacking Dade Babe, winner of last year’s Grade 3 Pucker Up at Arlington Park.

The allowance is wide open, and it should produce starters for such regional stakes as the $50,000 Ricks Memorial at Remington Park on Sept. 3 and the $100,000 River Cities at Louisiana Downs on Sept. 10.

Slide on Bye is a candidate to advance to one of those races, trainer Francisco Bravo said. She won the Ricks Memorial last year, while The Cat Who finished sixth in the race. The two mares met again May 30 at Lone Star and had the misfortune of hooking Wasted Tears, who romped by five lengths that day in the Grade 3, $200,000 Ouija Board Distaff.

The Cat Who finished fourth in the one-mile turf race, while Slide on Bye finished fifth. On Monday, Slide on Bye could get a nice stalking trip behind the rail-drawn The Cat Who as well as the front-running In the Band and the sprint-to-route prospect Approved Bluff.

“We’ll try to lay back off the speed a little, and hopefully get a clear shot at the end,” Bravo said.

Bravo is concerned that Monday’s distance might be a little shorter than optimum for Slide on Bye, whose Ricks Memorial win came at a mile. But he also noted that one of the mare’s best qualities is her determination.

“She’s all heart,” said Bravo, who has given the mount to Bryan McNeil.

Dade Babe will be making her first start since February, when she was claimed for $62,500 at Gulfstream Park. Jockey Roman Chapa has the mount for trainer Cody Autrey.

Lone Star has a special post of 5 p.m. Central to accommodate a fireworks program after the races Monday. The local riding colony will have an autograph session before the races to benefit the Don MacBeth Memorial Fund.