Sunlit Song streaks into Assault Stakes
GRAND PRAIRIE, Texas – Pick a gray, any gray. Sunlit Song, Direct Dial, and Mr Money Bags are all capable grays in the $75,000 Assault on Saturday at Lone Star Park.
The horses figure to start as the top choices in the one-mile turf race for 3-year-olds and up bred in Texas. It’s one of five restricted stakes making up Stars of Texas Day, and the races are worth a cumulative $425,000. There also is an all-stakes pick four on races 8-11, and the 50-cent bet has a guaranteed minimum pool of $50,000.
Sunlit Song is chasing his fourth straight win and his second consecutive Assault. He’s part of a field of 11 that includes stakes winners Kenai Bob, Moojab Jr, Gold Pilot, and Gunnerscelesticman.
“It’s a real contentious field,” said Mindy Willis, who trains Sunlit Song for Carolyn Barnett and Becky Harding. “I just want everybody to have a clean trip, and may the best horse win.”
Sunlit Song has done nothing but win since March, when he accounted for the $100,000 Richard King at Sam Houston. He proceeded to win back-to-back races at Lone Star, an allowance May 15 and the $50,000 Texas Hall of Fame on June 13.
“He’s just really good right now,” Willis said. “He’s happy.
“There’s some new shooters in there this time. We’ll have to see what happens. It’s all about positioning, getting out of the gate good.”
Sunlit Song will break from post 2 under David Cabrera.
“If there’s a lot of speed, he can take back,” Willis said of Sunlit Song. “If there’s no speed, he can be there. It seems to me like there’s a lot of speed in there. We’ll see how it sets up.”
Direct Dial, the 2018 Texas-bred of the year, makes his second turf start following a win over Mr Money Bags, the 2019 Texas-bred of the year, in the $75,000 Wayne Hanks Memorial Sprint on June 13 at Lone Star.
Boerne leaning to Fiesta Mile
Boerne, a multiple stakes winner entered in both the $75,000 Valor Farm and the $75,000 Fiesta Mile, will “most likely” run on turf in the Fiesta Mile, trainer Robertino Diodoro said Thursday.
“She ran good on the grass last time, stretching out,” he said. “The horse is doing good, and that might be the right spot.”
Boerne made a rare start on turf and at two turns in the Lane’s End Danny Shifflett Stallion Scholarship Stakes on June 13 at Lone Star. She won by 1 1/4 lengths and equaled her best career Beyer Speed Figure, an 82. Ramon Vazquez was aboard for De Luca and Sons Stable.
“Stretching out, I thought Ramon did a good job getting her to relax on the front end,” Diodoro said.
Boerne also is a stakes winner at one turn on dirt. The Valor Farm is a six-furlong race for fillies and mares bred in Texas.
The Valor Farm field includes Shes Our Fastest and Ima Discreet Lady, both of whom have won six stakes races. Shes Our Fastest won the Blue Bonnet over 6 1/2 furlongs in April at Lone Star. Ima Discreet Lady won the Yellow Rose over Shes Our Fastest in March at Sam Houston.
The Fiesta Mile is a turf race for fillies and mares bred in Texas. The eight-horse field includes Zarelda, runner-up in the Lane’s End; Corluna, a multiple stakes winner over the local turf; and Discreet Smile, winner of the $100,000 San Jacinto in March at Sam Houston.
Sharp colts clash in Futurity
Tengo Mis Papeles and Simply Wicked figure to start as the top two choices in the $100,000 colts and geldings division of the Texas Thoroughbred Futurity.
The horses have each won impressively at the meet.
Tengo Mis Papeles was a 9 3/4-length debut winner June 13 in the Staunch Avenger division of the Texas Stallion Stakes. Reylu Gutierrez has the mount for Wayne Sanders and Larry Hirsch and trainer Bret Calhoun.
Simply Wicked debuted a week earlier and won a maiden special weight with a Beyer of 66. It’s the best number in the field Saturday.
“I thought he was very impressive,” Diodoro said. “He’s come back and trained great. He’s a nice little horse.”
Vazquez has the mount on Simply Wicked, who will break from post 8 in the field of 12.
“Perfect,” Diodoro said of the draw. “Especially with a young horse. You’re always worried about getting trapped down on the inside, getting too much dirt in their face.”
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Simply Wicked races for Richard L. Davis.
◗ It’s a Gee Thing will start as a top choice in the $100,000 fillies division of the Texas Thoroughbred Futurity, which like its counterpart is at 5 1/2 furlongs. It’s a Gee Thing was second in the Pan Zareta division of the Texas Stallion Stakes on June 13 at Lone Star.
Her rivals include The Reese Beast, a first-time starter who topped the Texas 2-year-olds in training sale in April at Lone Star when she brought $240,000. Ry Eikleberry has the mount for Forge Ahead Stables and trainer Austin Gustafson.