A pal for Maysville Slew

GRAND PRAIRIE, Texas - Maysville Slew fired one of his best races in months last out thanks in part to the friendship of a goat named Megan. Goats can be an appealing "pet" for horses, and Megan, who roams the shed rows in barn A3 at Lone Star Park, took a liking to Maysville Slew a few hours before he powered to a 4 3/4-length allowance win at Lone Star Park on April 25.

She will again be around on Sunday, when Maysville Slew takes on five others in a 1 1/16-mile allowance prep for the Grade 3, $300,000 Lone Star Park Handicap.

"He's never had a goat with him before, but we're going to hang Megan with him," said C.R. Trout, who owns and trains the 8-year-old Maysville Slew. "He can get anxious when he knows it's time to run.

"Goats have a soothing effect on horses. It's just the company."

Maysville Slew's rivals in the allowance are Seainsky, Dust on the Bottle, Winning Fans, Agrivating General, and Wishingitwas. Maysville Slew owns the field's highest last-race Beyer Speed Figure, a 95, and with a strong performance Sunday, he will advance to the Lone Star Handicap on May 31.

Maysville Slew ran a big race in last year's Lone Star Handicap, when he dead-heated for second with Bluesthestandard.

"He's training like a bear," said Trout. "He's eating good, he loves to go to the track every morning. He's just having a big time."

Megan belongs to trainer Joe Offolter's granddaughter, Hailey West. Offolter is stabled alongside Trout in barn A3.

"She roams up and down both sides of the barn," said Trout. "She'll eat with this one, or visit with another one. She's a good goat."

She's also lucky. The last horse outside of Offolter's shed row who Megan decided to hang out with won two straight races this fall at Sam Houston Race Park.

Cliff Berry, who was aboard Maysville Slew in his last start, has the mount Sunday. Overall in his career, Maysville Slew has won 15 of 61 starts and $871,809.

Strawbailey bred to Devil's Bag

Strawbailey, who has won the last two runnings of the Ricks Memorial at Remington Park, has been bred to Devil's Bag.

"If she doesn't get in foal, we're going to bring her back and get ready for the Ricks," said Offolter, who trained Strawbailey for Merle Medcalf.

Strawbailey won three stakes in her career, and overall was 8 for 24 with earnings of $170,670. Her half-sister, Touch of Creme, will make her career debut in the sixth race Sunday.

The race will be run over one mile on turf, a distance and surface over which Strawbailey excelled. Strawbailey is by Mister Baileys, while Touch of Creme is a daughter of Doc's Leader. Both are out of the mare Strawberry on Top.

"She's really been working good," Offolter said of Touch of Creme. "She really does everything about like her sister. They basically have the same traits. She has the same attitude. She just takes everything in stride."

John Jacinto will ride Touch of Creme.

Plans open for Pie N Burger

Pie N Burger, a front-runner who was forced to check into the first turn of the Grade 3, $300,000 Texas Mile and finished off the board, came out of the race in good order, said his trainer, Cole Norman.

Norman said the Lone Star Park Handicap is an option for the horse, but no next-race plans have been made. Last year, Pie N Burger won the Lone Star 'Cap before closing out his year with a victory on the Breeders' Cup undercard in the $150,000 Seabiscuit Handicap.

* Cryptograph, who won the $75,000 Grand Prairie Turf Challenge, came out of the race in good order and remains on deck for the $200,000 Pin Oak Stud USA Stakes on May 31, said his trainer, Donnie Von Hemel.

* Leo's Last Hurrahy, a multiple stakes winner and former Texas-bred horse of the year, is getting some time off and will return to the races this fall, according to his trainer, Bob Young.