Texas Long Bow among stakes winners on inaugural Lone Star Showcase program

GRAND PRAIRIE, Texas – Texas Long Bow rode the rail to a 21-1 upset in the $50,000 Wayne Hanks Memorial on Sunday at Lone Star Park. He was a nose winner over the comebacking Rumpole, while it was another three lengths back to A M Milky Way in third.

The Wayne Hanks was one of four restricted stakes on the inaugural Lone Star Showcase program. The races were worth a cumulative $230,000.

Texas Long Bow ($45.20) was claimed for $10,000 one start prior to the Wayne Hanks. He broke from the rail Sunday, and proceeded to set fractions of 22.45 seconds for the opening quarter and 45.35 before fighting for the win in the 6 1/2-furlong race for 3-year-olds and up bred in Texas. Texas Long Bow covered the distance on a fast track in 1:17.77.

"He never gave up, he gave me everything," said Iram Diego, who was aboard for trainer Michael Whitelaw.

Texas Long Bow was winning his second straight race, behind a conditioned claiming sprint June 1 at Lone Star. Earlier in his career, he won a conditioned allowance for Texas-breds by 16 3/4 lengths at Retama Park.

Texas Long Bow, who races for Tyree Wolesensky, is a son of Crossbow. In the Wayne Hanks he defeated a field that included Direct Dial, the reigning Texas-bred Horse of the Year and 4-5 favorite who finished fourth, and Supermason, a seven-time stakes winner who finished fifth on Sunday.

Corluna won the other Texas-bred stakes on the card, the $50,000 Lane’s End Danny Shifflett Scholarship, to give her trainer, Sarah Delany, her first career win in a stakes race. Corluna celebrated the same, when she closed for a neck win over Shes Our Fastest.

“I’m so excited,” said Delany, whose first win as a trainer came in 2012 at Sam Houston.

Corluna ($11.40) wintered at Sam Houston and won an allowance over the course and also finished second in the track’s $50,000 San Jacinto Stakes in March. She was part of the pace in those races, but was taken back Sunday by jockey Richard Eramia and came surging in the lane to win the Lane’s End, a 7 1/2-furlong turf race for fillies and mares in 1:28.44. The turf was firm.

“We took back and made one run and it worked perfect today,” said Eramia.

Corluna is a daughter of Unbridled’s Heart who races for her breeder, Ian Yarnot.

Moro Said Ready ($75.40) won his maiden in the $65,000 Staunch Avenger division of the Texas Stallion Stakes, setting the pace and going on to a three-length win over 3-5 favorite Good Judgement. It was another neck back to Luckenbacher in third.

The Staunch Avenger was for 2-year-old colts and geldings by eligible stallions.

Moro Said Ready broke on top from post 2 and took the field through an opening quarter in 22.10 seconds and a half-mile in 45.54, pressured by Good Judgment. He shook that rival and went on to cover five furlongs on a fast track in 58.72 seconds.

“Today we got a good break,” said winning rider Ernesto Valdez-Jiminez. “Last time, he broke a little slow.

“My horse didn’t care about the pressure.”

Valdez-Jiminez said Moro Said Ready’s trainer, J.R. Caldwell, regularly works his 2-year-olds in company, which helped the colt be composed while being pressed by Good Judgement.

Moro Said Ready has made one other start, finishing fifth in a maiden special weight May 25 at Lone Star. The horse is a son of Moro Tap who races for Penn Family Racing and Kevin Clifton.

It’s My Money held off Dust a Flying to win her career debut in the $65,000 Pan Zareta division of the Texas Stallion Stakes. A half-length separated the top pair, while it was another length and three-quarters back to Oklahoma Gold in third.

The Pan Zareta was for 2-year-old fillies by eligible stallions.

It’s My Money ($8.20) broke from the rail and proceeded to set the pace in the five-furlong sprint, running the opening quarter in 22.61 seconds and the half-mile in 47.05. It’s My Money maintained her advantage to the wire while covering the distance on a fast track in 1:00.14.

“She’s been pretty impressive in the morning,” said winning rider Lane Luzzi. “From her works out of the gate, I knew she had some speed.”

Luzzi was aboard for trainer George Bryant.

It’s My Money is a daughter of Early Flyer who races for Don Leach and Andrew Moran.

There was no place or show wagering as the Pan Zareta scratched down to four horses on Sunday.

► The all-stakes pick four that had a fifty-cent minimum returned $14,037. The winning numbers were 1-1-2-5. The minimum pool was guaranteed at $25,000 and the final pool was $37,436.