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Monday, July 28, 1997

It's consensus: First meet at Lone Star was a success

By DENNE H. FREEMAN AP Sports Writer

GRAND PRAIRIE, Texas (AP) - It was a gamble to bring first-class thoroughbred racing to North Texas.

Seventy-three days after horses started racing at Lone Star Park, the track's inaugural meet ended Sunday with most observers in agreement that the gamble paid off.

Owners, trainers, jockeys and fans for the most part were pleased with what they saw at the racing "palace on the prairie."

"I enjoyed my visits to Lone Star," said trainer Bob Baffert, whose Silver Star won both the Kentucky Derby and Preakness. "It's a fun place to visit particularly if you have some winners."

And financially rewarding for Baffert, who is California-based, and his owners. He had seven starters, three wins, a second and a third. His horses won the Lone Star Derby, the Texas Mile and the USA Stakes.

His horse, Anet, which won the Lone Star Derby and USA Stakes, was voted Horse of the Meet.

Ronald Ardoin, who had a record six winners in one day, was named the Jockey of the Meet. Marlon St. Julien, who rode the very first winner at the track, finished second. Ardoin went over 90 winners to claim the crown.

"I had a lot of trophies on my wall but never one from Texas. It feels good to get this one," said Ardoin, who has been a leading rider at the Fair Grounds and Louisiana Downs.

The Trainer of the Meet title went to Dallas Keen, who beat out Jim Gaston.

Lone Star Park had an impressive stakes schedule, with 14 events televised to national and regional audiences on ESPN, ESPN2 and Fox sports.

The track drew 1996 Eclipse Award winner Skip Away to compete, and the National All-Star Jockey championship brought riding superstars that included seven active members of racing's Hall of Fame.

It all started April 17 with a horse called "I Are Sharp" winning the first race with St. Julien aboard. Misting Rain with Todd Glasser in the irons won the last race.

Over 700,000 people attended the meet, averaging 9,734 fans per day with a handle of $1,335,672. Total wagering topped $55 million on live races with an additional $40 million wagered on simulcast races from major tracks around the country.

Purses averaged $170,000 per day.

There were numerous promotions to draw the fans but the cleverest might have been the daily prize of "the dirtiest car in the Lone Star lot."

The lucky winners got a free car wash.

After July 4, some of the quality of racing at Lone Star dropped because Louisiana downs in Bossier City opened followed by Remington Park in Oklahoma City.

Donnie Von Hemel, a leading trainer, said he thought Lone Star did very well "for a first-year racetrack. The positives outweighed the negatives. The crowds were good."

Lone Star swings its doors back open on Oct. 3 for a 34-day season of mixed racing - thoroughbreds and quarter horses - that ends on Nov. 30.

Tentative dates for next year were April 2 to July 12.

Track general manager Corey Johnson said, "I think it was a great meet. We're enthusiastic about our future. A strong goal of ours is to improve the quality of racing.

"We had some great racing this year with the Lone Star Derby and the National All-Star jockey championship. We have a good foundation to house now and we just need to do a little remodeling."

Johnson acknowledged some criticism of the race track and said it would be a priority to soften it during the offseason.

Final-day attendance, on a 97-degree day, was 11,838. Send a Letter to the Editor about This Story | Start or Join A Discussion about This Story
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