GRAND PRAIRIE, Texas (June 26, 2008) – Saturday’s 12th running of the $75,000 Alysheba Stakes for 3-year-olds, to be run at one mile, has attracted a competitive-looking field of seven. The Black Hawk Stable-owned and Chris Hartman-trained Cape Time, who may be the controlling early speed, will attempt to use that to make it two straight Lone Star Park stakes victories on Saturday.
A winner of two of 10 career starts for earnings of $105,602, Cape Time appears to be heading in the right direction coming into the Alysheba.
“He’s doing awesome right now,” said Hartman. “He ran really well after the 13-hour haul to Sunray Park (Farmington, New Mexico) and he’s stronger both mentally and physically coming into Saturday’s race”
Two main opponents who will be out to spoil Cape Time’s bid at consecutives stakes wins are the Thomas Amoss-trained Real Appeal and the Steve Asmussen-conditioned Poni Colada. Real Appeal’s most recent victory came in a stakes race at Sam Houston Race Park off of a layoff, and he enters the Alysheba off of a brief freshening. After a 12th place finish in the Lone Star Derby on May 10, Poni Colada will be looking to regain the form that led him to stakes victories at Zia Park and Sunland Park.
The field from the rail out, with jockey and morning line odds listed in parenthesis, consists of: Poni Colada (Eddie Martin Jr., 2-1); Crook’s Bodgit (Bobby Walker Jr., 8-1); King Darius (Alfredo Contreras, 12-1); Numismatist (Quincy Hamilton, 20-1); Real Appeal (Cliff Berry, 8-5); Cape Time (Ken Tohill, 4-1); and Turnleftatthelight (Eguard Tejera, 15-1).
Scheduled as race nine on the 10-race program, the Alysheba Stakes has an approximate post time of 5:19 P.M. CDT.
Lone Star Park, located in Grand Prairie, Texas, will run its 65-day Spring Thoroughbred Season from April 10 through July 27, and a 31-day Quarter Horse Fall Meeting of Champions from September 26 to November 29 in 2008. Additional information on Lone Star Park can be found online at www.lonestarpark.com.
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