Meet's top race now $400,000
Lone Star Park has increased the purse of the Lone Star Park Handicap from $300,000 to $400,000 in one of two major improvements to the track's 37-race stakes schedule, which was announced Friday. In the other change, the $200,000 Dallas Turf Cup will become the track's fifth graded race when it is run as a Grade 3 in 2006.
Lone Star will race 66 dates next year, from April 13 to July 23. Purses for the meet are expected to be similar to last year, when they averaged more than $210,000 a day, said Jeff Greco, general manager of Lone Star.
The Grade 3 Lone Star Park Handicap, run at 1 1/16 miles, is the richest race on the annual Lone Star Million Day card, a program that features six stakes worth more than $1 million May 29. Other races on the card include the Grade 3, $200,000 WinStar Distaff.
"With an increase of the Lone Star Park Handicap to $400,000, we're optimistic we can someday land Texas its first Grade 2 fixture, and maybe even a Grade 1," said Greco.
The Dallas Turf Cup will be run over 1 1/8 miles on the grass on June 17.
Other major races at the meet include the Grade 3, $300,000 Texas Mile on April 29 and the Grade 3, $300,000 Walmac Lone Star Derby at 1 1/16 miles on May 13.
In a significant distance change to a stakes, the $100,000 Alysheba Breeders' Cup for 3-year-olds has been increased from six furlongs to one mile. It will be decided July 1.
In all, stakes purses for the Lone Star meet will total $3.83 million.
2006 stakes schedule
| DATE | EVENT | CONDITIONS | DISTANCE | PURSE |
| Thu.,April 13 | Premiere Stakes | 3YO & Up* | 1 Mile | $50,000 |
| Sat.,April 15 | Irving Distaff Handicap | F&M, 3YO & Up | 7 1/2 Furlongs (T) | 75,000 |
| Sat.,April 22 | Littlebitlively Stakes | 3YO & Up | 5 Furlongs (T) | 40,000 |
| Sat.,April 29 | Texas Mile (G3) | 3YO & Up | 1 Mile | 300,000 |
| Sat.,April 29 | Grand Prairie Turf Challenge | 3YO | 1 Mile (T) | 75,000 |
| Sat.,April 29 | JEH Stallion Station Stakes | F&M, 3YO & Up* | 6 1/2 Furlongs | 50,000 |
| Fri.,May 5 | Ford Express Stakes | 3YO & Up | 6 Furlongs | 50,000 |
| Sat.,May 6 | Richland Hills Farm Stakes | 3YO F | 6 Furlongs | 50,000 |
| Sat.,May 6 | Gold Nugget Stakes | 3YO & Up* | 7 1/2 Furlongs (T) | 40,000 |
| Sat. May 13 | Walmac Lone Star Derby (G3) | 3YO | 1 1/16 Miles | 300,000 |
| Sat.,May 13 | TX. Stallion Stakes (Stymie Div.) | 3YO C&G | 1 1/16 Miles | 125,000 |
| Sat.,May 13 | TX. Stallion Stakes (Got Koko Div.) | 3YO F | 1 1/16 Miles | 125,000 |
| Sat.,May 20 | Connecting Terms Stakes | 3YO & Up | 1 1/16 Miles (T) | 40,000 |
| Mon.,May 29 | Lone Star Park Handicap (G3) | 3YO & Up | 1 1/16 Miles | 400,000 |
| Mon.,May 29 | WinStar Distaff Handicap (G3) | F&M, 3YO & Up | 1 Mile (T) | 200,000 |
| Mon.,May 29 | Pin Oak Stud USA Stakes | 3YO | 1 1/16 Miles (T) | 150,000 |
| Mon. May 29 | Stonerside Stakes | 3YO F | 7 Furlongs | 100,000 |
| Mon.,May 29 | Beck Auto Turf Sprint HANDICAP | 3YO & Up | 5 Furlongs (T) | 100,000 |
| Mon.,May 29 | Valid Expectations Stakes | F&M, 3YO & Up | 6 Furlongs | 100,000 |
| Sat.,June 3 | Nevil/Kyocera Stakes | 3YO | 6 Furlongs | 40,000 |
| Sat.,June 10 | TTA Sales Futurity (C&G Div.) | 2YO C&G | 5 Furlongs | 100,000 |
| Sat.,June 10 | TTA Sales Futurity (F Div.) | 2YO F | 5 Furlongs | 100,000 |
| Sat.,June 17 | Dallas Turf Cup Handicap (G3) | 3YO & Up | 1 1/8 Miles (T) | 200,000 |
| Sat.,June 17 | Carter McGregor Jr. Mem. STAKES | 3YO & Up* | 6 Furlongs | 50,000 |
| Sat.,June 24 | Miller Lite Stakes | F&M, 3YO & Up | 5 Furlongs (T) | 50,000 |
| Sat.,July 1 | Alysheba Breeders' Cup Stakes | 3YO | 1 Mile | 100,000 |
| Sat.,July 1 | Lone Star Oaks | 3YO F | 1 1/16 Miles (T) | 75,000 |
| Sat.,July 8 | TX. Stallion STAKES (Staunch Avenger Dv.) | 2YO C&G | 5 1/2 Furlongs | 125,000 |
| Sat.,July 8 | TX. Stallion STAKES (Pan Zareta Dv.) | 2YO F | 5 1/2 Furlongs | 125,000 |
| Sat.,July 8 | Assault Stakes | 3YO & Up* | 1 1/16 Miles | 100,000 |
| Sat.,July 8 | Allen Bogan Memorial Stakes | F&M, 3YO & Up* | 1 Mile | 75,000 |
| Sat. July 8 | Harold V. Goodman MEM. Stakes | 3YO* | 6 1/2 Furlongs | 50,000 |
| Sat.,July 8 | Valor Farm Stakes | 3YO F* | 6 Furlongs | 50,000 |
| Sat.,July 15 | Fresa Stakes | F&M, 3YO & Up | 1 1/16 Miles (T) | 40,000 |
| Sat.,July 22 | Bob Johnson Mem. Stakes | 3YO & Up | 1 Mile (T) | 50,000 |
| Sat.,July 22 | Silver Spur B.C. Stakes | 2YO F | 6 Furlongs | 65,000 |
| Sun.,July 23 | Middleground B.C. Stakes | 2YO C&G | 6 Furlongs | 65,000 |
*Texas-breds