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GRAND PRAIRIE — Rain fell through the night and into the early morning, when it finally and mercifully relented, as if the elements, having already made the day more challenging, paused, along with everyone else, to see what Lone Star Park and Texas could do with their chance at the Breeders’ Cup. And they did memorably well.
Five years ago today, in its eighth year of operation, Lone Star became the youngest racetrack ever to host horse racing’s championship event. The 21st Breeders’ Cup was the occasion for Lord Derby’s meeting Willie Nelson. Most of all, despite the rain and the problems it caused, that Breeders’ Cup turned out to be a glorious display of racing at its best. And five years later, it’s a reminder of what Lone Star and Texas racing can be.Ghostzapper, Azeri, Funny Cide, Afleet Alex, Ouija Board, Ashado, Better Talk Now, Sweet Catomine, Six Perfections, Roses in May, Perfect Drift, Pleasantly Perfect — they all raced at Lone Star that day. Six horses who will be represented as stallions in next week’s Breeders’ Cup renewal raced here on that 30th of October five years ago: Birdstone, Speightstown, Kitten’s Joy, Roman Ruler, Cuvee and Consolidator.Records fell like autumn leaves. Ghostzapper set a track and stakes record (1:59.02 for 1 1/4 miles) when he won the Classic by three lengths. With the attention of the racing world focused on Texas, the handle on the eight Breeders’ Cup races totaled up to $107,536,392, a record at the time. The handle for the 12-race card was $120,863,117, another record. In advance of the event, Lone Star sold a record 51,034 reserved seats, and attendance topped 53,700."It was the culmination of many years of hard work," said Jeff Greco, Lone Star’s general manager then; he had been here since the track opened for simulcasting in 1996. "Having the Breeders’ Cup at Lone Star represented a huge accomplishment for a lot of people, and it’s something I’ll never forget."Greco arrived at the track at 4:30 that morning. "I got there early," said Grand Prairie mayor Charles England, "and when I saw all the pageantry and all the people from all over the world coming to Grand Prairie, I just said, 'Wow, this is a great day.’ ... And when I saw the beautiful horses, I got goose bumps."The muddy conditions, as it turned, made it difficult to get concessions to some of the tents that had been set up for the event. And some of the mutuel clerks who were on hand just for the day were painfully slow. Still, it was indeed a great day of racing, with a procession of champions to the winner’s circle. Bill Nack, a former Sports Illustrated writer who had been to every Breeders’ Cup, pronounced Lone Star’s to be "one of the best." Long after all the fans had cleared out and all the horses had returned safely to their stalls and all the winners had raised their celebratory glasses, Greco drove his Suburban onto the track and around its circumference along the outside rail. A victory lap.Lone Star, if given the chance, could put on an even better Breeders’ Cup, Greco said from his home in Florida, where he’s now in the restaurant business. "The Breeders’ Cup didn’t accomplish for the track what I hoped it would," England said. "I hoped it would bring more big-time trainers and horses to Lone Star. And now to see Texas horses and horsemen leaving the state because we can’t generate the purses needed to keep them here, well, that’s frustrating." But referring to the recent sale of the racetrack, England said he’s optimistic. Everybody who attended that Breeders’ Cup, he said, knows Lone Star is a "beautiful racetrack."And everybody who attended Lone Star five years ago today knows what Texas racing can be.Gary West, 817-390-7760
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