Lone Star Park Announces 2013 Stakes Schedule

Lone Star Park at Grand Prairie announced the track’s 2013 Spring Thoroughbred Season features 12 stakes, including two graded stakes, with purses totaling $1.1 million.

The two premiere events on the 2013 Lone Star Park stakes calendar are the Grade 3, $200,000 Texas Mile for 3-year-olds and up to be run Saturday, April 26, and the Grade 3, $300,000 Lone Star Park Handicap for 3-year-olds and up at 1 1/16 miles to be run Monday, May 27 (Memorial Day).

“We are very pleased to offer a comparable stakes schedule to 2012 that ensures our overnight purse levels are maintained,” said Lone Star Park President and General Manager Drew Shubeck.

Texas-breds and Texas sale graduates will be showcased in four stakes races Saturday, July 6, in the 13th annual Stars of Texas Day. The program will be highlighted by two divisions of the $100,000 estimated TTA Sales Futurity (2-year-old fillies and colts and geldings going 5 1/2 furlongs) and the $50,000 Assault Stakes (Texas-bred 3-year-olds and up at one mile) and the $50,000 Valor Farm Stakes (Texas-bred fillies and mares, 3-years-old and up at 6 furlongs).

The return of the Global Gaming Triple, a three-race series linking the Grade 3, $200,000 Texas Mile, Grade 3, $300,000 Lone Star Park Handicap, and the $200,000 Governor’s Cup for 3-year-olds and up at 1 1/8 miles at Remington Park in August, seeks to provide horseman additional incentive to compete in all three stakes.

Global Gaming Solutions, owner of both Lone Star Park and Remington Park, will offer a bonus to be split equally among owner and trainer of the horse that accumulates the most points in the three stakes. A horse must compete in all three designated races to be eligible for bonus money, and points will be awarded to the first through third place finishers on a 5-3-2-1 basis.

“We are excited to continue the Global Gaming Triple linking our major races for older horses with the Governor’s Cup at Remington Park,” said Director of Racing at Lone Star Park, Bart Lang. “The series emphasizes the commitment from Global Gaming to improve the racing product at both tracks to benefit horseman and fans.”

Other key Spring Thoroughbred Season dates will be simulcasts of the Triple Crown: the Kentucky Derby from Churchill Downs Saturday, May 4, the Preakness Stakes from Pimlico Race Course Saturday, May 18 and the Belmont Stakes from Belmont Park Saturday, June 8.

Additionally, Lone Star Park has scheduled 50 live racing dates in 2013, down from 53 in 2012.

Lone Star Park’s 50-day 2013 Spring Thoroughbred Season opens Thursday, April 11, and concludes Sunday, July 6. Live racing will be held four days a week with a first-race post-time of 6:35 p.m. for Thursday and Friday night programs (except Thursday, May 30 when there will be no live racing), and every Saturday and Sunday with a first-race post-time of 1:35 p.m. (except Sunday, June 23 and Sunday, June 30.) Live racing will be conducted Monday, May 27 (Memorial Day) with a first-race post-time of 1:35 p.m. Special twilight programs Wednesday, July 3 and Thursday, July 4 (Lone Stars & Stripes Fireworks Celebration) will begin at 5 p.m. Lone Star Park also has a Quarter Horse Season in the fall of each year.  For more information, visit www.LoneStarPark.com