Las Vegas, NV – The Grade 3 Texas Mile Stakes goes down this Saturday, April 27 from Lone Star in Grand Prairie, Texas. A purse of $200,000 will be on the line for horses three year old and upward willing to race one mile on Lone Star’s main dirt track.
The Texas Mile has attracted a small but quality field of six for the first leg of the Global Gaming Triple, which links the three major races for older horses run at Lone Star and sister track Remington Park in Oklahoma City. It is race 9 on Lone Star’s Saturday card with a post time of 5:19 PM. Here is a look at all six combatants for this Grade 3 stakes.
Donoharm – W. Bret Calhoun trained gelding had a five race win streak interrupted last time out with a disappointing eighth in his graded stakes debut – the Grade 3 Razorback Handicap at Oaklawn Park March 9. Included in the wins are three minor stakes wins – the Essex Handicap February 2, the Fifth Season Stakes January 22 and the Sam’s Town Stakes November 17. His disappointment last time out has somehow caused Donoharm to slip to the fifth choice on the morning line at 6-1 as the co-top weight – great value for a horse used to winning!
Good Lord – has won five of his last eight starts – all minor stakes races but hasn`t raced in graded stakes company since June 2011. Included in the wins are the minor Super Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs February 23, the Mountaineer Mile Stakes November 3, the Kentucky Downs Turf Dash Stakes in September and the Don Bernhardt Stakes in July. He steps up in competition this week having finished sixth last time out in the minor Hilton Garden/Hampton Inn Suites Sprint Stakes April 6. To say he is versatile is an understatement – he’s won or placed at six different tracks and has set three track records over three different surfaces. Despite a sketchy last outing Good Lord is the morning line second choice at 3-1
Master Rick – 2012 Northern Spur Stakes winner at Oaklawn Park is coming off an Allowance Optional Claiming score bys 1 1/4 lengths win an impressive 94 Beyer Speed Figure (best of any in the Texas Mile Field) for trainer Steve Asmussen after a pair of fourths in minor stakes action at Oaklawn Park to start the year. He finished last year with a decent second in the minor Zia Park Derby in December and he had a good third in the Grade 2 Super Derby at Louisiana Downs in September but hadn`t tasted victory in a year before his score last time out. He is the morning line favorite at 5-2.
Texas Mile Stakes betting at Lone Star Park with OffTrackBetting.com
Prayer For Relief – last raced in September to a sixth in the Grade 3 Washington Park Handicap for trainer Steve Asmussen after an OK second in the minor Governor’s Cup Stakes at Remington Park in August. Before that was a sixth in the Grade 2 San Diego Handicap and a pair of good results at Hollywood Park in the summer – a second in the Grade 2 Mervyn LeRoy Handicap and a third in the Grade 2 Californian Stakes June 2. Prayer For Relief has shown well in big races in the past but injury and some unflattering results the last eight months has him off the radar a tad for this weekend- he is listed as the third choice at 7-2 odds for the Texas Mile.
Majestic Harbor – raced to a sixth last time out in the Grade 2 New Orleans Handicap March 30 at Fair Grounds after a win and a second place finish in Allowance Optional Claimings on the same track. He has four wins, five seconds and three third place finishes in 16 career starts.
Get in Da House – finished third in this race last year and followed that with a nice second in the Grade 3 Lone Star Handicap last May – the last time he ran in graded stakes company. Since then he has nine starts and has placed in seven including three minor stakes races. Last time out was a fourth in the minor Costa Rising Stakes at Fair Grounds March 30 after a win and a second in a pair of Starter Optional Claiming races at Fair Grounds this year.
Race 9 on Lone Star Park’s Saturday card with a Post Time of 5:19 PM.
