Grand Prairie, Texas (Saturday, July 12, 2008) - Trainer Bret Calhoun scored an impressive two-year-old stakes double in winning the $125,000 Texas Stallion Stakes (Staunch Avenger Division) with Early Final and the $125,000 Texas Stallion Stakes (Pan Zareta Division) with Sweetacious in front of 12,653 at Lone Star Park on Saturday. With Friday's turnout of 12,899, the Hall of Fame / Stars of Texas weekend attendance total is 25,552 heading into Sunday.

In the Staunch Avenger Division, for colts and geldings, Clarence Scharbauer Jr.'s Early Final made light work of his eight opponents with an authoritative two-and-a-quarter length score over the Jack Bruner-trained Supreme Secret. It was another half-length back to He's Boy Wonder in third. The favored entry of Belton and Justwill finished fourth and fifth, respectively.

Ridden by Cliff Berry, Early Final was placed just off of the early leaders through the opening stages behind fractions of :21.86 and 45.63. Berry then made a bid for the lead at the top of the stretch, and refused to look back before stopping the timer in 1:05.06 for the five-and-a-half furlong mission.

"Since his last win, we've been training him to run from behind horses. I think it helped a lot today. When I urged him at the quarter pole, I thought Luis (Quinonez) would have a lot of horse (Belton), but we went by him pretty easy," said winning rider Cliff Berry."

"We've always liked this colt. He was a little disappointing his first start and pretty green," added winning trainer Bret Calhoun. "He built a little confidence his second time out. He ran well that day but still not as good as we expected. He's really come on over the last month. He's matured and come around the right way."

With the win, Early Final improved his record to two wins from three starts, and increased his career earnings to $82,194.

Early Final, with entry mate Channel Cat, paid $8.60, $4.60, $3.20, runner-up Supreme Secret returned $6.20, $5.40, and He's Boy Wonder paid $6.60 for show. Belton, Justwill, Coble Avenue, Fortunate Jones, Channel Cat and Single Blossum completed the order of finish.

Pan Zareta Division

In the Pan Zareta Division, Carl Moore Management LLC's Sweetacious was a determined winner, prevailing by a head over a game runner-up in the Steve Asmussen-trained Bridesmaid. Tiffany Royal, also trained by Asmussen, was another two-and-a-half lengths back in third.

With Eddie Martin Jr. aboard, Sweetacious set a contested early pace through fast opening fractions of :21.83 and 45.46. She briefly lost the lead at the top of the stretch before digging deep to repulse the strong late run from Bridesmaid stopping the clock in 1:04.88 for the five-and-a-half furlong test.

"She was running really easy and I had a handful of horse. She didn't mind the company beside her and she showed a lot of guts today," said winning rider Eddie Martin Jr.

"We had high hopes for her before her first race. We were actually a little let down because we didn't think she ran as well as she should have even though she won," added winning trainer Bret Calhoun. "I really didn't know what to expect for this race. She was training well and we got the race today that we expected the first time.

She showed up on the right day."

Sweetacious improved her record to two-for-two while increasing her earnings to $87,420.

Sweetacious paid $18.40, $8.20, $3.80, runner-up Bridesmaid returned $4.20, $2.20, and Tiffany Royal paid $2.20 for show. Lil Pink Cadillac, Monica's Skirmish, Sweet Texas Star, Judys Cure, and Syd's Secret completed the order of finish.

2008 Lone Star Park Hall of Fame Inductees Clarence Scharbauer, Bill and Corrine Heiligbrodt Capture Stars of Texas Stakes on the Day of Inductions

Clarence Scharbauer Jr.'s Gold Coyote, conditioned by Bret Calhoun, held off the late charge of Cheese Factory to capture the 12th running of the $50,000 Harold V. Goodman Stakes for accredited Texas-bred three- year-olds at Lone Star Park on Saturday.

Gold Coyote's win was the first of two stakes victories on the day for owner Clarence Scharbauer Jr., who, with his wife Dorothy, was inducted into Lone Star Park's Hall of Fame earlier in the day. His Early Final won the $125,000 Texas Stallion Stakes (Staunch Avenger Division) two races later.

Ridden by Bobby Walker Jr., odds-on favorite (4-5) Gold Coyote contested the early pace set by Donald's Duke through fractions of 22.42 and 44.99. After disposing of that rival, the four-time Lone Star Park stake's winner held off a late charge by Cheese Factory to win by a length. Donald's Duke finished third another length-and-a-half behind. The final time of the race was 1:16.23.

"The way it worked out, out of the gate and up the backside, I planned on going with him (Donald's Duke) as long as I didn't have to use any horse," said winning jockey Bobby Walker Jr. "My horse broke well, but he kind of laid on the other horse a bit. I pulled off just enough to let the other horse get a little edge on me. When that happened, I wasn't going to rush my horse to stay inside. I let him clear me then got to the outside to stalk him. By the three-eighths pole I tested him a little bit and I knew I had him. It was just a matter of if I had enough horse to repel the rest."

"I thought he was great coming into this race," added trainer Bret Calhoun. "He was well tested today, though. The other two horses that finished second and third, gave him a lot of competition today. We're just happy to be in the winner's circle."

With the win, Gold Coyote improved his record to six wins in 11 races, including five wins from seven starts at Lone Star Park, and increased his career earnings to $264,950.

Gold Coyote, winner of the 2007 Texas Stallion Stakes (Staunch Avenger Division), paid $3.80, $2.40, $2.10, runner-up Cheese Factory returned $3.40, $2.60, and Donald's Duke paid $2.40 for show. Stormy Date and Cowboy Shoes completed the order of finish.

Valid Lilly Takes Valor Farm Stakes

Heiligbrodt Racing Stable's Valid Lilly, trained by the nation's leading trainer Steve Asmussen, edged clear at the top of the stretch on the way to a two-and-a-half length victory in the 11th running of the $50,000 Valor Farm Stakes for accredited Texas-bred three-year-old fillies at Lone Star Park on Saturday. The win capped a "daily double" for owners Bill and Corrinne Heiligbrodt who were inducted into Lone Star Park's Hall of Fame earlier in the day.

Ridden by jockey Luis Quinonez, Valid Lilly pressed the pace through fractions of 22.23 and 45.36 before stopping the timer at 1:10.81 for the six furlongs on the fast main track. Formal Flyer was second with Surfboard four-and-three-quarter lengths behind in third.

"It's hard to get them from that two to three-year-old year," said new Lone Star Park Hall of Fame owner Bill Heiligbrodt. "This filly exhibits everything that Texas is about, from her sire to her dam, the people that bred her and, we that trained and raced her."

"She was a different filly today," added winning jockey Luis Quinonez. "She broke good and I was able to sit off (the pace) a little bit. She was nice and relaxed and I just waited for her. In the middle of the turn she grabbed the bit and I thought 'Oh, she knows where she's going,' so I turned her for home. She came home strong."

Valid Lilly, winner of the 2007 Texas Stallion Stakes (Pan Zareta Division) at Lone Star Park, improved her career record to five wins in 10 starts and lifetime earnings to $245,406 with the $30,000 winner's share.

The winner paid $7.40, $4.00 and $3.00. Formal Flyer returned $3.20 and $2.20 with Surfboard paying $4.80 for show. Glitter's Forum, Chocolatesensation, Classie Baloo and Fiesta Lula completed the order of finish.

Wrenice Overcomes Wide Trip to Win Allen Bogan Memorial Stakes

Stewart Hamblen's Wrenice, trained by Randy Mayfield, overcame a very wide trip around both turns to win the 12th running of the $50,000 Allen Bogan Memorial Stakes for accredited Texas-bred fillies and mares, three-years-old and up, at Lone Star Park on Saturday.

With jockey Curt Bourque up, Wrenice was forced four-wide on both turns but was able to take the lead at the quarter pole before drawing off for the win, four-and-three-quarter lengths ahead of La Estrellita, who got up for second after a strong stretch drive finishing three-quarters-of-a-length in front of Taptam.

"I dropped the lines on her, she was nice and kind," said winning rider Curt Bourque. "She was in a high lope down the backside. I moved my hands about the three-eighths pole. I thought I moved a little early on her, but when I moved my hands, she just put me where I wanted to be."

"We have been working hard in the mornings," added winning trainer Randy Mayfield. "Curt did a tremendous job getting her to relax. That's a big key out there. In the mornings it's all right, but in the afternoon is when it counts."

Wrenice, winner of the 2006 Texas Stallion Stakes (Pan Zareta Division) at Lone Star Park, sat behind fractions of 24.26, 47.97 and 1:12.30 before completing the mile over the fast main track in 1:38.58. With the victory, Wrenice improved her career mark to 11 wins in 18 tries, including five wins in nine Lone Star Park starts.

The $30,000 winner's share increased the four-year-old filly's lifetime earnings to $462,726.

Wrenice returned $5.80, $3.60, $3.20, La Estrellita paid $3.80 and $4.40 with Taptam paying $3.40 for show. Light Lace, Speed Fest, Senora Tormenta, Moneyinmywranglers and Dawall completed the order of finish.

Crook's Adventure Gets There First in Assault Stakes

Crook's Adventure, owned by Laredo Racing Stable, and trained by Cheryl Asmussen, fought his way through the stretch while under pressure inside and out to take home the top prize in the 11th running of the $100,000 Assault Stakes for three-year-olds and older at Lone Star Park on Saturday. Sandburr finished a half-length back in second, just a nose ahead of third- place finisher Crook's Stinger.

Ridden by Bryan McNeil, who recorded his first career stakes win in the Assault, Crook's Adventure led his nine rivals through early splits of :24.14, :48.58, and 1:12.98.

Runner-up Sandburr briefly pushed past Crook's Adventure along the rail at the top of the stretch, but the winner was emboldened by the challenge and recaptured the lead from that rival while also repelling a late bid from third-place finisher Crook's Stinger. Crook's Adventure completed the mile-and-a sixteenth assignment over a fast main track in 1:45.55.

"He was in the bit pretty good early on and relaxed well even when the (other) horses came up beside him, he pinned his ears and dug in," said winning rider Bryan McNeil.

With the win, Crook's Adventure improved his record to five wins from 21, and increased his career earnings to $108,777.

Crook's Adventure, with entry mate Uncle Rose, paid $19.40, $6.60, $4.40, runner-up Sandburr returned $3.20, $2.60, and Crook's Stinger paid $5.60 for show. Goosey Moose, C E P A's Forum, Upstream, Aggies Rule, Uncle Rose, Dreamsandvisions and Tru Dancing completed the order of finish.