(Wednesday, November 19, 2008) - By Golly Sand, owned and trained by Courtney Sarris, returns to defend his title in the 10th running of the seven furlong, $20,000 Mandolynn Hill Farm Stallion Stakes, for Arabian colts and geldings, three-year-olds and upward, this Friday at Lone Star Park.

A winner of 10 of 36 career starts for $83,630 in earnings, including three of four starts at Lone Star Park for $22,400, By Golly Sand, who took home the top prize in this race last year, faces 10 rivals in his bid to capture his second consecutive victory in the Mandolynn Hill.

Other noteworthy contenders include, Tour De France, trained by Jerenesto Torrez, a winner of eight of 29 starts for $144,173 in earnings, So Big Is Better, trained by Arnold Bardin, most recently fourth in the $100,000 Delaware Classic Handicap, and the Kara Beasley-conditioned Frynge Benefit, who finished fourth in the Mandolynn Hill in 2007.

The field from the rail out, with jockey and morning line odds listed in parenthesis, consists of: Ordination (Melody Brooks, 30-1), Sharp Cookie (Cathleen Garner, 4-1), The Last Danse (Richard Vasquez, 3-1), Tour De France (Jorge Guzman, 6-1), So Big Is Better (Joy Scott, 5-2), AF Smarty Pants (Roxane Losey, 20-1), By Golly Sand (Santos Carrizales, 5-2), Frynge Benefit (Dewey Smith, 8-1), Caitlyns Hot (Adrian Ramos, 12-1) and Ala Bout Me (Tad Leggett, 6-1). So Big is Better and By Golly Sand will run as an entry.

Scheduled as race 10 on the 11-race program, the Mandolynn Hill Farm Stallion Stakes has an approximate post time of 10:11 p.m.

Trust Bessemer to be the One to Beat in Fillies & Mares Divisions

Bessemer, owned and trained by Dean Fry, has been made the 6-5 favorite in the morning line by track odds maker Rick Lee to win the 10th running of the seven furlong, $20,000 Mandolynn Hill Farm Stallion Stakes, for Arabian fillies and mares, three-year-olds and upward, on Friday at Lone Star Park.

In her first-ever appearance at Lone Star Park, the six-year-old mare will try to extend her current winning streak to six in a row overall and four straight stakes victories. A winner of 12 of 21 career starts for $82,297 in lifetime earning, Bessemer will face 10 rivals in Friday’s eighth race scheduled for 9:23 p.m.

Bessemer’s biggest challenge may come from Sam Vasquez’s Jessys Princess, who finished only a length-and-three-quarters behind the morning-line favorite in the Cre-Run Hall of Fame Distaff at Los Alamitos on Sept. 12. The five-year-old mare has had the benefit of a stakes victory over the Lone Star Park racing strip in the Milagro Yegua Ranch Handicap on Oct. 18 since that loss.

Other contenders include the Arnold Bardin-trained entry of Abra Caadabra and She’s a Dandy, who are listed as 5-1 in the morning line. Both are shipping in from Delaware where Abra Caadabra won the Grade 1, $35,000 Cre Run Oaks on July 5.

The field from the rail out, with jockey and morning line odds listed in parenthesis, consists of: Abra Caadabra (Dewey Smith, 5-1), Bessemer (Joy Scott, 6-5), Sole Dancer (Brandon Osborne, 20-1), Jessys Princess (Adrian Ramos, 5-2), Shes a Dandy (Cody Wainscott, 5-1), Vibvilcca (Santos Carrizales, 12-1), Whos Your Daddy (Jorge Guzman, 15-1), Storm Surge (Richard Vasquez, 12-1), AF Sassey Dreams (Roxane Losey, 15-1), AF Gelda (Cathleen Garner, 15-1), and Shezgotlegs (Rita Helton, 30-1). Besides Abra Caadabra and She’s Dandy, AF Sassey Dreams and AF Gelda will also run as an entry.

Lone Star Park’s 31-day, 2008 Quarter Horse Fall Meeting of Champions will be held from September 26 to November 29. After the opening weekend on Friday and Saturday, Sept. 26-27, racing will be held every Thursday through Saturday in October and each Wednesday through Saturday in November, except Wednesday and Thursday, Nov. 26-27 when there will be no live racing due to the Thanksgiving holiday. First post time for all dates will be 6:35 p.m. For more information, visit the track’s Web site at www.lonestarpark.com.