Wonders of Hislove steps up as one to catch in Hanks Memorial

Trainer J.R. Caldwell will put his $1,500 horse Wonders of Hislove up against the Will Farish homebred Direct Dial on Sunday in the $75,000 Wayne Hanks Memorial at Lone Star Park.

The race is one of four restricted stakes on a card serving as a stepping-stone to the Stars of Texas program here July 26. The races also could send horses to four additional stakes that have been transferred to Lone Star from Retama Park – the Texas Hall of Fame, Fiesta Mile, and two divisions of the Texas Stallion Stakes. They will be run Aug. 11.

Caldwell purchased Wonders of Hislove for himself at the Texas Thoroughbred Association’s yearling and mixed sale in 2018. The horse became a stakes winner in his last start, when he captured the $75,000 Groovy on June 14 at Lone Star.

“I was doing cartwheels,” joked Caldwell. “He’s a story that’s good for the sport. Here’s a horse bought for $1,500 and he’s run out about $115,000.”

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Caldwell knows the going is tougher Sunday, when Wonders of Hislove leaves the straight 3-year-old ranks behind and takes on older rivals in an eight-horse field led by Direct Dial, the 2018 Texas-bred of the year. The latter is coming off a five-length win over some of these in the $75,000 Spirit of Texas on June 14 at Lone Star.

The win makes Direct Dial the one to beat in the Wayne Hanks, but the one to catch in the 6 1/2-furlong race might be Wonders of Hislove. He put up quick fractions in the Groovy, winning the six-furlong race by a length under regular rider Ivan Arellano.

“He’s fast away from the gate,” Caldwell said. “The funny thing is, he didn’t win going 4 1/2 furlongs [earlier in his career]. I’d love to run him 4 1/2 furlongs right now. He’s just kind of come into his own. He’s learned how to bounce away from there and play catch me if you can. He’s more mature and getting faster.”

Wonders of Hislove is a son of Early Flyer. His dam Maymeister was a seven-time winner, and she is from the female family of Ide, whose wins included the Rebel and Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes. Wonders of Hislove was bred by Stephen Baker.

“I went to the sale and wasn’t going to buy anything,” Caldwell said. “I was going there to do some PR work. This horse walked by, a really good-looking horse. He was nominated to everything. He was stuck at $1,500 [in the bidding], so I said, ‘Here we go!’ ”

Wonders of Hislove will break from post 4 on Sunday, while Direct Dial will start from the rail under Stewart Elliott. Steve Asmussen trains Direct Dial, a son of leading Texas stallion Too Much Bling.

Farish, Asmussen, and Elliott have two other top stakes contenders on the card. Both are the lone winners in their respective $75,000 divisions of the Texas Stallion Stakes for 2-year-olds at five furlongs.

Island Sun, by Too Much Bling, leads the Staunch Avenger off a debut win June 23 at Lone Star. Great Affection should go favored in the Pan Zareta division off a debut win June 8 at Lone Star. She will start from post 4.

The chief threat to Island Sun could be G Don’t Know, whose trainer, Austin Gustafson, is winning races at a 39-percent rate this meet. The chief threat to Great Affection could be Still of the Night, a half-sister to multiple stakes winner Triumph and Song.

Missheartbreaker, a half-sister to Mr Money Bags, the reigning Texas-bred of the year, will scratch from the Pan Zareta after spiking a fever, trainer Mike Neatherlin said. Mr Money Bags is nearing his first work back following a layoff, Neatherlin said.

The Lane’s End Danny Shifflett Scholarship Stakes for fillies and mares over 7 1/2 furlongs on turf drew defending winner Corluna.