Promising juvenile Moro Said Ready among Stars of Texas Day winners
GRAND PRAIRIE, Texas – Moro Said Ready won his second straight stakes race of the Lone Star Park meet on Sunday in the $88,612 colts and geldings division of the Texas Thoroughbred Futurity to continue trainer J.R. Caldwell’s outstanding season with the stable’s 2-year-olds. Moro Said Ready won by 1 3/4 lengths over Tale Twister, while it was another three-quarters of a length back to Halfmoon Reef in third.
The Texas Thoroughbred Futurity was one of four restricted stakes on the annual Stars of Texas Day. The races were worth more than $300,000 on one of the richest programs of the meet. The season runs through July 21.
Moro Said Ready ($6.20), who won his maiden in last month’s $65,000 division of the Texas Stallion Stakes at Lone Star, was always prominent Sunday under regular rider Ernesto Valdez-Jiminez . He set fractions of 22.84 seconds for the opening quarter and 46.34 for the half-mile before covering the 5 1/2 furlongs on a track rated fast in 1:06.53.
“We know he has speed,” Caldwell said. “He showed speed all through his breaking and getting him up to this point. Last time, he took a lot of heat. Today, down the backside, I saw he pricked his ears up and was cruising along pretty nicely. When they came to him, he kicked on.”
Caldwell this meet has won six races with five different 2-year-olds. Moro Said Ready has accounted for the two stakes wins, and Caldwell’s other winners accounted for maiden special weights. He said last year on behalf of various partnerships he bought 11 yearlings at Keeneland. He also has picked up young horses for other clients, including Kevin Clifton, who bred Moro Said Ready and co-owns the horse with Penn Family Racing.
Moro Said Ready will be pointed for another $65,000 division of the Texas Stallion Stakes on Sept. 11 at Retama Park. Caldwell said a potential start between now and then will be debated with the ownership. Moro Said Ready is a son of Moro Tap who has now won 2 of 3 starts for earnings of $92,849.
Gee She Sparkles remained perfect in two career starts with her 5 1/4-length victory in the $109,167 fillies division of the Texas Thoroughbred Futurity. Top Hat Charmer finished second, 1 1/2 lengths clear of third-place finisher Viv.
Gee She Sparkles ($11.80) stalked dueling leaders Sing the Song and Flat Precious, who took the field through an opening quarter in 22.41 seconds. Gee She Sparkles moved to the fore through a half-mile in 46.35 and increased her advantage to the wire, covering 5 1/2 furlongs on a fast track in 1:06.51.
Danny Sorenson rode Gee She Sparkles for the first time Sunday for trainer Danny Pish.
“I did get an opportunity to breeze her for this race,” he said. “I told [Pish] afterwards, ‘They’re going to have a hard time beating her.’ This filly can run a lot.”
Gee She Sparkles, who won out of the 11-hole on Sunday, debuted last month at Lone Star. She was a 10 1/2-length winner of a maiden special weight for 2-year-old fillies bred in Texas. Gee She Sparkles is a daughter of Race Day owned by GFB Racing and Pish.
Shes Our Fastest picked up the fourth stakes win of her career when she pushed past Brave Daisey in the late stages of the $50,000 Valor Farm Stakes. Shes Our Fastest won by three-quarters of a length over Brave Daisey, who won last year’s Valor Farm. The six-furlong race was for fillies and mares bred in Texas.
Shes Our Fastest ($4.40) pushed the pace, engaged Brave Daisey in the stretch, and covered the distance in 1:10.66.
“She gave me everything,” said Iram Diego, who was aboard Shes Our Fastest. “She ran a big race. I had a perfect trip – could move whenever I wanted.”
Scott Gelner trains Shes Our Fastest, a daughter of Oratory, for Mark Norman and Norman Stables. She has now won 6 of 19 starts and earned $238,110.
The stallion Oratory had a second stakes winner on the card when Redatory stalked the pace en route to a three-length victory over Lethal Move in the $50,000 Assault Stakes. It was another head back in third to Right Lane Lukasz.
The Assault was a mile turf race for 3-year-olds and up bred in Texas.
Redatory ($7.20) was winning his second stakes of the year in the Assault, behind the Richard King Handicap in March at Sam Houston. He covered the distance Sunday in 1:35.39 on firm ground.
“I had so much horse the whole way,” said winning rider Rudy Guerra.
Allen Dupuy trains Redatory for the horse’s breeder, James Wessell. Dupuy said Redatory would be pointed for the $50,000 Texas Hall of Fame Stakes on Sept. 6 at Retama Park.
Supermason gallops into retirement
Lone Star Park put on a retirement ceremony for Supermason on Sunday. The horse is tied with Gold Coyote and Lasting Bubbles for most career stakes wins at the track, with six. Supermason made an appearance in the winner’s circle mid-card as Lone Star television host Dave Appleton, who put together the ceremony, interviewed owner Brad Grady and his son, Mason, as well as Supermason’s regular rider, Lindey Wade. Wade then took Supermason out for a final gallop over the main track at Lone Star.
“At times, going into a race, I would be a little anxious [about getting position],” Wade said. “Once I made the lead with him, anxiety turned to confidence instantly.”
Supermason, a 7-year-old gelding bred in Texas, retires with a record of 13 wins from 39 starts for earnings of $417,455. Of his wins, 10 came at Lone Star, making him the track’s second all-time winningest horse, said Lone Star spokeswoman Diantha Brazzell. She said the record is 11 wins, held by Waco’s Cutie.
Grady said Supermason will get some turnout time at his Florida farm, Grand Oaks, then test his skills at dressage when he is brought back to Grady's farm in Texas.
Attendance ontrack Sunday was 7,672 patrons, up from 4,947 during the corresponding program in 2018. Handle on the nine-race card Sunday was $1.6 million, according to figures from Lone Star. The fifty-cent pick four that comprised the four stakes paid $106.05. The winning numbers were 12-3-6-9. There was a minimum guaranteed pool of $25,000 for the all-stakes pick four and the final pool was $77,585.
