(May 14, 2009) - Saturday’s 12th running of the $50,000 Express Stakes, for 3-year-olds and up, to be run at six furlongs, features Adam R. Lewis’ defending champion Wind Water, trained by Chris Hartman. A winner of 19 of 52 career starts with earnings of $767,451, Wind Water enters the Express off of an uncharacteristically poor performance at Sun Ray Park in Farmington, New Mexico where he finished fourth in the $40,000 Inaugural Handicap. Luis Quinonez has the call aboard Wind Water.

“Things just didn’t go well for him that day at Farmington,” said Hartman. “He had a rough, nine-hour drive from El Paso, and he had a ferocious trip that day after getting involved in a very fast early speed duel. He’s trained well since getting to Lone Star and we’re looking for him to bounce back.”

One of six opponents standing in Wind Water’s way will be the Carl Moore Management LLC-owned, Bret Calhoun-trained, Orphan Brigade. A multiple stakes winner who finished third in last year’s Express, Orphan Brigade has recorded 20 victories from 64 career starts for earnings of $676,658. Orphan Brigade will be ridden by regular rider Carlos Gonzalez.

Another of note in the Express Stakes is Clarence Scharbauer Jr.’s Gold Coyote, also trained by Calhoun. A winner of eight of 15 starts, Gold Coyote, the 2007 Texas-bred two-year-old of the year (colts and geldings division), is a multiple stakes winner who has won five of eight starts with two seconds and a third racing over the Lone Star Park main track.

The field from the rail out, with jockey and morning line odds listed in parenthesis, consists of: Orphan Brigade (Carlos Gonzalez, 5-2); Independence War (Chris Rosier, 15-1); Prospective Kiss (Cliff Berry, 15-1); Turnleftatthelight (Jose Figueroa, 15-1); Gold Coyote (Bobby Walker Jr., 3-1); Por Que (Chris Landeros, 5-1); and Wind Water (Luis Quinonez, 2-1).

The Express Stakes is race 10 on the 11-race program with an approximate post time of 6:07 p.m.