(April 26, 2007) - Bob and John, the 2006 Wood Memorial winner who'll make his first start in 238 days, landed post position No. 5 for his 4-year-old debut and was made the 6-5 morning line favorite in Saturday's Grade III, $300,000 Texas Mile at Lone Star Park in Grand Prairie, Texas.

The one-mile race for 3-year-olds and up is the richest horse race in North America this weekend and one of four stakes races on Lone Star Park's 11-race card, billed as Lone Star Million Preview Day. Each stakes event is a prelude to lucrative races that will comprise the ninth annual Lone Star Million on Memorial Day, Monday, May 28.

Bob and John, the $701,330-earner conditioned by three-time Kentucky Derby-winning trainer Bob Baffert, arrived at Lone Star Park at 11 a.m. Thursday following a flight from Southern California, and was bedded down in stall 37 at trainer Bret Calhoun's Barn D1. The colt hasn't raced since finishing second to Cindago in the $106,300 El Cajon Stakes at Del Mar on Labor Day weekend, nearly eight months ago.

"He's ready," said Baffert, a 12-time Lone Star Park stakes winner, including two Texas Miles (the inaugural 1997 edition with Isitingood and last year's renewal with Preachinatthebar). "I thought this would be a logical spot to bring him back because he's been training well and he ships extremely well."

Bob and John is campaigned by Houston Texans owners Bob and Janice McNair, who race their horses as Stonerside Stable. Baffert and Stonerside racing manager John Adger will be in attendance Saturday, while the McNairs tend to this weekend's NFL Draft (the Texans have the 10th overall pick). "Bob has HRTV in his office at Reliant Stadium, so I'm sure he'll try to squeeze the race in if he can," Adger said.

Five years ago, Baffert and the McNairs brought another Wood Memorial champ to Lone Star Park for his 4-year-old debut when Congaree prevailed in the 2002 Lone Star Park Handicap under Pat Day. On Saturday, Santa Anita riding champ Victor Espinoza, a three-time Lone Star Park stakes winner, has the call on Bob and John.

Bob and John will be tested by Silent Pleasure, who has won three consecutive stakes by open lengths for Louisiana-based trainer Howard Scarberry. The 4-year-old colt won back-to-back stakes at Delta Downs - the $73,500 Delta Mile by seven lengths and the $97,000 Gulf Coast Classic Stakes by 2 ¼ -- before traveling to Oaklawn Park for a two-length score in the $100,000 Fifth Season Stakes on April 12.

Also entered is the Steve Asmussen-trained Stockholder, the two-time stakes winner who was beaten only a neck by Preachinatthebar in last year's Texas Mile, and Wait in Line, an impressive 2 ¾-length winner of a conditioned allowance at Lone Star Park two weeks ago for trainer Chris Hartman. Last year, Wait in Line hit the board in three local stakes, including a runner-up effort to Wanna Runner in the Grade III Lone Star Derby.

Dreamsandvisions also will give the Texas Mile a go. The 5-year-old gelding was a two-length winner of the seven-furlong Spring Stakes at Sam Houston on March 17 - his fifth career stakes victory for Bloomberg, Texas residents Steven and Sandra Duke, who purchased the horse as a 2-year-old for just $2,500. In his only Lone Star Park appearance, Dreamsandvisions rallied to win last summer's $75,000 Assault Stakes by 2 ¾ lengths on Stars of Texas Day.

The field is rounded out by Ernest Jeanmard's 50-1 longshot maiden Ramachi Six, who hails from the David Beck barn. Louisiana-based Beck, a 30-year-old who has never saddled a horse into a top three position in 24 career starts as a trainer, also entered Jeanmard's first-time starter, 3-year-old filly One Quick Chick, in the Richland Hills Stakes. They will be Beck's first starters since 2001.

The complete field, from the rail out, for the 11th running of the Texas Mile, which will be run as Race 10 at approximately 5:47 p.m. CT (with jockey, trainer, weight and morning line odds): Ramachi Six (Patrick Boxie, David Beck, 116, 50-1); Dreamsandvisions (John Jacinto, Steven Duke, 118, 12-1); Silent Pleasure (Tracy Hebert, Howard Scarberry, 120, 9-5); Wait in Line (Glen Murphy, Chris Hartman, 116, 8-1); Bob and John (Victor Espinoza, Bob Baffert, 118, 6-5); and Stockholder (Luis Quinonez, Steve Asmussen, 118, 4-1).

Past winners of the Texas Mile are Isitingood (1997), Littlebitlively (1998-99), Sir Bear (2000), Dixie Dot Com (2001), Unrullah Bull (2002), Bluesthestandard (2003), Kela (2004), High Strike Zone (2005) and Preachinatthebar (2006). Bluesthestandard is the only favorite who prevailed.

Down the Stretch

Going Ballistic, winner of the El Joven Stakes and Remington Park MEC Mile as a 2-year-old, will return to the turf for Saturday's $60,000 Grand Prairie Turf Challenge. The Donnie K. Von Hemel-trained colt will meet 9 ¼-length allowance winner Makeithapencaptain, Zia Park stakes winner and El Joven runner-up Western Prize and Delta Downs stakes winner Beta Capo. The seven-horse field for the Grand Prairie Turf Challenge, a one-mile turf race for 3-year-olds to be run as Race 7 at approximately 4:23 p.m. CT (with jockey, trainer, weight and morning line odds): Spoonerism (Justin Shepherd, Danny Pish, 116, 15-1); Beta Capo (Luis Quinonez, Steve Asmussen, 123, 9-2); Western Prize (Victor Espinoza, Asmussen, 118, 4-1); Mr. Unstoppable (Bobby Walker Jr., Bret Calhoun, 116, 12-1); Strong City (Quincy Hamilton, Donnie K. Von Hemel, 116, 20-1); Makeithapencaptain (Ramsey Zimmerman, Bret Calhoun, 118, 3-1); and Going Ballistic (Cliff Berry, Donnie K. Von Hemel, 118, 8-5). The Grand Prairie Turf Challenge serves as local prelude to the $100,000 Pin Oak Stud USA Stakes, a 1 1/16-mile turf race for 3-year-olds on Lone Star Million Day (Monday, May 28). Last year's winner Kip Deville has since gone on to become a Grade I winner and one of North America's premier turf milers . . .

Richwoman, winner of the Grade III Debutante at Churchill Downs as a 2-year-old, will face five-time stakes winner and reigning Texas-bred Champion 2-Year-Old Filly Wrenice in the $50,000 Richland Hills Stakes, a six-furlong sprint for 3-year-old fillies. The seven-horse field, to be run as Race 8 at approximately 4:51 p.m. CT (with jockey, trainer, weight and morning line odds): Richwoman (Luis Quinonez, Steve Asmussen, 118, 7-5); She's Outrageous (Ramsey Zimmerman, Chris Hartman, 116, 8-1); Spartan Queen (Victor Espinoza, Asmussen, 120, 4-1); One Quick Chick (Patrick Boxie, David Beck, 116, 50-1); Wrenice (Bobby Walker Jr., Randy Mayfield, 123, 9-5); Shirley's Brittney (Justin Shepherd, Brent Morris, 118, 30-1); and Waterloo Slew (Cliff Berry, C.R. Trout, 120, 10-1). The Richland Hills Stakes is often a local steppingstone to the $100,000 Stonerside Stakes, a seven-furlong sprint for 3-year-old fillies on Lone Star Million Day (Monday, May 28) . . .

The Morris Nicks-trained Carolina Sky, a winner of five straight races in 2006 including two stakes at Louisiana Downs, heads the $60,000 Irving Distaff, a two-turn 7 ½-furlong grass for fillies and mares. Also entered is the Al Stall Jr.-trained Cross and stakes winners D Fine Okie, Palace Rumor and Wild Encounter. The 12-horse field, to be run as Race 9 at approximately 5:19 p.m. CT (with jockey, trainer, weight and morning line odds): Not in My House (Larry Taylor, Mike Mareina, 114, 30-1); My Three Sisters (Luis Quinonez, Steve Asmussen, 118, 12-1); Carolina Sky (Victor Espinoza, Morris Nicks, 118, 3-1); Cape Sunset (Justin Shepherd, Cody Autrey, 116, 15-1); D Fine Okie (Don Pettinger, Donnie K. Von Hemel, 118, 9-2); Wild Encounter (Cliff Berry, Michelle Lovell, 118, 8-1); Jubilee (Glen Murphy, Chris Hartman, 118, 15-1); Homemaker (Richard Eramia, Bill Leach, 123, 20-1); Palace Rumor (Bobby Walker Jr., Burl McBride, 118, 5-1); Cross (Ramsey Zimmerman, Al Stall Jr., 118, 4-1); Gottah Penny (John Jacinto, Derek Galvin, 116, 30-1); and Fairwell Madrid (Quincy Hamilton, Donna McCullough, 123, 10-1). The Irving Distaff is a local springboard to the Grade III, $200,000 Ouija Board Handicap (formerly known as the WinStar Distaff), a one-mile turf race for fillies and mares on Lone Star Million Day (Monday, May 28) . . .

Saturday will double as Dollar Day. Beer, soft drinks, hot dogs, popcorn, general admission, general parking and programs will be just $1 each. In addition, there will be live music by Channel 15 in the Courtyard of Champions between 12-4 p.m., appearances by radio stations 99.5 The Wolf and 93.3 The Bone and bounce houses for kids in the Pavilion lawn area. Grandstand gates open at 11:30 a.m. and the first of 11 live races is 1:35 p.m. . . .

In addition to the Texas Mile, Saturday's Lone Star Million Preview stakes races are the $60,000 Irving Distaff (a 7 ½-furlong turf event for fillies and mares that serves as a prelude to the Grade III, $200,000 WinStar Distaff at one mile on grass); the $60,000 Grand Prairie Turf Challenge (a one-mile turf race for 3-year-olds in advance of the $100,000 Pin Oak Stud USA Stakes at 1 1/16 miles on turf); and $50,000 Richland Hills Stakes (a six-furlong sprint for 3-year-old fillies before the $100,000 Stonerside Stakes at seven furlongs) . . .

Members of Lone Star Park's "Star Player Rewards" program will receive free general admission on Friday and an entry into a Texas Mile Day Handicapping Contest to win 500,000 bonus points on Saturday . . .

Friday night's "Party at the Park" in the Courtyard of Champions will feature drink specials and country music by the Stephen Pointer Band between 7-11 p.m. . .

Sunday is Senior Citizen's Day with free general admission for seniors age 62 and up . . .

The Dallas Symphony Derby, the annual fundraiser benefiting the Education and Community Outreach Programs of the Dallas Symphony Orchestra League, will take place Sunday in the Silks Dining Room . . .

Following Sunday's seventh race, Lone Star Park will pay homage to the late Kentucky Derby winner Barbaro, who would have celebrated his fourth birthday that day. Lone Star Park plans to show Barbaro's 6 ½-length victory in the 132nd Kentucky Derby on television monitors as a tribute. On Triple Crown dates this year, Lone Star Park also will be participating in a national fundraiser in support of the newly-created NTRA Charities - Barbaro Memorial Fund, which benefits equine health and safely.