Supermason dominates Assault Stakes

GRAND PRAIRIE, Texas - Supermason and jockey Lindey Wade won their 10th race together Sunday in the $50,000 Assault Stakes at Lone Star Park. The two rolled home by four lengths over Rumpole.

It was another 4 3/4 lengths back to Galactica in third.

The Assault was a mile race for 3-year-olds and up bred in Texas. Supermason also won the stakes in 2016 and last year was second to multiple graded stakes winner Texas Chrome. The Assault was one of four restricted stakes on the card.

There were two $100,000 divisions of the Texas Thoroughbred Futurity, with the colts and geldings going to Wakefield ($5.80) and the fillies side to Adventurous Lady ($3.80).

Supermason has a career mark of 13 wins from 35 starts. He is now 9 for 14 on the main track at Lone Star Park and also has a turf win in Grand Prairie.

Wade and Supermason first teamed together on Nov. 29, 2014 at Remington Park.

“He won that race so handily, I got to keep the mount,” Wade recalled. “He continued to progress and we learned about one another.”

Supermason ($2.80) on Sunday led at each point of call in the Assault, taking the field through controlled fractions of 24.18 seconds for the opening quarter, 47.70 for the half-mile and 1:12.01 for six furlongs. He went on to cover the distance on a fast track in 1:37.51.

“I’m so confident in him,” Wade, 27, said, “because I like to be able ride a horse away from there and let them put them where they want to be and he’s one you don’t even have to ride him away from there. He just does it.

“We’ve built a relationship over the years where he listens to me and I listen to him. If he wants to move early, I let him. Like in the last race, we moved a little early, but he held on. That’s what he wanted to do. Today, he waited for my cue at the head of the stretch to go on. He’s a strong horse, but he’s kind. He listens to me, which is a huge factor if you ask me.”

Supermason races for Brad Grady and is named for his son, Mason. Supermason is by Grasshopper.

In the $50,000 Valor Farm Stakes for Texas-bred fillies and mares, Brave Daisey ($33.80) darted to a 4 1/2-length win over Valid Bride. It was another nose back to Flight Queen in third.

Brave Daisey sat off fractions of 22.20 for the opening quarter and 45.29 for the half-mile and asserted herself in the stretch, covering six furlongs on a fast track in 1:10.82.

“When I called on her and asked her, she gave me everything she had,” winning jockey Sasha Risenhoover told Lone Star Park television host Dave Appleton.

Peter Varga bred and owns Brave Daisey, a daughter of Hidden Blessing trained by Tina Hurley.