Grand Prairie, Texas (Monday, May 25, 2009) - “It was a great day in Texas,” said owner Pete Reiman, who celebrated his 71st birthday watching his Jake Wil Gallop rally in the stretch to win Monday’s 13th running of the $100,000 USA Stakes for 3-year-olds at 1 1/16 miles over a firm turf course at Lone Star Park.

The 3-year-old gelded son of Victory Gallop eagerly tracked the leader Southern Region through opening fractions of 23.22 and 46.47 before making his winning move at the top of the stretch and holding off second-place finisher and favorite Ticfaw to win by a length. Early leader Southern Region finished third another 2 ¼ lengths back. The final time for the 1 1/16-mile turf stake was 1:40.09.

Jockey Tuffy Collier had to alter the strategy he had planned with trainer Leroy Hellman due to an equipment problem early in the race.

"He went a little faster than I wanted to early, but my saddle slid up on his neck so I didn’t really have a choice,” said Collier. “I kind of played with him to try to get him to come back off it a little bit and he did finally. I let him run a little bit midway around the turn, and when I shook the reins at him at the top of the stretch, he really took off.”

“He’s been improving in every race lately,” said winning trainer Leroy Hellman who expected a big effort from Jake Wil Gallop. “He was hung wide around the turns in his last start, and he had been training very strong, so I thought he’d improve a lot today.”

With his first stakes win, Jake Wil Gallop nearly tripled his career earnings to $91,857 and improved his record to two wins from 11 starts.

Jake Wil Gallop paid $19.00, $8.80, $4.80, runner-up Ticfaw returned $4.00, $2.60, and Southern Region paid $2.80 for show. And Music Came, Encolure, Har D Boy, and Lucky Raja completed the order of finish.

Sweet Relish on Top in $100,000 Cinemine Stakes

Pin Oak Stable’s Sweet Relish outlasted second-place finisher Simplify in a stretch duel to win by a length in Monday’s 11th running of the $100,000 Cinemine Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at 7 furlongs over a fast main track at Lone Star Park.

The 3-year-old daughter of Pulpit, ridden by jockey Cliff Berry, sat patiently in the middle of a compact field through opening fractions of 23.05 and 46.07 before rallying four wide on the turn to be in position for the winning stretch duel. Sundayville Break finished third 5 ¼ lengths behind Simplify.

"She didn’t break real fast,” said winning jockey Cliff Berry who moved back into a tie atop the Lone Star Park jockey standings with Chris Landeros with the win. “ I got in kind of a pickle about half way. They were slowing down in front of me. I was right on their heels, but she was alright. She handled it well.

“In the middle of the turn, I saw that Robbie (Albarado on favorite Simplify) was going to get through. I had to go four wide, but I had a lot of horse and she just zipped right up there. I was hoping I had enough (horse) and I did."

“She’s just a lovely filly,” added winning trainer Donnie K. Von Hemel. “A big, scopey filly and I think she’s got a future. She’s going to go places and do things.

“She had trained very aggressively up in Chicago (Arlington Park) over the Polytrack and we just felt that she was coming into the race in good order. Cliff had an armful of horse down the backside and she ran a big race today.”

With the win in her stakes debut, the Smoke Glacken filly improved her career record to three wins from seven starts and increased her career earnings to $108,370.

Sweet Relish paid $6.80, $3.40, $3.20, runner-up Simplify returned $2.80, $2.20 and Sundayville Break paid $6.60 to show. City Tone, The Cat Who, Mary’s Place, and Tis Alkie completed the order of finish.

Leparoux Rides Pious Ashley to Win in $100,000 Valid Expectations Stakes

Farnsworth Stables LLC’s Pious Ashley, trained by Martin Wolfson, rallied six wide on the turn then closed strongly to win by 1 ¾ lengths in Monday’s 13th running of the $100,000 Valid Expectations Stakes for fillies and mares, 3-years-old and up, at 6 furlongs over a fast main track at Lone Star Park.

The winner was ridden by Julien Leparoux, who would end up with three stakes victories, including two graded stakes wins, (It’s a Bird in Grade 3, $400,000 Lone Star Park Handicap and Seaspeak in Grade 3, $200,000 Dallas Turf Cup) on the day. Leparoux sat in last then moved up into the middle of the pack at the ½-mile pole behind early fractions of 21.72 and 44.67 before launching his winning bid.

"The trainer wanted me to be five or six off the pace,” explained winning jockey Julien Leparoux. “They were actually going very fast so I was a little farther back.

She came in the turn of this race with a very good move and finished strong too, so that was good. Around the 3/8 pole I got in tight and when she got up between horses, she really took the bit and finished very good for me."

Pious Ashley, a 4-year-old daughter of Include, covered the 6 furlongs in 1:09.43.

Second-place finisher P.S.U. Grad split rivals on the turn and challenged the winner at the furlong marker but couldn’t catch the winner in the end. Sailor’s Sister, who also made a late bid, finished another 1 ¼ lengths back in third.

With the win, Pious Ashley improved her career record to four wins from 13 starts and increased her lifetime winnings to $181,833.

The winner paid $9.20, $4.40, $3.20, runner-up P.S.U. Graduate returned $3.40, $3.00, and Sailor’s Sister paid $8.60 for show.