Sexton Mile, Lone Star Handicap highlight Lone Star meet

Lone Star Park’s stakes schedule for the 2018 meet, which opens April 19, is again topped by a pair of Grade 3, $200,000 races – the Steve Sexton Mile on May 6 and the Lone Star Park Handicap on May 27.

Lone Star has scheduled 11 stakes worth a total of $1 million.

Both the Steve Sexton Mile (formerly the Texas Mile) and the Lone Star Park Handicap are for 3-year-olds and up. The Lone Star Park Handicap will be run over 1 1/16 miles. Both races are being run on a Sunday.

Other highlights of the stakes schedule include the Stars of Texas program of four restricted stakes worth a total of $300,000, led by a pair of $100,000 divisions of the Texas Thoroughbred Futurity.

Lone Star is racing 44 dates this year, six fewer than last year. The meet runs through July 22.

Lone Star said purses have been increased $2,000 a race. Stall applications are due March 7 and the stable area opens March 19.

Retama Park, meanwhile, will revert to a mixed-meet format, running 25 dates from July 6-Sept. 5, with Quarter Horse racing for the first six programs, until after the close of the Thoroughbred meet at Lone Star.