SIMPLY GONE PROVES BEST IN
$100,000 TEXAS STALLION STAKES
(STAUNCH AVENGER DIVISION)
GRAND PRAIRIE, Texas (Saturday, July 10, 2010) – Simply Gone, owned by Bill and Denise Morrison and trained by Allen Milligan, was a convincing winner in the 9th running of the five-and-a-half furlong, $100,000 Texas Stallion Stakes (Staunch Avenger Division) for two-year-old colts and geldings, nominated to the Texas Stallion Stakes, over a good main track at Lone Star Park on Saturday.
With Martin Escobar aboard, the chestnut son of Intimidator enjoyed a ground-saving trip while sitting behind early fractions of 21.48 and 44:85. With three rivals in front of him turning for home, Simply Gone exploited an opening along the rail on his way to recording a one-length victory. The final time was 1:05.39. Finishing second was Alli’s Legend, and it was another head back to Pacheco in third.
“I just tried to follow Allen’s instructions,” said winning rider Martin Escobar. “He said to try to relax for the first part of the race because there ‘s a lot of speed. I just waited for room and the race went perfect for me. This horse is professional.”
With the win, Simply Gone improved his record to two wins from two starts and increased his career earnings to $72,180, with the $60,000 winner’s share.
Simply Gone paid $19.20, $8.20, $5.00, runner-up Alli’s Legend returned $22.40, $10.20, and Pacheco paid $4.60 for show.
Completing the order of finish were - Captain Olson, Powerfully, Tamtastic, Lonely Street, Swift Flyer, Valid Promise, Jazz Party, and Dewan Adieu. Pacheco and Valid Promise ran as an entry.
HEILIGBRODT’S FASTATION BREAKS MAIDEN
TO WIN $100,000 TEXAS STALLION STAKES
(PAN ZARETA DIVISION)
Heiligbrodt Racing Stable’s Fastation, trained by Steve Asmussen and ridden by Richard Eramia, was an impressive 3 ¾-length winner in the 9th Running of the $100,000 Texas Stallion Stakes (Pan Zareta Division) for 2-year-old fillies nominated to the Texas Stallion Stakes over a muddy track on Saturday at Lone Star Park.
Fastation, a bay daughter of Valid Expectations, settled in behind the early leaders and fractions of 21:74,and 45.30, saved ground on the turn then charged to the lead along the rail at the quarter pole then drew away in deep stretch to stop the timer at 1:04.27 for the 5 ½ furlongs. Rush the Net was the runner up and the early leader Last Legend finished third another ¾ length back.
“She’s been very nice, very straight forward since she came into the barn,” said winning trainer Steve Asmussen. “We’ve had a lot of success with Valid Expectations’ fillies. She seems to be continuing that trend. She sure looked like she knew what she was doing. Richard gave her a good ride. She was very comfortable down in there and when the spot presented itself, she was good enough to take advantage of it.”
With the victory and the $60,000 winner’s share, Fastation earned her first win from four starts and increased her lifetime earnings to $80,618.
Intimidating Woman, part of the Asmussen-trained, 3-5 favorite entry with Far too Primal, stumbled badly while being bumped by Last Legend leaving the starting gate unseating Lone Star Park leading jockey Chris Landeros. After “getting the wind knocked out of him,” Landeros got up on his own and continued riding the rest of the card. Intimidating Woman appeared uninjured after running around the track riderless.
Fastation paid $12.20, $5.60 and $4.80, Rush the Net returned $8.80, $6.80 and Last Legend paid $5.30 for show.
Completing the order of finish were – Far too Primal, Princess Turandot, and She’s Olmos Heaven. Intimidating Woman lost her rider.
AFTER LOSING HIS IRONS, BOBBY WALKER, JR
GUIDES COYOTE LEGEND TO HIS THIRD STAKES
WIN OF THE MEET WITH NARROW VICTORY
IN THE $75,000 ASSAULT STAKES
Clarence Scharbauer Jr’s Coyote Legend, trained by Bret Calhoun, recorded his third stakes victory of the 2010 Lone Star Park Spring Meeting with a win in the 13th running of the 1 1/16-miles, $75,000 Assault Stakes for Texas breds, 3-years-old and upward, over a muddy main track on Saturday.
With regular rider Bobby Walker Jr. aboard, Coyote Legend broke a little awkwardly from the gate causing Walker to lose his footing in the irons.
"He went to charging the gate before it sprung and it was all I could do to stay on the horse,” said winning rider Bobby Walker Jr. “I had no right stirrup, no nothing. I was just barely able to stay on.”
Walker quickly regained balance and allowed the bay son of Gold Legend to settle in nicely behind the early leaders through opening fractions of 23:58 and 47:31. He began to move in on the leaders approaching the half-mile marker and made a three-wide bid for the lead around the second turn. After seizing command of the lead through three-quarters of a mile in 1:11.72, Coyote Legend had enough left in the tank to hold off a solid stretch bid from runner-up Poltergeist, who finished a half-length back. Uncle Rose finished in third another four lengths back. The final time of the race was 1:43.56.
“Once I was able to get him gathered, everything worked out fine and he went about his business,” added Walker. "He kind of got to hanging just a little bit, but as that horse got to me by the sixteenth pole, he went back to running a little bit and they were not getting by after that. I was planning on that route pre-race, I just didn’t know I was going to have all that trouble just to stay on."
With the win, Coyote Legend improved his career record to seven wins from 12 starts and with the $45,000 winner’s share of the purse, increased his lifetime earnings to $300,636.
Coyote Legend paid $3.20, $2.40 and $2.20, Poltergeist returned $3.80 and $2.80, while Uncle Rose returned $2.60 to show. Mile Marker, April’s Picture, Royal Hay Patch, Wasko, Red Hot Quest, and Fudge Truffle completed the order of finish. Uncle Rose and April’s Picture ran as an entry.
HOLLYE LYNNE GOES GATE TO WIRE,
HOLDS ON TO WIN BY A NOSE
IN THE 13TH RUNNING OF
$50,000 VALOR FARMS STAKES SATURDAY
N 2 Win Racing’s Hollye Lynne, trained by Bret Calhoun, prevailed in an exciting stretch duel with even-money favorite No Other Tone to win by a nose in the 13th Running of the $50,000 Valor Farm Stakes for Texas-bred fillies, 3-years-old and up, over a good track at Lone Star Park on Saturday.
Hollye Lynne, ridden by Lone Star Park all-time leading jockey Cliff Berry, set the early pace through fractions of 21.88 and 44.66, and had the lead turning for home when she had to hold off the determined drive of even-money favorite No Other Tone to win in an extremely close photo finish. The 6-year-old, bay daughter of Uncle Abbie completed the six furlong-distance in 1:09.16.
Jay (Calhoun’s assistant) told me she might be the speed in the race,” said Berry. “He said ‘just get out of there good and see where we’re at.’ She broke really well. She actually got to get by herself in the turn and rest a little bit. She ran hard down the straightaway. “
“I had my head down (at the wire) and I asked Chris (Landeros, rider of No Other Tone) and he said he didn’t know, and I sure didn’t know (who won)," added Berry.
“This is our 17th win, but it’s our first stakes win,” said N 2 Win Racing partner Gordon Jago, who was the coach of two Major Indoor Soccer League Dallas Sidekick’s championship teams. “And for all the group, it’s an incredible afternoon.”
With the victory, Hollye Lynne improved her career record to 13 wins from 48 starts and increased her lifetime earnings to $222,745 with the $30,000 winner’s share of the purse.
Hollye Lynne paid $10.60, $3.40 and $3.80; No Other Tone returned $2.80 and $3.00, and Formal Flyer paid $5.00 to show. Tin Top Cat, Deer Lassie, Dixie Dust, Blackie’s Crown, Joy’s Paradise, and She’s a Bond Girl completed the order of finish.
Lone Star Park’s 2009 Spring Thoroughbred Season runs four days a week every Thursday and Friday at 6:35 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday at 1:35 p.m. through July 26. Lone Star Park’s 31-day, 2009 Quarter Horse Fall Meeting of Champions will be held from Sept. 25 to Nov. 28. For more information, visit LoneStarPark.com.
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