Posted on Sun, Nov. 30, 2008

Print E-Mail

Lone Star Park has a great finish to a not-great season

Previous Columns

Gary West

• Horse racing’s holiday feast will include a Jazz revival
• Indygo Mountain is a promising horse
• Owner says Curlin won’t race in 2009
• Can the Dallas Cowboys overcome the "Spoiled Child Syndrome"?
• Fair Grounds’ new spin might improve racing
• Road to Dubai not lined with gold
• Gary West: Curlin is Horse of the Year
• Breeders’ Cup Classic a turf war, not a great race
• Jockey Gilbert Ortiz rides two winners
• Classic has only one question that Curlin must answer
• Zenyatta even impresses her trainer
• Well Armed has come long way to reach Breeders’ Cup
• Even sports aren’t immune to the economic downturn
• Breeders’ Cup will be biggest, but will it be best ever?
• Injury ends Big Brown’s racing career
• Hurricane Ike delivers a blow to Texas racing
• Texans plan to take advantage of opportunity in Breeders’ Cup
• Curlin’s great on dirt, but how about faux dirt?
• Curlin ready to take place alongside sport’s all-time greats

» More

Related Content

SPECIAL/BRANDON WADE

Mr Queens Mystery, right, surged over the last 100 yards to win the Texas Classic Futurity by a half length. SPECIAL/BRANDON WADE

GRAND PRAIRIE — The evening was a colorful ribbon on an otherwise unattractive package, a spectacular conclusion to an unspectacular season. Saturday night at Lone Star Park, Mr Queens Mystery won the richest race in the state, the $1,154,802 Texas Classic Futurity.

But the 31-day quarter horse season struggled, just as many are, through a difficult time. Average on-track handle slipped about three percent from a year ago, and total average handle declined about seven percent, to $749,649.

"There’s a sigh of relief that we’re down only seven percent," said Drew Shubeck, Lone Star’s president and general manager, who attributed the declines to the sluggish economy.

The average attendance remained about the same as last year, down to 3,117 from 3,124 a year ago; still, it was the lowest ever. And, of course, more was at work to affect the numbers than economic slippage. As racetracks in neighboring states have increased purses in recent years, Texas racetracks have seen a steady flow of horses leave for greener rewards — quite literally greener, as in green as cash.

Saturday, for example, at Zia Park in New Mexico, quarter horse maidens ran for a purse of $22,200. At Lone Star, maidens ran for $6,000. And as Texas purses have declined, so, too, has the quality of the racing product. But, still, there are days such as Saturday and races such as the Texas Classic Futurity and Texas Classic Derby.

Stolis Winner, the All-American Futurity winner and the fastest qualifier for the Texas Classic Futurity, was expected to be an overwhelming favorite as he attempted to become the richest quarter horse of all-time. But he had arthroscopic surgery Monday to remove a chip from the ankle of his right foreleg, said his trainer, Heath Taylor.

"It was the right decision not to run him," said Taylor, who nevertheless finished the season as Lone Star’s leading trainer, with 23 wins. He said he expects to have Stolis Winner aimed at next year’s Texas Classic Derby.

But with Stolis Winner out, the Texas Classic Futurity became a wide open affair. And it remained that way until about 100 yards remained. And there Mr Queens Mystery surged to finish a half-length ahead of Mighty Corona, with King Brimmerton third.

Trained by Robert Touchet and ridden by Rodrigo Vallejo, Mr Queens Mystery completed the 400 yards in 19.618 seconds and earned $513,888 for his owner, the Azoom partnership of Enrique Carrion and Alejandro Barradas. It was the third consecutive victory for Mr Queens Mystery.

Also Saturday, Dmnv Mountable won the $383,756 Texas Classic Derby, recovering from a hesitant start and charging under jockey Alex Baldillez Jr. to win by a head over Coronas Leaving You, with Romancing Mary a half-length back in third.

With the victory, his 10th in 16 starts, Dmnv Mountable increased his earnings $$414,380.

Looks like a runner

Trainer Bret Calhoun and Clarence Scharbauer of Midland appear to have another outstanding prospect in Silver City, who won Saturday’s third race at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky. Scharbauer bought the son of Unbridled’s Song last September at Keeneland’s popular yearling sale for $700,000.

With Miguel Mena riding, Silver City shot to the early lead, sped through a half-mile in 45.61 and then cruised home, with the jockey looking over his shoulder for any competition, which never appeared.

Silver City won by more than four lengths and completed the 6 1/2 furlongs in 1:15.98. The only other race for the day at the same distance went in 1:17.44.

Calhoun and Scharbauer won a Churchill race last week with another promising 2-year-old, Indygo Mountain, who’s a son of A.P. Indy and a $600,000 yearling. Both colts will soon join Calhoun’s large stable at Fair Grounds in New Orleans.

Silver City will probably make his next start in either the Sugar Bowl Stakes on Dec. 20, at six furlongs, or the LeComte Stakes on Jan. 10, at a mile, according to Ken Carson, the general manager of Scharbauer’s Valor Farm in Pilot Point.