No Other Tone offers a lot to like

To those unfamiliar with racing at Lone Star Park, No Other Tone might appear a vulnerable favorite in Saturday's $50,000 JEH Stallion Station Stakes there. A 5-year-old Touch Tone filly, she has not raced for nearly 10 months since winning a second-level allowance at Lone Star last June.

Those who follow the track, and specifically the habits of trainer Jack Bruner, won't be seeing such weakness. Bruner's comebackers are regularly poised to fire at the start of the Lone Star meet.

Statistics from Daily Racing Form's Formulator online database tell the story. Over the last five years, Bruner has started 37 runners at Lone Star off layoffs of 180 days or more, and 11 won, or approximately 30 percent. Another 11 ran either second or third, resulting in an in-the-money percentage of 59, and a wager on each of the 37 to win would have resulted in an average return of $3.68.

There are other reasons to expect a strong effort. No Other Tone has already won three times following layoffs, she is 3 for 4 over the Lone Star Strip, and she has trained swiftly over the local strip, working five furlongs in a bullet 59.40 seconds March 23 and a quick half-mile in 48 seconds on March 31.

Rohan Singh will ride No Other Tone, a 5-year-old daughter of Touch Tone owned and bred by Tom Durant.

Other major contenders in the JEH Stallion Station Stakes - a 6 1/2-furlong race on the main track for horses by stallions that stand in Texas - include stakes winners Valid Code, Tin Top Cat, and Wrenice.