Welder should seal the deal in Lone Star feature

A million dollars will buy a whole lot of Teddy Grahams.

Just ask Welder, who runs in Wednesday’s featured seventh race at Lone Star Park.

He hit seven digits in career earnings in his last start and celebrated with one of his favorite treats.

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“He got a bunch of Teddy Grahams,” said Theresa Luneack, who trains Welder. “He loves Teddy Grahams. He’ll eat doughnuts, peppermints. He’s kind of like a little kid. He loves sweets.”

Welder launched his 7-year-old season last out by winning the TRAO Classic Sprint for the fifth time in his career April 28 at Will Rogers Downs. He earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 96, and it’s the best last-race number in Wednesday’s no-conditions allowance over six furlongs that has a purse of $39,000. Welder is part of a seven-horse field that also includes stakes winners Lasting Legacy and D’Rapper.

Welder has won 15 stakes races and reaching the earnings milestone last out had a great deal of meaning for the reigning Oklahoma-bred of the year.

“It was wonderful,” said Luneack, who trains the horse for Clayton and Toni Rash. “That was really our goal with Welder. We wanted to make him an Oklahoma millionaire.”

Welder will be making his second start since December on Wednesday,when he breaks from post 4 under regular rider David Cabrera.

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“We only ran him once at Will Rogers Downs this spring,” Luneack said Saturday. “It just seemed like I was battling the weather up here. We had a lot of rain this spring.”

It disrupted Welder’s work pattern, said Luneack, and led to the single start at his home track. It was a memorable one, though, as he darted home by 6 1/2 lengths in a performance that earned him horse of the meet honors for the third time at Will Rogers.

“He ran great,” Luneack said. “He always runs good off a layoff. He came back great and is really ready for the race in Texas.”

It will be the first Lone Star start for Welder, who is based in Claremore, Okla.

“I hope he runs good in Texas,” Luneack said. “Sometimes, he doesn’t really love the heat. We’ll see how he likes Dallas.”

Temperatures are forecast for the 90s on Wednesday.

Welder could control the pace. His chief rival appears to be Lasting Legacy, who is moving back into the overnight ranks following a pair of Grade 3 stakes starts at Gulfstream Park. He was second to Diamond Oops in the Mr. Prospector in December and last out was fourth to Jackson in the World of Trouble Sprint on Feb. 22.

Richard Eramia has the mount from post 2 for trainer Bret Calhoun.