Prairie Gold Juvenile likely next for The Gray Dehere

GRAND PRAIRIE, Texas – The Gray Dehere was a clear winner of a maiden special weight for 2-year-olds last Sunday at Lone Star Park, and trainer J.R. Caldwell said the colt is now on pace to test stakes company in the $65,000 Prairie Gold Juvenile on July 20 at Prairie Meadows.

Making his second career start on June 24, The Gray Dehere set a pressured pace, shook free in the stretch, and won by 3 3/4 lengths despite drifting late in a five-furlong maiden race. In his debut June 10, The Gray Dehere ran second by a length to Dance to My Song, who earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 71, the best number put up by a 2-year-old this meet at Lone Star. The Gray Dehere earned a Beyer of 68 that day, and a 65 for his win on June 24.

“He’s a very talented colt,” Caldwell said. “All of his works were about bullet works up to his first start.”

The Gray Dehere is by Graydar.

“The stakes race at Prairie Meadows is what we were kind of shooting for, and I wanted him to break his maiden,” Caldwell said. “I thought he’d break it first out, but he didn’t, so I wheeled him back in two weeks, added blinkers to try to help him focus. They pressured him early. He kicked away, and then he gets to looking at something. He’s been well seasoned. He shouldn’t be looking around or drifting, and he drifted, so we’ve got to do a little more work with him. But, we’ve got [time] before the stakes.”

Caldwell said that Lane Luzzi is scheduled to ride The Gray Dehere back in the six-furlong Prairie Gold Juvenile.

◗ Lone Star Park will race Tuesday and Wednesday, July 3-4, this coming week, with fireworks to follow each program in a special holiday schedule. First post will be 5 p.m. Central. The track will then be dark until July 13.