Wayne Sanders and Larry Hirsch’s Donoharm, a sharp winner of the Essex Handicap at Oaklawn Park earlier this year, is the one to beat in the Texas Mile Stakes (gr. III) April 27.
The son of Lemon Drop Kid will carry co-top weight of 121 pounds, along with Good Lord, at Lone Star Park in Grand Prairie, Tex.
Trainer Bret Calhoun will again go with Cliff Berry in the saddle with Donoharm. The 4-year-old makes his Lone Star Park debut while on a roll. The bay gelding closed 2012 with a three-race win streak that stretched back from last August at Monmouth Park to the seven-furlong Sam’s Town Stakes at Delta Downs in mid-November.
He wintered at Oaklawn and kicked off his 2013 campaign with back-to-back wins in the 1 1/16-mile Fifth Season Stakes and $98,000 Essex Handicap at the same trip. He tasted defeat for the first time in a while stepping up in the Razorback Handicap (gr. III) March 9. That race was taken by Cyber Secret , who came back to win the Oaklawn Handicap (gr. II).
Donoharm, bred in Kentucky by Double Eagle Ranch, is out of the Cherokee Run mare Tasso Run.
TEXAS MILE
17th RUNNING
MOST WINS BY A HORSE: Littlebitlively 2.
MOST WINS BY A JOCKEY: David Flores 3.
MOST WINS BY A TRAINER: Bob Baffert 3.
FASTEST TIME: Isitingood (1997) 1:34.44.
FACTOIDS: Isitingood won the inaugural running in 1997 and also took the Longacres Mile when held for the first time at Emerald Downs in 1996.
Compiled by Gary Dougherty
Tampa Bay Downs shipper Good Lord is trained by Kentucky hardboot Kaelin Forest. Good Lord, a 6-year-old gelding by Greatness—Dowager Lady, by Whadjathink, landed the seven-furlong Super Stakes at the Florida track in February. On the board in 11 of his last 15 starts, Good Lord was an uncharacteristic sixth last time out going six furlongs at Tampa Bay. Also a newcomer to Lone Star Park, he’s won or placed at six different tracks and has set three track records over three different surfaces.
Good Lord, who sports a 9-9-10 mark from 47 starts, was bred in Florida by Marilyn Fazo Seltzer.
Trainer Steve Asmussen has a pair for the Texas Mile in Master Rick and Prayer for Relief . Richard Davis’ Master Rick won the 2012 Northern Spur Stakes at Oaklawn and an allowance/optional claiming race there this winter, and Zayat Stables’ Prayer for Relief will be making his first start since finishing off the board in the Washington Park Handicap (gr. III) last September at Arlington Park.
Robert Orth and trainer Wesley Hawley’s Get in Da House, who breaks from post 5 in the six-horse field, was third in last year’s Texas Mile. The 5-year-old Louisiana-bred made seven starts over the winter in his home state and recorded a 2-2-1 mark. He was third in the Dec. 8 Louisiana Classic.
The race card April 27 is preceded by a fundraiser featuring Hall of Famers Jack Van Berg and Julie Krone for the inaugural Remember Me Rescue Celebrity Dinner to support aftercare of the Thoroughbred. Dinner, and live racing, begins at 6:35 p.m. CDT. The keynote speaker is prominent owner Maggi Moss.
$200,000 Texas Mile Stakes (gr. III, race 9, approx. post 5:19 p.m. CDT), 3YO Up, 1 mile
PP, Horse, Jockey, Wgt., Trainer
1, Master Rick, R. Santana Jr., 119, S. Asmussen
2, Majestic Harbor, L. Wade, 119, P. McGee
3, Good Lord, F. De La Cruz, 121, F. Kaelin
4, Prayer for Relief, G. Murphy, 117, S. Asmussen
5, Get in Da House, D. Simington, 119, W. Hawley
6, Donoharm, M. Berry, 121, W. Calhoun