Best Horse Racing Bets Today | Lone Star Park, May 27

The Lone Star Million Day card on Memorial Day features six stakes races totaling $1.2 million. Previously known as the Texas Mile, which was the first graded stakes race in the state of Texas, the $400,000 Steve Sexton Mile (G3) will be the holiday’s feature race at Lone Star Park on Monday. Headlining the field of eight will be the accomplished trio of Frosted Grace, Everso Mischievous, and Touchuponastar.

The supporting stakes on Monday afternoon are topped by the $300,000 Texas Derby, which is led by E J Won the Cup and Real Men Violin. Other stakes I will highlight from this card include the $200,000 Ouija Board Distaff for older turf females and the $100,000 Speightstown Sprint Stakes for older male sprinters. Without further ado, let’s get to my analysis and best bets on this excellent holiday card.

Race #7 Speightstown Sprint Stakes $100,000 6-furlongs dirt - 5:25pm EST

A stakes winner at Tampa Bay Downs earlier this season, Mish looks like the one to beat when he takes on seven other older sprinters in the $100,000 Speightstown Sprint Stakes on Memorial Day at Lone Star Park.

A 7-year-old gelded son of Field Commission, the gray has been a consistent horse in his career with nine wins in his 29-race career. Having finished off last season in good form, his three races this year point him out as the horse to beat here. All three came against stakes company, and his two runner-up finishes were against some of the fastest horses in the nation. 

Chief among his competition in the 6-furlong main track test include Marsalis and Minnesota Ready. The former is trained by Steve Asmussen and has finished first or second in seven of his nine career starts. Although he faded to fourth in his two tries this year, they were fast races which promise that he is not far off from returning to his best form.

As for Minnesota Reay, the son of More Than Ready has been running against very good horses in Kentucky in his last two, and did finish second in the Grade 3 Commonwealth Stakes at Keeneland two starts back. Before that, he showed good sprinting form in New Orleans. Still, I can’t look past the recent form of Mish. He is the class of the race and is my top pick.

My Play

• $50 Win - Mish = $50

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Race #10 Texas Derby $300,000 1 1/16-Miles Dirt - 6:55pm EST

Third in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby in his last start, E J Won the Cup will look to prove that effort was no fluke when he headlines the field of ten 3-year-olds set to line up in Monday’s $300,000 Texas Derby at Lone Star Park.

A winner of the listed Turf Paradise Derby two starts back, the son of Omaha Beach has shown steady improvement since being stretched out for two turns three starts back by trainer Doug O’Neil. A front pace presence, he should be involved throughout in the 1 1/16-mile Texas Derby, and may only need to run as well as he did in his latest to secure victory on Saturday. 

Chief among his opposition on Monday will be Real Men Violin from the barn of Kenny McPeek. A good second in the Grade 2 Kentucky Jockey Club to close out his juvenile season, he was not quite up to the task in his first two starts while taking on some of the best 3-year-olds in the nation. Given some class relief, he showed better form when second in the Illinois Derby last time at Hawthorne Park.

Another dangerous opponent in the Texas Derby will be the Steve Asmussen-trained Informed Patriot. One of two in the race for his Hall of Fame trainer, he earned his first stakes win in five tries last time out in the Bath House Row Stakes at Oaklawn Park. Shortening up a sixteenth of a mile should help his chances for two in a row. He will be the top pick.=

My Play

• $5 Exacta Box - Informed Patriot, E J Won the Cup, and Real Men Violin = $30

• $5 Exacta Box - Informed Patriot, E J Won the Cup, and Dimatic = $30

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Race #11 Steve Sexton Mile (Grade 3) $400,000 1-Mile Dirt - 7:37pm EST

Multiple stakes winners Frosted Grace, Everso Mischievous, and Touchuponastar loom the top three among a solid field of eight older males in the Grade 3 Steve Sexton Mile on Monday at Lone Star Park.

Trained by Mike Maker, Frosted Grace is the morning line favorite and defending champion of this one mile affair. The 8-year-old son of Mark Valeski defeated Touchuponastar one year ago in his only previous visit to Lone Star. An 11-time winner in his career with a bankroll of better than $1.1 million, he comes in with good form having won two straight at Oaklawn Park, including the Grade 3 Oaklawn Mile last out. 

Everso Mischievous is the most uncertain of the leading trio. Trained by Brad Cox, he looked like a budding star last fall after winning two straight stakes races in Kentucky and New York. That led to his favoritism in the prestigious Cigar Mile in December, but a bad trip and off track led to a poor showing. This will be the first race since for the 4-year-old son of Into Mischief.

Touchuponastar, meanwhile, has been a winner since day one. The Louisiana-bred son of Star Guitar has never finished out of the top three while winning 12-of-16 career starts. The runner-up in this race last year, he looks to be even stronger this year as a 5-year-old. The other two are certainly dangerous competition, but I will side with the horse who loves to win. Touchuponastar is my top pick in the Steve Sexton Mile.

My Play 

• $20 Exacta Box - Touchuponastar and Frosted Grace = $40

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Race #12 Ouija Board Distaff $200,000 1-Mile Turf - 8:07pm EST

In a wide-open affair on the Lone Star turf course, Freydis the Red rates top billing over ten other fillies and mares in the $200,000 Ouija Board Distaff, the holiday’s card closing race of the afternoon.

Trained by Kenny McPeek, who earlier this month swept the Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks, the 4-year-old daughter of Saxon Warrior was competitive in graded stakes races last season, before winning the Dueling Grounds Oaks in Kentucky. In her only start this year, she did not threaten but it came against solid competition and she was beaten less than five lengths. A late-runner, she figures to be closing fast in this one.

Second choice on the morning line is the Irish-bred Glenall. When last she visited Lone Star Park, she was a decisive winner in the Wasted Tears Stakes 11 months ago. Although she has been well beaten in both of her starts this year, the turf mare has been facing strong competition in graded stakes races in Southern California. A bit of class relief here should make her a player on Monday.   

Another major contender in the Ouija Board is the Shane Wilson-trained Tryinmyheartout. A 4-year-old Into Mischief filly, she comes in off an easy stakes win in Louisiana over a sloppy track last month. Her turf form is solid, having twice won in New York and having faced solid competition on numerous occasions. With plenty of speed in the race, things should set up well for her late rally. She is the top pick.

My Plays

• $5 Exacta Part Wheel - Tryinmyheartout over Freydis the Red, Miss Code West, and Glenall = $15

• $5 Exacta Part Wheel - Freydis the Red, Miss Code West, and Glenall over Tryinmyheartout = $15

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