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LSP spring meet is good to last day
First-year vice president is happy but says Lone Star has room to grow
By RANDY JENNINGS / The Dallas Morning News
GRAND PRAIRIE – Despite slight drops in attendance and on-track handle from 2005, Lone Star Park vice president and general manager Drew Shubeck said he remained as optimistic as when he was hired in February.
"I'm happy with the season," Shubeck said Sunday, the final day of the track's 10th spring thoroughbred meeting. "I wasn't here when the meet was planned, but I had a chance to see how things are done day-to-day. Next year, I can put my stamp on things."
Daily attendance dropped 1.2 percent, from 7,000 in 2005 to 6,900. Live handle fell 4.9 percent, from $465,000 to $443,000. Shubeck pointed to weather-related challenges on big event days and the Mavericks' playoff run as factors.
He added that Lone Star is healthy and making money but that his goal is to maximize earning power.
The major change Shubeck proposes for next spring is a four-day racing week, eliminating Wednesday racing. There was no racing on Wednesdays after Memorial Day this season.
"The region doesn't have the horsepower to race five days a week," Shubeck said. He wants to maintain a 66-date season spread over 15 weeks.
Shubeck on several other topics:
• Track condition: "Nothing's perfect, but we're happy with the direction we're going." The state of the track was an issue after last year's meet. He said a goal for next year is to improve the turf course based on a conditioning system used at Santa Anita.
• Customer service: "We do a great job with the private suites, but the area we have to improve is with the people downstairs. We also need some refinements on our big event days."
• Racing: "We have a good mix of horses and top-flight horsemen. I'd like to see what we can do to lure some of the top out-of-state horses. I'd love to improve some of our Grade III [stakes races] to Grade IIs."
• Wish list: "We need progressive legislation. We need slots. It will make money for the state and keep money home that is going to neighboring states now."
Big win for owner on bittersweet day: DeSoto's Kevin Halter, owner of the $65,000 Middleground Breeders' Cup Stakes winner Dream of Angels, had mixed feelings on the final day of the meet.
"It is a good day with the win, but a sad day," he said. "I hate to see it end, but the next thing you know we'll be back next year."
Dream of Angels, an 18-1 long shot, prevailed over a field of nine 2-year-old colts and geldings under right-hand urging by jockey Richard Eramia, covering six furlongs in 1 minute, 11.15 seconds, on a fast track.
Briefly: Jockey Cliff Berry got his 103rd win in the fourth race aboard Satellite, snapping the meet record of 102 wins set by Corey Lanerie in 1999 – when the racing calendar was seven days longer. Berry won a second straight riding title at Lone Star. ... Arlington's Steve Asmussen, who started serving a six-month suspension with eight days left in the meet, withstood a charge by Bret Calhoun to win the training title, 55-52. It is Asmussen's eighth title in the last nine Lone Star meets. ... Sandy and Jerry Heflin of Rockwall prevailed as leading owner by one win, 17-16, over four-time meet winner Tom Durant. ... Opening day for the fall quarter horse meet is Friday, Oct. 6
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