Frank Stronach’s Giant Gizmo landed a third consecutive score and proved his affinity for the 1 1/16-mile distance when he took control of the $400,000 Lone Star Park Handicap (gr. III) (VIDEO) and rolled home a solid winner in Texas May 26.
The feature race of Lone Star Million Day, which offered six stakes worth a combined $1.1 million, the Lone Star drew a field of eight that included grade III winner Zanjero and grade II winner Cowtown Cat. But Giant Gizmo was definitely the strongest horse in the field, especially with a recent victory in the May 2 Alysheba Stakes (gr. III) at Churchill Downs on his side.
Fifth at the start under Garrett Gomez, Giant Gizmo rated well in fourth behind a pace set by the Steve Asmussen-trained Encaustic and the close-up One Lucky Buck and Beta Capo. After a quarter in :23.31 and a half in :46.86, the 4-year-old son of Giant's Causeway moved up to second as Encaustic went three-quarters in 1:10.39. Giant Gizmo took over at the head of the stretch and drew away to win by two lengths in a final time of 1:43.01.
Five of the Bobby Frankel trainee’s six career wins have now come at 1 1/16 miles. His other win was a record-setting score in a Dec. 30 allowance over Santa Anita’s Cushion Track when he went a mile in 1:34.59 to win by three lengths.
Sent off at odds of 6-5 in the Lone Star Park Handicap, Giant Gizmo returned $4.40, $2.80, and $2.80 while Zanjero brought $2.40 and $2.10 under Shaun Bridgmohan and Stella Mark paid $4 with Brice Blanc.
Bred in Kentucky by Adena Springs, out of the Hansel mare Golden Antigua, Giant Gizmo has a 6-1-1 record from 11 starts, with earnings of $508,685.
Also featured on Lone Star Million Day were the $200,000 Dallas Turf Cup (gr. IIIT)(VIDEO) for older horses and the $200,000 Ouija Board Distaff Handicap (gr. IIIT)(VIDEO) for older females. Both were won by closers. Robert Tjosvold’s Church Service made a late bid from the 3/16 pole to claim the 1 1/8-mile Turf Cup by a nose while Pin Oak Stable’s Brownie Points advanced six wide to clear her 10 competitors in the one-mile Ouija Board by 1 ¾ lengths.
A 5-year-old Pulpitgelding trained by Mike Mitchell, Church Service returned $7.80, $3.40, and $3.20 under jockey Brice Blanc after winning in a final time of 1:50.54. Brownie Points, a 5-year-old daughter of Forest Wildcat trained by Donnie Von Hemel, paid $10, $5.40, and $3 under Luis Quinonez as she went in 1:35.82.
(Lone Star Park Handicap Chart, Equibase)
(Dallas Turf Cup Chart, Equibase)
(Ouija Board Distaff Handicap Chart, Equibase)
