Grand Prairie Turf Shapes Up As a Challenge

A field of 12 has been drawn for the $100,000 Grand Prairie Turf Challenge April 6 at Lone Star Park. The race for 3-year-olds will be held at one mile on the turf.

National Park has been made the 5-2 morning-line favorite. The California invader, third in the Generous Stakes at Hollywood Park and fourth on dirt in the Santa Catalina Stakes at Santa Anita Park, was scheduled to arrive in the Dallas, Texas, area by plane at 10 a.m. the morning of April 5, trainer Bob Hess Jr. said.

Here's the field, with jockeys and odds, from the rail out:

Dazzlinpersonality (Don Simington) 20-1
Front Nine (Cathleen Garner) 20-1
Revered Soldier (Glen Murphy) 20-1
Victory Dawn (Roman Chapa) 5-1
Royal Win (Curt Bourque) 12-1
Traill County (Cliff Berry) 20-1
National Park (Corey Lanerie) 5-2
Kamolia (David Guillory) 10-1
Toi Fund (Kirk LeBlanc) 12-1
Premeditation (Gerard Melancon) 9-2
Paloma Parilla (Marlon St. Julien) 4-1
Storm Alarm (Allen Dupuy) 12-1

St. Julien, the leading rider at Lone Star in 1998, has returned after having spent the last two years riding in Kentucky. "I feel great about being back," St. Julien said. "This place jumpstarted my career. I've been very successful here and made a lot of good friends -- and a lot of money. As far as racetracks go, this is one of the best in the country."

Of Paloma Parilla, who won a division of the Southwest Stakes at Oaklawn Park in his last start, St. Julien said: "I have confidence in the horse, and I have confidence in my trainer, Larry Robideaux. He's an excellent trainer, and the horse has been doing very well -- training well over the surface."