Win points Wrenice back toward stakes

GRAND PRAIRIE, Texas - Wrenice has been the favorite in 14 of her 23 starts, so it was a surprise to see her pay $30 when she won an allowance for fillies and mares last Saturday at Lone Star Park. Granted, she did come into the race off four consecutive losses. But three of them were in stakes, and she had worked three furlongs in 34.40 seconds in preparation for the race Saturday.

Wrenice ran to that drill. She stalked a hot pace provided by Stealth Cat and favorite Magdalena's Chase, then overtook the pair in the stretch under Don Pettinger. Wrenice won by two lengths, and covered five furlongs on turf in a rapid 55 seconds to earn a Beyer Figure of 92.

"She got back to her form," said Randy Mayfield, who trains Wrenice, a multiple stakes winner of nearly $500,000, for Stewart Hamblen.

Wrenice had made two starts this year leading up to the allowance. She returned from a seven-month layoff on April 18, and was third in the $50,000 JEH Stallion Station Stakes for statebred fillies and mares at Lone Star. Wrenice then ran eighth in the $100,000 Valid Expectations, an open-company stakes for fillies and mares here May 25.

"I think I ran her back a little too quick," Mayfield said of the Valid Expectations, "because she got pretty tired that first race."

Mayfield backed off Wrenice a little bit heading into the allowance, kept her fresh and happy, and saw the old Wrenice last Saturday.

"She had some pep in her step that she didn't have before," he said.

Wrenice is now being pointed for the $50,000 Valor Farm, a one-mile race for fillies and mares bred in Texas. It will be run at Lone Star on July 11. The Valor Farm will be a rare two-turn start for Wrenice, who won stakes both times she raced a mile. She is a 5-year-old mare by the Kingmambo stud Uncle Abbie.

Jonesboro sharp for Cornhusker

Jonesboro breezed a half-mile in 47.80 seconds early Monday morning at Lone Star in preparation for a start in the Grade 2, $300,000 Cornhusker at Prairie Meadows on Saturday.

"He went great, finished really well," said Randy Morse, who trains Jonesboro for Mike Langford.

Cliff Berry, the leading rider at Lone Star, was aboard for the work and has the mount in the Cornhusker. Morse said earlier this week that he planned to ship Jonesboro to Iowa on Wednesday. Jonesboro was second by a head in the Grade 3, $400,000 Lone Star Park Handicap in his last start May 25, and before that became a millionaire with his win in the Grade 3, $300,000 Texas Mile here April 25.

Class drop for Sundayville Break

Sundayville Break will be returning to the overnight ranks off a stakes placing in Thursday night's fifth race. An $18,000 optional claimer for fillies and mares at six furlongs, the race carries first-level allowance conditions which fit Sundayville Break. She won her maiden two starts ago at Lone Star, then in her most recent out was third in the $100,000 Cinemine on May 25.

Sundayville Break was part of the pace in the Cinemine, a seven-furlong race for 3-year-old fillies won by Sweet Relish, who is entered in Friday night's Grade 3 Iowa Oaks at Prairie Meadows. As for Sundayville Break, she will be looking to give her owner and trainer, C.R. Trout, his third win from eight starts this meet.

Luis Quinonez has the mount on Sundayville Break, whose chief rivals include Halo's Reflection, from the barn of trainer Bret Calhoun, and Conga Queen, who might prove to be the dominant speed for trainer Joe Petalino.

* Mr. Decatur will make his first start since July 2, 2005, in Thursday night's seventh race, a $4,000 claimer. Mr. Decatur, a 9-year-old gelding, was fourth for a $5,000 claiming price in his last start, which came at Lone Star.

* Second-leading jockey Chris Landeros won four races here Sunday.