Grand Prairie, Texas (Saturday, May 9, 2009) - Donald W. Erickson’s Valid Stripes, trained by Amos Laborde, took the lead midway through the backstretch before pulling away at the start of the final turn to cruise to a 1 1/4 –length win in the Fifth Running of the $125,000 Texas Stallion Stakes (Stymie Division for 3-year-old colts and geldings) over a fast main track on Saturday at Lone Star Park.

With jockey Kirk LeBlanc in the saddle, the 3-year-old son of Valid Expectations broke alertly, settled in behind the leader Little Talk on the first turn before gradually overtaking that foe in the backstretch through fractions of 22.46, 45.90 and 1:11.28. The winner completed the 1 1/16-mile trip in 1:44.70 finishing 1-¼ lengths ahead of 18-1 long shot Huntersrunaway. It was another 1-¼ lengths back to third-place finisher Justwill.

"He just took me right to him (the early leader - Little Talk) and as soon as he got a head in front, he started settling back down for me,” said winning jockey Kirk LeBlanc, who came in from Louisiana to ride. “He was relaxed and comfortable. I kind of had everything go my way. Mr. Amos did a good job with him. He had him right."

Winning trainer Amos Laborde added, "I’d love to come back and run in Texas."

With his debut victory at Lone Star Park, Valid Stripes improved his career record to four wins from nine starts and, with the $75,000 winner’s share, increased his lifetime earnings to $220,230.

The even-money favorite Valid Stripes paid $4.00, $2.80, $2.40, second-place finisher Huntersrunaway returned $8.60, $4.60, and Justwill, who ran as an entry with Come On Flyer and Swampman, paid $2.60 for show.

Completing the order of finish were: Little Talk, Supreme Secret, Valid Performance, Come On Flyer, C H Leutwil, Formal Tone, Regatta Tone, and Swampman.

City Tone Outlasts Seven Seventythree in Bumpy Stretch Duel to Win Filly Division of $125,000 Texas Stallion Stakes by a Head

Tom Durant’s City Tone, trained by Jack Bruner and ridden by Lone Star Park leading jockey Chris Landeros, was determined through a rough stretch duel with Seven Seventythree, in which the two 3-year-old fillies bumped repeatedly, to win by a head in the Fifth Running of the $125,000 Texas Stallion Stakes (Got Koko Division for 3-year-old fillies) over a fast main track on Saturday at Lone Star Park.

Landeros took City Tone well back at the start of the race and was content to settle near the rear of the pack through fractions of 22.41, 46.03 and 1:11.70. The 3-year-old daughter of City Street began to rally on the turn before shifting four wide at the quarter pole to engage in a nose-to-nose battle with second-place finisher Seven Seventythree through the length of the stretch. Third place went to The Cat Who, who was 13 ½ lengths behind the first two.

“Jack (Bruner) told me she might be tough to rate today going the extra distance for the first time, but it was just the opposite” said Landeros. “My instructions were to get her to relax as much as possible. She broke and just kind of crawled. The first quarter she was just galloping which worked out good because I just saved it for the end.

“She ran a great race,” added the 20-year-old jockey. “As soon as she hit the lead, she was kind of waiting a little bit but she was just game enough to keep on going that last sixteenth (of a mile).”
The winning trainer had high praise for his young rider.

“She’d been training well and Chris made all the difference in getting this filly to rate,” said Bruner. “He has hands of gold.”

With her first stakes win, City Tone improved her record to three wins and a second from four starts and increased her lifetime earnings by $75,000 to $98,586.

City Tone paid $8.00, $2.60 and $2.40, the odds-on favorite Seven Seventythree returned $2.10, $2.10, and The Cat Who paid $2.80 to show.

Undeclared Tone ran as an entry with City Tone, and Tiffany Royal was coupled with Seven Seventythree.

Completing the order of finish were: Undeclared Tone, I’m a Bad Girl, Lil Pink Cadillac, Monica’s Skirmish, Judys Cure, Tiffany Royal, Smooth Sea, and Golden Wish.