Tapiture, Carve head Lone Star Park Handicap field

Last updated: 5/22/15 6:32 PM

Tapiture goes for his fifth graded stakes win in the Lone Star Park Handicap on Memorial Day

(Churchill Downs/Reed Palmer Photography)

Tapiture (Tapit) and Carve (First Samurai), familiar foes during the Oaklawn
meet, will square off for a third time this season on Monday in the $200,000
Lone Star Park H. (G3), a 1 1/16-mile event that highlights the Texas track’s
Memorial Day program.

A prominent three-year-old last season when winning three graded stakes and
placing in the Pennsylvania Derby (G2) and Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile (G1),
Tapiture was well beaten while securing minor awards in two starts during the
Oaklawn meet. Ron Winchell’s homebred was fifth, beaten 10 1/4 lengths, in the
Razorback H. (G3), and then third by 7 3/4 lengths in the Oaklawn H. (G2). Both
races were won by the promising Race Day (Tapit).

Carve, whose signature victory to date was last year’s Prairie Meadows
Cornhusker H. (G3), also ran in both Oaklawn features, finishing fourth in the
Razorback and second in the Oaklawn H. The five-year-old gelding finished well
behind Tapiture in their first meeting last November, finishing sixth in the
Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile, although he captured the $100,000 Fifth Season at
Oaklawn by more than three lengths in his season debut.

Texas Air (Texas City), a seven-year-old gelding, will attempt a sweep of
Lone Star Park’s two graded stakes after posting a 24-1 upset of the May 1 Texas
Mile (G3). Unplaced in both events last season, Texas Air enters Monday’s race
on a two-race win streak.

Majestic City (City Zip), formerly based in California with Ron Ellis, makes
his debut for trainer Richard Baltas here. Unplaced in two starts this term, the
six-year-old was a Grade 3 winner at two and has placed in five other graded
stakes during his career.

The field is completed by Endurance (Indy Wind), a distant second in the
Maxxam Gold Cup at Sam Houston in his last dirt attempt, and Cy Seven (Tiznow),
a recent first-level allowance winner on the turf.

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