Supermason kicks off Lone Star meet with easy win in Bluebonnet Stakes

Bret Calhoun’s hot April continued Thursday night at Lone Star Park when Supermason won the $50,000 Bluebonnet Stakes, the featured race on opening night at Lone Star.

Supermason’s 4 ¾-length tally ran Calhoun’s record this month to 8-6-3 from 23 starters. At the tough Keeneland meeting his horses have gone 5-1-2 from 12 starters.

There was no reason for Supermason to be anywhere near Keeneland since the 6-year-old gelding is a Texas-bred who has made hay at Lone Star. This was his seventh win, to go with a second and a third, from 12 Lone Star races, and Supermason, the 6-5 favorite, proved much the best Thursday under Lyndey Wade.

Stalking in a perfect spot on the outside as Rumpole and Direct Dial set splits of 22.76 and 45.67, Supermason swept to the lead in upper stretch and increased his advantage to the wire. He stopped the timer in 1:16.81 for 6 ½ furlongs on a fast track, while behind him Rumpole fought off Direct Dial by a neck for second.

Calhoun trains Supermason for owner Brad Grady. The gelding is by Grasshopper and out of the Midway Road mare Folksy. That’s not a blue-blooded pedigree but Supermason is making out just fine, with 11 wins now from 32 starts and career earnings of just less than $362,000.