Lone Star Park in Grand Prairie, Texas, announced the track’s 2012 Spring
Thoroughbred Season features 12 stakes, down from 19 in 2011, including two
graded stakes, with purses totaling $1.3 million.
The two premiere events on the 2012 Lone Star Park stakes calendar are the
Grade 3, $200,000 Texas Mile for three-year-olds and up to be run April 28 and
the Grade 3, $300,000 Lone Star Park Handicap for three-year-olds and up at 1
1/16 miles to be run May 28 (Memorial Day). In 2011 there were three Grade 3
races run at Lone Star Park, including the Ouija Board at a mile for turf
distaffers.
“We took a long hard look at our purse structure and felt the best way to
support local horseman was to make some difficult cuts to our stakes program,”
said Lone Star Park President and General Manager Drew Shubeck. “Eliminating
stakes from our calendar was a difficult but necessary decision in order to
preserve overnight purses as we attempt to remain competitive with tracks in
neighboring states that have purses supplemented by gaming.”
Texas-breds and progeny of Texas stallions will be showcased in four stakes
races July 7 in the 12th annual Stars of Texas Day. The program will be
comprised of two divisions of the $100,000 Texas Stallion Stakes for juveniles
going 5 1/2 furlongs, the $50,000 Assault Stakes for three-year-olds and up at
one mile and the $50,000 Valor Farm Stakes sending distaffers at six furlongs.
The introduction of the Global Gaming Triple — a three-race series linking
the Texas Mile, Lone Star Park Handicap and the $200,000 Governor’s Cup for
three-year-olds and up going 1 1/8 miles at Remington Park on August 18 — seeks
to provide horseman additional incentive to compete in all three stakes.
Global Gaming Solutions, owner of both Lone Star Park and Remington Park, has
increased the purse of the Governor’s Cup from $100,000 to $200,000 to anchor
the series and will offer a $20,000 bonus to be split equally among owner and
trainer of the horse that accumulates the most points in the three stakes. A
horse must compete in all three designated races to be eligible for bonus money,
and points will be awarded to the first through fourth place finishers on a
5-3-2-1 basis.
“We are excited to introduce the Global Gaming Triple linking our major races
for older horses with the Governor’s Cup at Remington Park,” Lone Star Park
Director of Racing Bart Lang said. “The new series emphasizes the commitment
from Global Gaming to improve the racing product at both tracks to benefit
horseman and fans.”
Lone Star Park has scheduled 53 live racing dates in 2012, up from 52 in
2011. The 2012 Spring Thoroughbred Season opens April 12 and concludes July 8.
Live racing will be held four days a week with a first-race post-time of 6:35
p.m. (CT) for Thursday and Friday night programs (except May 31 and July 5 when
there will be no live racing), and every Saturday and Sunday with a first-race
post-time of 1:35 p.m. Live racing will be conducted May 28 (Memorial Day) with
a first-race post-time of 1:35 p.m. Special twilight programs on July 3-4 (Lone
Stars & Stripes Fireworks Celebration) will begin at 5 p.m.
For more information, please visit
LoneStarPark.com.