Lone Star Park Recap

Lone Star Park near Dallas, Texas, ended its 2023 Fall Meeting of Champions with a 12-race program that included three official Quarter Horse stakes.

The 32-date season saw an average daily attendance of 2,913 and an average daily on-track wagering handle of $94,748. Average daily off-track handle reached $436,388. A total of 2,922 starters competed in 333 races for an average field size of 8.8. There were 72 horses claimed for an aggregate total of $660,000.

One of the highlights of the Lone Star Park meet was the Bank of America Challenge Championships, which were held on Saturday, October 21. Ali Rivera and Bryan Candanosa were the meet's leading riders with 34 wins apiece. Toby Keeton was the meet's leading trainer with 25 wins.

On November 18, 5,419 fans saw champion KJ Desparado become the first Quarter Horse to surpass $3 million lifetime earnings with his victory in the Grade 1, 440-yard Refrigerator Championship Stakes.

Following is a recap of all three closing night stakes:

Let 'Er Rip Lip Chip Stakes
Sent to post as the 3-5 favorite in a field of seven, The Grand Legend responded with a clear 3 3/4-length victory in Saturday's $50,000 Let 'Er Rip Lip Chip Stakes.

The Grand Legend covered 870 yards on a fast track in :45.434 while earning a 99 speed index under jockey Noe Villatoro. Adan Guzman prepped the 7-year-old son of FDD Going Grand for owner James C. Whitener LLC.

The Grand Legend was coming off of a five-length victory in the 870-yard, $104,000 Cox Ranch Distance Challenge Championship (G1) on October 21. The gelding was bred in Texas by Mercy Hinklins Horse Farm LLC.

Raced in four states, The Grand Legend has won 11 of 33 starts -- including seven of 10 at the 870 trip and six of 13 at Lone Star Park -- and the $28,800 winner's share of the purse from fourth career stakes score increased his bankroll to $245,678.

Turkey Time Stakes (R)
Carlos Ponce's Dashin Hocks got up at the wire to win Saturday's 350-yard, $50,000 Turkey Time Stakes (R) for Texas-bred 2-year-olds.

Racing on a sloppy and sealed track and sent to post as the 8-5 choice in a field of nine, Dashin Hocks defeated Jessa Tempting You by a neck in :17.500. Nestor Duran rode the bay son of Kiss My Hocks for trainer Juan Diaz Jr.

Dashin Hocks was bred by Curtis Crenwelge, and he was purchased by Ponce for $37,000 at last year's TQHA Yearling Sale in San Antonio. The gelding is out of Braggin N Dashin, a homebred winning and stakes-placed daughter of Dashin Bye. His second dam, the winning Mr Jess Perry mare Jess Braggin, ran second in the 2006 Frances Carr Distaff Stakes (G3) at Manor Downs.

Dashin Hocks was coming off of a second-place finish in a 400-yard Texas Classic Futurity (G1) trial on October 27. All told, the gelding has won four of seven starts and has banked $145,605, and his resume includes a second-place finish, a nose behind winner PYC Legacy, in the March 25, $533,000 Oklahoma Futurity (G2) at Remington Park.

Yellow Rose of Texas Stakes (R)
A fast break from post 2 helped Pete Scarmardo's One Famous Lil Lady score a wire-to-wire victory in Saturday's $50,000 Yellow Rose of Texas Stakes (R) for state-bred distaffers.

Trained by John Stinebaugh, One Famous Lil Lady went 400 yards on a sloppy and sealed track in :19.588, and her winning margin was a head from Vytaliti. Ali Rivera rode the homebred 4-year-old One Famous Eagle mare.

One Famous Lil Lady was sent to post as the 7-2 third choice in the field of nine. The mare was stretching out in distance off of her third-place finish in a 350-yard, $20,000 open-condition allowance dash for fillies and mares at this track on October 13.

One Famous Lil Lady was winning for the fourth time in 13 outs, and the $28,500 winner's share of the purse from her first lifetime stakes victory boosted her earnings to $93,126.

Painted Seis, the 11-10 favorite, ran third, a neck behind One Famous Lil Lady.

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