Lone Star Park

Calling it "the greatest win we've ever had" a little more than 24 hours after saddling a Grade I winner at Saratoga, trainer Steve Asmussen watched as his son Keith James Asmussen earned his first career victory as a jockey, guiding Inis Gulaire (Bernardini) to a head success in the Sunday maiden special weight finale at Lone Star Park (video). The 22-year-old had ridden 16 races prior to Sunday, with four runner-up efforts--including in his first career ride June 15--and three thirds among them. "It's a dream come true," the...

A catalog of 175 head is now online for the Texas Summer Yearling and Horses of Racing Age Sale, set for Aug. 24 at 12 p.m. CDT at Lone Star Park at Grand Prairie. Sponsored by the Texas Thoroughbred Association and Lone Star Park, the sale will welcome bidders on site with enhanced safety protocols and for the first time will also offer live online bidding for those who cannot attend in person. Online Bidders must be registered at one week before the sale, no later than 12 noon Aug....

Racing at Lone Star Park, which was suspended July 5 after an employee in racing operations tested positive for COVID-19, will resume this Sunday, July 19, with strict protocols in place, according to the track's Twitter feed. The protocols provide for live attendance, but fans will be required to wear facemasks, follow social distancing rules and will be subjected to temperature screening. Sunday's nominal feature is a first-level allowance for main-track sprinters and the track has drawn programs through July 22. The Wednesday program, which begins at 1:35 CT, is...

With Lone Star Park officials having little to say about the abrupt shut down of racing after Sunday's first race, it was unclear when racing would resume at the Dallas area track or if the meet will be canceled. Citing a conversation with racing secretary Tim Williams, the Daily Racing Form reported Monday that the three days of racing scheduled for this week would not be held. Lone Star's decision to stop racing may be related to the news that jockey Gerard Melancon has tested positive for the coronavirus. A...

Following Sunday's announcement that Lone Star Park was suspending live racing indefinitely due to coronavirus concerns, Indiana Grand Racing and Casino announced it was halting the transfer of all jockeys, exercise riders and grooms from the Texas facility to its racing program. A statement released Monday by the Indiana track read, "Effective immediately Monday, July 6, 2020, Indiana Grand will follow CDC guidelines and will not allow anyone from the above racing category currently working and racing at Lone Star onto the property due to potential exposure risks. All individuals...

Lone Star Park announced it was suspending live racing prior to its second race Sunday. A notice on the Texas track's Twitter feed announced, "Due to an abundance of caution, all racing operations at Lone Star Park have been suspended due to #COVID19. Racing will resume at a date to be determined." Lone Star Park opened for an abbreviated 36-day meet May 22 and began allowing fans into the grandstand for live racing June 14.

Lone Star Park, which kicked off its abbreviated 36-day meet May 22, released its revised stakes schedule, featuring 18 stakes worth $1.4 million. The meet continues through Aug. 2. Texas Champions Day, originally scheduled to be contested at Sam Houston Race Park Mar., but cancelled due to a blown transformer, will be hosted by Lone Star June 14. Texas Champions Day includes the Bara Lass S., Groovy S., Richard King Turf S., San Jacinto S., Spirit of Texas S., Star of Texas S. and Yellow Rose S. Three additional stakes-the...

Lone Star Park's 2020 Thoroughbred racing season will begin Friday, May 22. At this time, racing operations will be conducted with no spectators. Lone Star's Bar & Book Simulcasting will reopen Friday at 10:30 a.m. with occupancy limited to 25% capacity and all appropriate physical distancing measures in place. "The health and safety of our patrons and employees continues to be our top priority," a statement from Lone Star read. "We continue to monitor closely all Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines and public health advancements, and we...

With Lone Star Park announcing that it will open its stable area May 4 and with Texas Governor Greg Abbott going ahead with aggressive plans to re-open the state's businesses, Texas horsemen have said they are confident that racing will resume shortly at Lone Star Park. And there may even be fans in the stands to greet racing's return. There has been no racing in Texas since Mar. 28, when Sam Houston ended its meet ahead of schedule. The Lone Star meet was set to begin Apr. 16, but the...

The upcoming Texas Summer Yearling Sale Aug. 24 will now include a horses of racing age session in lieu of having broodmares and weanlings, the Texas Thoroughbred Association and Lone Star Park. For this year only, the mixed session will only be open to 2-year-olds and older horses of racing age. The change is due to the cancellation of the Texas 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale, which could not be held due to the COVID-19 pandemic. "After talking to consignors, we found there was strong demand for a horses of racing...

The Texas 2-Year-Olds-In-Training Sale scheduled to take place at Lone Star Park Apr. 3 has been canceled, officials at the Texas Thoroughbred Association and the track announced, due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. All entry fees are refundable. "We are obviously disappointed to cancel this sale, especially with a record number of consignments, but it's really the only option at this point and postponing the sale simply was not feasible," said Mary Ruyle, executive director of the Texas Thoroughbred Association. "We are leaving the sale catalogue online and making some...

This year's Texas Summer Yearling and Mixed Sale has been set for Monday, Aug. 24 at Lone Star Park. The entry deadline is June 15. "We have a record number of entries for the Texas 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale on April 3, and we anticipate added interest in this auction thanks to all the positive things going on with Texasracing," said Mary Ruyle, executive director of the TTA. Up to $25 million annually is being pumped into the Texas horse industry due to legislation passed last year, and purses at...