(Grand Prairie, Texas - December 22, 2010) - Lone Star Park at Grand Prairie announced today that the track’s 2011 Spring Thoroughbred Season will feature 19 stakes, including three Grade 3 races, worth more than $2.1 million plus a 16% average total purse increase and new Turf Starter series.

The season’s centerpiece will once again be Lone Star Million Day, Texas’ richest day of Thoroughbred racing with purses totaling $1 million, which will be held for the 13th consecutive year on Memorial Day, Monday, May 30. Two graded stakes events top the holiday card – the Grade 3, $300,000 Lone Star Park Handicap (3-year-olds and up at 1-1/16 miles) and the Grade 3, $200,000 Ouija Board Distaff (fillies and mares, 3-year-olds and up, at one mile on the turf.) Plus, new this year is the addition of the $200,000 Lone Star Derby (3-year-olds at 1-1/16 miles on the turf,) and a switch from the dirt to the grass.

“Lone Star Million Day has been a very popular day of racing for us over the years and we are pleased to add the Lone Star Derby to the holiday racing card. We believe the switch to the grass will help with stables who are already bringing horses here for the weekend to consider additional turf horses for the Lone Star Derby,” said Lone Star Park President and General Manager Drew Shubeck.

In addition, Lone Star Million Day will once again feature three other stakes scheduled for Memorial Day including, the $150,000 Dallas Turf Cup (3-year-olds and up at 1-1/16 miles on turf); and two $75,000 stakes—the Cinemine Stakes (3-year-old fillies at seven furlongs), and the Valid Expectations Stakes (fillies and mares, 3-year-olds and up, at six furlongs.)

Additionally, with the reduction from 60 days of live racing to 52 live racing days, Lone Star Park will increase average total purses to $175,000 from $150,000 in 2010, a 16% increase. The highlight of the schedule will be the addition of a new $100,000 Turf Starter Series for four-year-olds and up. Five (5) races will be run at various distances on Friday, April 15, Friday, May 6, Friday, May 27, Friday, June 17 and Friday, July 8. Individual purses will average $20,000.

“Our Turf Starter Series has always been popular in the past and we felt like now was a good time to bring it back to the schedule. The series features an owners bonus award of $10,000 and the series gives local horsemen five dates to target,” said Lone Star Park Director of Racing Bart Lang.

Another highlight of the meet will be Lone Star Million Preview Day on Saturday, April 23, featuring three races that will serve as preps for Lone Star Million Day including the Grade 3, $200,000 Texas Mile Stakes (3-year-olds and up at one mile,) plus the $50,000 Grand Prairie Turf Challenge (3-year-olds and up at a mile on the turf) and the $50,000 Irving Distaff (fillies and mares, 3-year-olds and up, at 7-1/2 furlongs on the turf.)

Texas-breds and progeny of Texas Stallions will be showcased on the second richest day of the year in four stakes races on Saturday, July 9 in the 11th annual Stars of Texas Day. The card is highlighted by two divisions of the $100,000 Texas Stallion Stakes (2-year-old fillies and colts and geldings at 5-1/2 furlongs); the $75,000 Assault Stakes (Texas-bred 3-year-olds and up at 1-1/6 miles) and the $50,000 Valor Farm Stakes (Texas-bred fillies and mares, 3-years-old and up at 6-furlongs.)

Other key Spring Thoroughbred Season dates will be simulcasts of the Triple Crown: the Kentucky Derby from Churchill Downs on Saturday, May 7, the Preakness Stakes from Pimlico Race Course on Saturday, May 21, and the Belmont Stakes from Belmont Park on Saturday, June 11.

Lone Star Park’s 52-day 2011 Spring Thoroughbred Season will run four days a week every Thursday and Friday at 6:35 p.m. (except Thursday, June 2 and Thursday, July 7 when there will be no live racing,) and Saturday and Sunday at 1:35 p.m. starting on Thursday, April 14. The Lone Star Million Day program on Memorial Day Monday will start at 1:35 p.m. and special twilight programs with post-race holiday fireworks on Sunday, July 3 and Monday, July 4 (Lone Stars and Stripes Celebration) will commence at 5 p.m. (All times are Central Time.)

Lone Star Park’s 26-day, 2011 Fall Meeting of Champions for American Quarter Horses will be held from September 16 through November 12. For more information on Lone Star Park please visit LoneStarPark.com.

Following is Lone Star Park’s Thoroughbred Stakes Schedule: