(October 21, 2006) - WRS Special Shoe broke alertly powered home to defeat Canosa by a neck in the $20,000 6666 Ranch Handicap before a Saturday night crowd of 4,646 at Lone Star Park in Grand Prairie, Texas.

WRS Special Shoe, ridden by Randy Wilson and carrying 123 pounds, ran 400 yards in :19.651 – a stakes record for the eighth running of the race. He paid $24.60, $7 and $9.60 as an 11-1 outsider in the field of 10 three-year-olds and up. Canosa returned $7 and $6.80. Mitowilard was another quarter-length back in third and paid $8.60. Defending champ Sarahs Fast Man, the 2-1 favorite, finished sixth.

The win was the 13th in 26 lifetime starts for WRS Special Shoe and was worth $11,000, raising the career earnings for the 4-year-old First Down Laveaux gelding to $264,264 for owner/breeder Williams Racing Stables Inc. and trainer Charlton Hunt.

DOWN THE STRETCH –

There’s a two-day $145,580 Pick 6 carryover at Oak Tree at Santa Anita on Sunday. Other highlights include simulcasts of the Grade I, $2 million Pattison Canadian International and Grade I, $1 million E.P. Taylor Stakes at Woodbine . . .

Live racing returns to Lone Star Park on Wednesday at 6:35 p.m. CT with a nine-race program. One percent of the on-track live handle on Wednesday night will be donated to Grand Prairie Independent School District in conjunction with one of three Lone Star Park Charity Nights . . .

Defending AQHA World Champion DM Shicago returns to action in Thursday night’s sixth race, a 350-yard allowance/optional claiming race. Also entered in the race restricted to those that haven’t won since April 1 is Mogambo Fly VM. The 5-year-old Brazilian-bred arrived at Lone Star on Oct. 10 and is expected to become the first South American horse to compete in the MBNA America Challenge Championships, scheduled for Nov. 11. He qualified to the Grade 1, $300,000 MBNA America Challenge Championship by finishing second in the South American Challenge in San Paolo, Brazil in November 2005 . . .

Friday’s program features the final “Party at the Park” of the meeting. Live blues music by The Silvertones and drink specials from 7-11 p.m. will be showcased in the Courtyard of Champions . . .

A sensational Grade 1 stakes doubleheader is on tap Saturday – the $426,375 Dash For Cash Futurity (2-year-olds at 400 yards) and the $193,300 Dash For Cash Derby (3-year-olds at 400 yards) . . .

Bobby Cox’s Dont Let Down, the All American Futurity third trained by John Buchanan, was the fastest qualifier to the Futurity with a :19.802 clocking on Oct. 14. He’ll be joined in the starting gate by First Freeze (:19.857), Very Dashing Chick (:19.900), Jetin Chablis (:19.900), Dylans Dandy (:19.906), Streakin Illusively (:19.912), A Silver Goblin (:19.971), Fantasies Royal (:19.999), Indio Solitario (:20.000) and Jess A Lil Bit More (:20.015). Buchanan will attempt to win the Dash For Cash Futurity for the second time. They teamed to win the 2000 renewal with Joshua Harner’s Pivotal Decision. This year, he’ll likely have to buck a trend: no favorite has won the Dash For Cash Futurity in eight runnings of the race . . .

Pat and Walter Fletcher’s Ima Ramblin Girl, conditioned by Hall of Fame trainer Jack Brooks, was the fastest Derby qualifier with a time of :21.670 on Oct. 13. She’ll be joined by Adrians Jolla (:21.735), This Candys Red Hot (:21.791), Rebs Royal Dasher (:21.795), Bag It Up (:21.798), SM Country Cowboy (:21.804), La Bron (:21.835), Fly Corona Cat (:21.864), Sixarun Bug (:21.905) and Im Bionic (:21.908). Brooks will attempt to win his fourth Dash For Cash Derby with dual stakes winner Ima Ramblin Girl. Brooks won the inaugural 1997 edition with champion Dashing Perfection, the 2002 running with champion First Regards and last year’s renewal with Mighty Invictus . . .

Starting next week, Lone Star Park plans to add a 12th race to the Friday and Saturday programs, creating two more races a week . . .

Members of Lone Star Park’s free customer rewards program “Star Player Rewards” will receive “double points” for their wagers on Lone Star Park’s 12-race program on Saturday night (Dash For Cash Futurity and Derby night). Each day, members can receive a discounted $1 general admission and earn points based on wagering, food and beverage and Gift Shop purchases. Visit lonestarpark.com or the Post Time Pavilion’s Racing Information Center to join “Star Player Rewards.” . . .

Wednesday is opening day at Aqueduct. The Grade III, $100,000 Discovery Handicap (3-year-olds at 1 1/8 miles) tops the card . . .

A graded stakes tripleheader is scheduled for Saturday at Aqueduct: the Grade II, $150,000 First Flight Handicap (fillies and mares at seven furlongs); Grade III, $150,000 Sport Page Breeders’ Cup (3-year-olds & up at seven furlongs); and Grade III, $100,000 Knickerbocker Handicap (3-year-olds & up at 1 1/8 miles on turf).

The Group 1 Cox Plate will be imported from Australia’s Moonee Valley on Friday night . . .

Saturday is closing day Keeneland and the Grade III, $150,000 Fayette Stakes (3-year-olds & up at 1 1/8 miles) is featured. Kentucky racing shifts to Churchill Downs on Sunday, Oct. 29, and Grade III juvenile stakes highlight the lid-lifter: the $100,000 Iroquois (2-year-olds at one mile) and $100,000 Pocahontas (2-year-old fillies at one mile . . .

The babies also will be in action Sunday at Aqueduct in the Grade III, $100,000 Nashua Stakes (2-year-olds at one mile) and Grade III, $100,000 Tempted Stakes (2-year-old fillies at one mile) . . .

Saturday’s California Cup XVII highlights closing weekend at the Oak Tree at Santa Anita meeting. Two stakes are scheduled for the Sunday, Oct. 29 swan song: the Grade II, $150,000 Las Palmas Handicap (fillies and mares at 1 1/8 miles on turf) and Grade III, $100,000 Morvich Handicap (3-year-olds & up at 6 ½ furlongs down the hillside turf course) . . .

Pre-entries to the Nov. 4 Breeders’ Cup World Championships at Churchill Downs are due Monday and will be announced Wednesday . . .

Richard DeLange of Terrell, Texas was the lucky winner of The Dallas Morning News Breeders’ Cup Trip Giveaway. Thanks to a partnership between Lone Star Park and The Dallas Morning News, DeLange won airfare, a two-night hotel stay in Louisville, Ky. and two tickets to the Nov. 4 Breeders’ Cup.