GRAND PRAIRIE, Texas (May 24, 2008) – Monday’s 12th running of the $400,000 Grade 3 Lone Star Park Handicap, for 3-year-olds and up, at one mile and a sixteenth over the main track features Winchell Thoroughbreds multiple graded stakes winner Zanjero, trained by Steve Asmussen, and the Frank Stronach-owned, Bobby Frankel-trained Giant Gizmo.
Zanjero, a winner of four of 14 career starts with earnings of $1,229,276, finished second in the Texas Mile here on April 26 and is seeking the third graded stakes win of his career.
“He came out of the Texas Mile in great shape and he shipped back down from Kentucky in good order,” said Asmussen’s head-assistant at Lone Star Park Darren Fleming. “We’re looking forward to a big effort on Monday.”
Giant Gizmo has won half of his ten career starts while amassing $268,685 in earnings and he’ll be seeking his second consecutive graded stakes score after winning the Alysheba Stakes at Churchill Downs on May 2.
“He ran a nice one for us in Kentucky and he’s doing really well coming into Monday’s race,” said Frankel.
Trainer Todd Pletcher, winner of four consecutive Eclipse Awards, will be looking to play the role of spoiler with his Grade 2 winning colt Cowtown Cat. A winner of four of 12 starts, Cowtown Cat is seeking his first win since winning the Illinois Derby in preparation for the 2007 Kentucky Derby.
The field from the rail out, with jockey and morning line odds listed in parenthesis, consists of: Encaustic (Luis Quinonez, 20-1); Zanjero (Shaun Bridgmohan, 7-5); One Lucky Buck (Ken Tohill, 30-1); Beta Capo (Cliff Berry, 12-1); Won Awesome Dude (Chris Lambert, 30-1); Stella Mark (Brice Blanc, 15-1); Giant Gizmo (Garret Gomez, 8-5); and Cowtown Cat (Aaron Gryder, 4-1).
Scheduled as race 10 on the 11-race program, the Lone Star Park Handicap has an approximate post time of 5:47 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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