Mon, 6 April, 1998
Hi Al,
I apologize for the great length of time since my last TRN. There has been a serious illness in the family. However, I think we are back on track and ready to get back to the business at hand.
Lone Star Park is about to open for their second year. The first Thoroughbred meet having been so successful, the second stands only to get better. Lone Star expects trainers to bring better horses, drawn by the bigger purses, up from approxiametly $150,000 per day to $200,000 per day.
There will be a good collection of stakes events, as well as the National Jockey Championship.
About $1 million has been put into the track, between expanding facilities for patrons, reformulating the track surface, and adding more barns. The apron between the Post Time Pavillion and the grandstand now has more seating, most with awnings, as well as mutuel windows. All of the restaurants have changed the menus, and concessions will be sold at seat-side. The track has been resurfaced, with the addition of an organic cushion which is hoped to help shed water and keep the surface from becoming too fast. Two more barns have been added on the backside to help accomodate more horses.
Opening day is Thursday, April 9th, with the first race being run at 6:35pm. Saturday morning, the Sunny-Side Up program, in which fans come out to the track for a continental breakfast while they listen to speakers on the subject of handicapping. This first weekend trainer Dallas Keen will be speaking, as well as jockey Ronald Ardoin. On Sunday, an Easter egg hunt to end all Easter egg hunts will be held, with 35,000 Easter eggs containing all sorts of prizes, and 1,500 Beanie Babies.
April 19th will see the big Texas Mile and Lone Star Derby run. Anet and Frisk Me Now are possible contenders for the Texas Mile, and Texas-bred Cowboy Dan may start next in the Lone Star Derby.
The Texas two-year old in training sale was again a success, held last month at Lone star. Top price of $125,000 was paid by Texan Leland Cook of Corsicana for a Star de Naskra colt with whom he dreams of standing in the winner's circle in Louisville next year. Time will tell.
On another front, the place of former Texas Thoroughbred magazine editor Brock Sheridan has been replaced by Richard Glover. Richard worked last thoroughbred season for Lone Star Park. Brock has moved to Lone Star Park. Kind of an interesting switch. Richard has now published two editions of the Texas TB, and he has done a nice job.
I promise I will have more detailed information given a short bit of time...I am still collecting bits here and there. Please bear with me. See y'all at the track!!!
Jill
The Running Horse (http://www.isd1.com/)