GRAND PRAIRIE, Texas (Wednesday, November 24, 2021) –Only one live night of racing this week and it’s going to be he best card of the season!
Saturday, November 27 features six stakes, three of them are Grade 1 events including the $200,000, Grade 1 Refrigerator Invitational Championship, the $393,416, Texas Classic Derby and headlining it all is the $1,114,816, Grade 1 Texas Classic Futurity. It’s the most lucrative live race card of the year!
This spectacular 12-race program begins Saturday with a first race post time of 6:05 p.m. Gates open at 5 p.m. Admission is just $5 and parking is free.
Lone Star Park has again invited long-time racing publicist Martha Claussen to share her keen insight of the night’s stakes races. Claussen will co-host the paddock previews with regular host, Rodney Nelson, and interviewing post-race winning connections.
The $25,000 Added Paragon Oaks kicks off the stakes action. Scheduled as the seventh race, the approximate post time is 8:53 p.m. Ss Classyjess is the one to beat in this. The 5-yr-old mare by Rock Solid Jess is on top of her game, sailing into this on a three-race win streak.
The eighth race is the new $50,000 Guaranteed Devil His Due Stakes for 3-yr-olds & up going 870 yards. Breaking from the outside post is multiple stakes winner, Viva Le Don. The 5-yr-old gelding also by Rock Solid Jess has won four of his last five starts for trainer Tammy Kay Johnson. Post time is 9:21 p.m. Up next is the $58,675 Texas Classic Juvenile Stakes. Morning line favorite is Ryder Lee, a gelding by Too Much Bling. The competition will be tight though in this field of 2-yr-olds. The juvenile stakes is race nine on the card and will go at 9:49 p.m.
Race 10 is the $200,000 added. Grade 1 Refrigerator Invitational Championship at 440 yards is set to go at 10:17 p.m. This stellar field of 12 older horses features a couple of millionaires including multiple Grade 1 stakes winning Danjer. The 5-yr-old gelded son of Fdd Dynasty, has won four of six starts this year. Three of those victories were Grade 1 events most recently was the AQHA Challenge Championship last month at Albuquerque. Danjer has been installed as the 8-5 morning line favorite and will break from post 11.
Next up is the $393,416, Grade 1 Texas Classic Derby. Heavy morning line favorite at 3-5 is the appropriately named Empressum, the standout in this field of 10 3-yr-olds going 440 yards. The gelded son of Apollitical Jess has won eight of nine starts this year earning $794,685. He won the final trial of the night earlier this month by three lengths, a margin of victory not often seen at the distance. Post time for the derby is 10:45 p.m.
The 12th and final race of the night is the $1,114,816 Texas Classic Futurity. This is the highest purse in Texas racing and with 10 of the fastest 2-yr-olds at the meeting, this also promises to be one of the most exciting editions. The 2-1 favorite breaking from the outside is Kj Desparado, but with this evenly matched field, anyone can win it.
You can find the entries for all of the races here.
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