Texas Classic Futurity Classic and Derby Trials this Weekend, Dollar Day Saturday at Lone Star Park

86 TWO-YEAR-OLDS SET TO CLASH THIS SATURDAY FOR 10 QUALIFYING SPOTS INTO $1.1 MILLION TEXAS CLASSIC FUTURITY ON NOV. 28

Quarter Horse Fans Invited to Enjoy Dollar Day

at Lone Star Park on Saturday

GRAND PRAIRIE, Texas (Nov. 12, 2009) –  All American Futurity runner-up Shesa First Ratify, TQHA Sale Futurity winner Turbulenz, Rainbow Futurity winner Zoomin with Eaze, Remington Park Futurity winner First Prize Leesa, Heritage Place Futurity winner Ragazzo, and Dash for Cash Futurity winner Tempting Dash headline 86 2-year-olds who will compete this Saturday night in nine trials for the top 10 qualifying spots for the Grade 1, $1.1 million Texas Classic Futurity.

 The richest race in Texas horse racing, the Texas Classic Futurity will be held on Saturday, Nov. 28, closing night of Lone Star Park’s 2009 Fall Meeting of Champions.

This Saturday, Lone Star Park will treat racing fans watching the trials to Dollar Night with $1 general admission, racing programs, hot dogs, soft drinks, popcorn and draft beer.

            Shesa First Ratify, runner-up in the $1.9 million Grade 1 All American Futurity at Ruidoso Downs in New Mexico on Sept. 7, owned by Sandy Erwin and trained by Jose Dominguez, and Turbulenz, winner of the Grade 1 $409,000 TQHA Sale Futurity, owned by Bobby Cox and trained by John Buchanon, will square off in Saturday’s first race.

            In race two, the owner/trainer tandem of Cox/Buchanon will send out another top contender Zoomin with Ease, winner of the Grade 1, $650,000 Rainbow Futurity at Ruidoso Downs on July 19.

            Weetona Stanley & W. E. Smith’s First Prize Leesa, trained by Heath Taylor, will be the one to beat in race three.  First Prize Leesa, who won the Grade 1 $684,000 Remington Park Futurity on April 18, will be ridden by G.R. Carter Jr., who recently won his 3,000^th career race.

            Trained by Eddie Willis, Jorge Haddad & Carlos Lozano’s Ragazzo, who finished first in the Grade 1 $1.1 million Heritage Place Futurity at Remington Park on May 30, is entered to run in Race 6.

            In the seventh of the nine trials, Tempting Dash, who set a Lone Star Park track record of 19.379 seconds for 400 yards in winning the Grade 1, $445,000 Dash for Cash Futurity on Oct. 24, will be sent out by owner Jose Villarreal and trainer Eusevio Huitron,

            Trainer Heath Taylor will have a representative in seven of the nine trials.  Jockey G.R. Carter, Jr. ships in to accept mounts aboard eight of them including: Opportunity Zooms (Race 1), Obsessed With Corona (Race 2), First Prize Leesa (Race 3), First Prize Stanley (Race 4), Justzoomin (Race 5), Fast Prize Tracy (Race 6), Little Azoom (Race 7), and Fire and Corona (Race 9).  Cody Jensen will pilot the eighth Taylor trainnee, Jessie Doyle in race five.

            First race post time for the nine-race Texas Classic Futurity trials program is 6:35 p.m.

TEXAS CLASSIC FUTURITY WINNER MR QUEENS MYSTERY LOOKS TO QUALIFY FOR FUTURITY–DERBY SWEEP POSSIBILITY IN FRIDAY TRIALS

Puts Five-Race Win Streak on the Line in

Trials for $342,000 Texas Classic Derby

GRAND PRAIRIE, Texas (Nov. 12, 2009) –  Azoom LP’s Mr Queens Mystery, winner of the $1.15 million Texas Classic Futurity at Lone Star Park last November, will be among 33 contenders in four trials this Friday for the 2009 Grade 1, $342,000 Texas Classic Derby to be run on Saturday, Nov. 28.  Trained by Robert Touchet, the 3-year-old son of Shazoom will be ridden by Rodrigo Vallejo, who piloted him to victory in last year’s Futurity.

            Chief among his rivals will be last year’s top qualifier for the Texas Classic Futurity, Jerry Windham’s Stolis Winner, who was unable to compete in that race due to injury.  Trained by Heath Taylor, the 3-year-old gelding finished second in the $202,000 Dash for Cash Derby in his last outing at Lone Star Park on Oct. 24.

Two of the leading competitors, Jess Zoomin Partners’ Jess Zoomin and Randy & Sandy Coleman’s Lake View Dreams will battle in the first of the trials in Race 4.  G. R. Carter Jr. has the mount on Jess Zoomin for trainer Heath Taylor, while Trey Wood-trainee Lake View Dreams will be ridden by Ricky Ramirez.

Another top contender will be 2008 Dash for Cash Futurity runner-up, P.K. Thomas’ Lethal Delight, another Wood-Ramirez entry, who will have a head-to-head battle with Mr Queen’s Mystery in Friday’s fifth race.

Two other top challengers are James Burgess’ Skyline Lover, winner of the $50,000 New Mexico Derby Challenge at Ruidoso Downs on June 14, who is also trained by Trey Wood and ridden by Ricky Ramirez, and Circle S Ranch Inc.’s Rarely Makes It Home, winner of the $204,000 Remington Park Derby on April 18 for trainer Mark Barnes.  Stormy Smith has the mount. 

The four Texas Classic Derby Trials will be races 4 through 7 on Friday evening, with the fourth race scheduled for 7:47 p.m.

Lone Star Park’s 2009 Quarter Horse Fall Meeting of Champions runs until Nov. 28 with racing every Thursday through Saturday, except Thursday, Nov. 26 when there will be no live racing due to the Thanksgiving holiday. First post time for all dates will be 6:35 p.m. For more information on Lone Star Park visit LoneStarPark.com.

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