Lone Star: Thiskyhasnolimit wears down Gladding to win Texas Mile

For a race lacking in depth with only five starters, Saturday’s Grade 3, $200,000 Texas Mile at Lone Star Park was never lacking in excitement.

Graded stakes winners Thiskyhasnolimit and Gladding dueled the length of the stretch, with the former edging clear in the closing yards to notch a hard-fought half-length victory.

Thiskyhasnolimit, who stalked the pace in fourth for nearly three-quarters of a mile, took advantage of front-running Gladding being occupied throughout.

When Gladding broke running, he was immediately joined on the inside by Kate’s Main Man, who raced with him for opening half-mile, timed in 47.85 seconds. Then as Kate’s Main Man began to retreat leaving the backstretch, Friesan Fire joined the Gladding three-wide, never allowing him a breather.

This left Thiskyhasnolimit lying in wait right behind the leading trio, and once given his cue by jockey Justin Shepherd on the final turn, he surged four wide and came into the stretch on even terms with Gladding.

The two raced head and head through the stretch until Thiskyhasnolimit gradually wore Gladding down. He raced a mile in 1:37.28, paying $4.80 as the favorite.

“He was right where we wanted him to be all the way around, especially at the finish line,” said Bob Zollars, who co-owns the colt with his wife, Cathy, and Mark Wagner.
A 4-year-old son of Sky Mesa trained by Steve Asmussen, Thiskyhasnolimit won for the first time since taking the Smarty Jones Stakes at Parx Racing in September. He had been second in the Grade 3 Razorback at Oaklawn Park in his start preceding the Texas Mile.

Dreaminofthewin rallied from last to finish a distant third, 7 1/2 lengths behind the winner, a neck ahead of fourth-place Friesan Fire. Kate’s Main Man trailed the field.

* In other stakes action, Baltimore Bob ($3.40) scored as the heavy favorite in the $50,000 Grand Prairie Turf Challenge under Cliff Berry.

Sitting just off a slow early pace, he took command at the top of the stretch and pulled away late to score by three-quarters of a length over runner-up Alwayswithapproval and third-place McKenna’s Justice, whom finished virtually together in a photo. Baltimore Bob raced a mile on a firm turf course in 1:35.95.
His victory in the Grand Prairie gave Cliff Berry his fifth win from the first seven races on the day’s card.

Cody Autrey trained the winner for owner Charles Fletcher.

* In the race immediately following the Texas Mile, Sheer Beauty ($16) led from start to finish to win the $50,000 Irving Distaff under Jon Court.

It marked her second straight victory following a win in an open allowance race at Delta Downs last month.

A 4-year-old daughter of Mizzen Mast, Sheer Beauty is owned by LTB Inc. and Miles Childers and trained by Bernie Flint. In winning the Irving Distaff, she raced 7 1/2 furlongs in 1:28.47.

Slide on Bye, part of a three-horse entry that went off favored, was second, and was followed across the wire by The Cat Who in third.