(Saturday, October 15, 2005) - Legendary Quarter Horse jockey Jacky Martin received an early birthday present Saturday night when Country Chicks Man powered home to win the $20,000 Burnett Handicap at Lone Star Park in Grand Prairie, Texas.

Martin, who'll turn 51 on Monday, guided the 4-year-old colt to a neck victory over Ronas Wind Dancer in the 350-yard sprint. Apollo by Em was third. The final time of :17.46 was the second fastest in seven runnings of the race.

"He didn't have the best of starts," said Martin, who rode the winner for owner, breeder and trainer Sparky Mullins. "I just thought he had them out-classed pretty bad, really. He's run against some really good horses this year."

Country Chicks Man was a heavy 3-5 favorite in the field of eight 3-year-olds and up. Two starts ago, the Oklahoma-bred 4-year-old suffered a narrow loss to Fast Talkin Val in the Grade 1 MBNA America Texas Challenge. Earlier in the year, he registered back-to-back Grade 3 wins over 400 yards at Remington Park in April's Eastex Handicap and May's Sooner State Stakes.

Saturday's triumph was Country Chicks Man's fourth win in seven starts this year. Overall, he's won six of 23 and $163,024.

Martin, a Weatherford, Texas resident that has won the All American Futurity seven times, says that, despite his age, he's still doing a lot of race riding. "I don't ride as many [horses] as I used to, but I do a tremendous amount of traveling," Martin said. "I was in Ohio on Monday and I leave for Louisiana tonight. It's a lot better when you ride more quality horses."

Martin will return to Lone Star next week to ride Tooting Otoole for trainer Duane Hartsell in Friday's Grade 1, $147,400 Dash For Cash Derby and the Michael Zinglemann-trained Ida Snow Man in the Grade 1, $345,300 Dash For Cash Futurity on Saturday.

Dash For Cash Derby, Futurity & Breeders' Cup Preview Party Highlight Week Ahead

A pair of major Grade 1 stakes events for American Quarter Horses - Friday's $147,000 Dash For Cash Derby and Saturday's $345,300 Dash For Cash Futurity - highlight the week ahead at Lone Star Park in Grand Prairie, Texas.

Also on Saturday, Lone Star will host its 10th annual Breeders' Cup Preview Party from 9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. in the Post Time Pavilion. There'll be in-depth analysis and video review of contenders in the eight Breeders' Cup World Thoroughbred Championship races by the Fort Worth Star-Telegram's Gary West, The Dallas Morning News' Rick Lee and Daily Racing Form's Vance Hanson. Plus, the first 200 attendees will receive a complimentary edition of the Breeders' Cup Advance Edition, featuring lifetime past performances for all horses pre-entered in the Oct. 29 Breeders' Cup.

Live racing at Lone Star will take place Wednesday through Saturday this week at 5 p.m. CT.

Make A Secret will be the horse to beat in Saturday's Dash For Cash Futurity for 2-year-olds. The Heath Taylor-trained juvenile was the fastest of 87 horses in nine trial races on Oct. 8. He zipped 400 yards in :19.759 - his first start since finishing fourth as the favorite in Quarter Horse racing's coveted $1.9 million All American Futurity.

"[Make A Secret] put on a super showing and he came out of the race really good," Taylor said. "As you'd expect, he was really tired for a couple of hours after the race, but he came out of it really good and ate up all of his feed the next day."

Make A Secret, winner of the Grade 2 Firecracker Futurity earlier this year and a $220,210-earner, is one of four stakes winners in the final, which features a $124,308 first prize to the winner. All American Winner, trained by Alex Villarreal, prevailed in the Grade 1 Sam Houston Futurity last month. This Candys Red Hot, a "Sleepy" Gilbreath trainee, is a winner in five of six starts including the Grade 1 Speedhorse Gold and Silver Cup Futurity at Fair Meadows in July. One Special Shade, also trained by Gilbreath, was victorious in the Grade 3 Ford New Mexico Juvenile Challenge at Ruidoso in August.

Also in the field are Ida Snow Man, Shaken Easy Dash, Cotton Nash, Racing Zone, Fast Results and Sixes Glass. Post positions will be determined Wednesday morning.

The fastest qualifier for Friday's 440-yard Derby is the Jeff Acuna-trained First Comment, who was clocked in :21.546 on Oct. 7. Previously, First Comment was runner-up to Si Puede in the Grade 2 Sam Houston Derby. He'll be joined in the starting gate by Winners Award, Mighty Invictus, Tooting Otoole, Real Easy Okey, Strawfly Romance, Miss Eye Candy, Hez Habit Forming, Six Packa Moonshine and Ro Anns Money.

Post positions for the Derby will be drawn Tuesday.

DOWN THE STRETCH - Jockey Raul Ramirez Jr. was unseated from his mount Nothin But Smoke when the horse was impeded by Mr Classy Otoole in Saturday's eighth race. Ramirez fell hard to ground when Nothin But Smoke clipped heals with Mr Classy Otoole. The on-site medical team feared that the rider suffered a broken left collarbone. He was transported to Methodist Hospital in Dallas for observation and x-rays. Nothin But Smoke crossed the wire riderless and appeared none the worse for wear. Texas Racing Commission stewards disqualified Mr Classy Otoole, ridden by Jose Ramirez, from third to last for the incident...Simulcast highlights at Lone Star Park on Sunday include a hefty $103,407 Pick 6 carryover at Belmont Park...Friday night's Heineken "Party at the Park" will feature country music by The Steve Tenpenny Band. Meanwhile, 1970s and '80s classic rock from Double Ace will be performed between races Saturday. The Heineken "Party at the Park" series continues every Friday and Saturday through Oct. 29 with live music and drink specials in the Courtyard of Champions from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m....The final four races of Wednesday night's program (Races 6-9) will be simulcast into California. On Friday and Saturday, California will import the final five races (Races 9-13)...Buddy White will be honored between races Wednesday night as the Lone Star Park Charitable Foundation for Grand Prairie "Volunteer of the Week." White, a board member of the Grand Prairie YMCA for more than 15 years, recently assisted the United States Department of Agriculture in finding Dallas/Fort Worth homes for more than 200 New Orleans-based families that were displaced by Hurricane Katrina...Pre-entries for the Oct. 29 Breeders' Cup World Thoroughbred Championships at Belmont Park are due Monday. The fields will be publicly announced Wednesday at 9 a.m. CT.