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LONE STAR PARK NOTES Prospect pays off quickly
By GARY WEST
Star-Telegram Staff Writer
GRAND PRAIRIE - Every day, Carl Moore of Fort Worth peruses the entries at major racetracks around the country looking for racing prospects, for horses he might claim or purchase. Four months ago, he spotted His Eyes racing at Oaklawn Park for a claiming price of $20,000.
In an era when some owners spends hundreds of thousands of dollars, and even millions, for unproven racing prospects, $20,000 seemed a bargain, Moore said, especially since His Eyes, who had won his debut, already had shown some ability. And so Moore claimed the 3-year-old gelding.
And Saturday, His Eyes won the $70,000 Alysheba Stakes at Lone Star Park, increasing his earnings to $76,420. In the day's other stakes race, Aly's Vow rallied from sixth to win the $60,000 Lone Star Oaks.
The Alysheba field seemed rich in speed. But His Eyes immediately sprang out of the gate to seize a clear advantage. His jockey, Cliff Berry, explained that was the plan, to discourage the other speedsters in the field by getting the jump on them.
Once clear, Berry and His Eyes slowed the pace down, to 47.68 seconds for the opening half-mile. Mr. Pursuit and Almost Certain offered challenges at the top of the Lone Star stretch, but His Eyes, the 6-5 favorite, had plenty in reserve and drew clear to win by 3 1/2 lengths while completing the mile in 1:37.71. Mr. Pursuit finished second, two lengths ahead of Almost Certain.
The victory was the second of the day for trainer Bret Calhoun, a Grand Prairie native, who's a clear second in the trainers' standings. He has sent out 44 winners this season, seven fewer than Steve Asmussen and two more than Cody Autrey.
In the Lone Star Oaks, Aly's Vow was nearly 10 lengths behind after the opening half-mile. But as Kalyrra and Texas Girl, the early leaders, began to tire in the second turn, Aly's Vow and jockey Glen Murphy moved boldly on the outside and Sweet Idea advanced between horses.
Sweet Idea fought gamely in the stretch, but Aly's Vow put her head in front at the wire, after completing the 1 1/16 miles over the turf in 1:44.31. Betty Garr finished 3 1/2 lengths back in third.
Owned by Robert Orth, a native of New Orleans, and trained by Wes Hawley, Aly's Vow earned $36,000 with the victory, her third in four starts on the turf, and increased her bankroll to $100,848.
Briefly
Lone Star will offer special holiday programs Monday and Tuesday. Post time for the first race today and Monday is 5 p.m., with fireworks to follow the racing. Tuesday's first-race post time is 1:35 p.m.
With his four victories Saturday, jockey Cliff Berry has 80 for the current meeting. And with 14 race days remaining in this year's 66-day season, Berry is on pace to tie the Lone Star season record of 102 wins, set by Corey Lanerie in 1999, when the track had 72 days of racing.
Quincy Hamilton, the second leading jockey at Lone Star with 67 wins, will be out of town for two days, riding today at Arlington Park near Chicago and Monday at Louisiana Downs in Bossier City. |
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