(May 6, 2007) - Jockeys Cliff Berry and Ramsey Zimmerman reached professional milestones Sunday at Lone Star Park in Grand Prairie, Texas. Berry became Lone Star Park's all-time leading rider and Zimmerman rode the 1,000th winner of his career.

Berry snapped a tie with Corey Lanerie (who rode regularly at Lone Star Park from 1997-2003) as the track's career win leader when Haveuseenthelight gave him his 478th trip to the Lone Star Park winner's circle in Sunday's fifth race. The 44-year-old Joplin, Mo. native now holds the career win records for both Lone Star and Remington Park.

"It's been fantastic," said Berry, who has won the last two riding titles at Lone Star, including a single season record 103 victories last year. "I remember the first year here (1997) and I didn't even have an agent. I just love horse racing. I've been riding since I was in high school and surely I've learned a few things along the way. This milestone goes out to all of the owners and trainers who let me ride fast horses."

Berry, who pulled within 36 victories of his 3,000th Thoroughbred win in a 26-year riding career, has ridden regularly at Lone Star since the racetrack opened 10 years ago in 1997. He only missed the 1998 season due to injury.

Zimmerman, who began the day tied with Berry atop the jockey standings in his first season at Lone Star, piloted Spend a Web to victory in the sixth race for career win No. 1,000. It was the second of three wins on the afternoon for the 25-year-old native of Palm Beach, Florida.

"I've been around horses my whole life, and I've always been small enough, and this is what I've always what I wanted to do," said Zimmerman, who rode his first winner at Fairmount Park on May 21, 1998 at the age of 16. "I came up in Chicago, and at the time they had a really strong jockey colony, and I looked up to guys like Earlie Fires, Mark Guidry and Carlos Silva."

Zimmerman won a career-high 326 races in 2004, which ranked fourth nationally behind Rafael Bejarano, Ramon Dominguez and John Velazquez. After finishing second to Chris Emigh at the 2006 Hawthorne Fall Meeting, he moved his tack to Fair Grounds where he was eighth in the standings with 41 wins.

In his first season at Lone Star, he's been riding horses for the top two trainers, Bret Calhoun and Cody Autrey. "I have a lot of good people behind me and I'm just happy to be here," Zimmerman said.

Record $3.4 Million Bet at Lone Star Park on Kentucky Derby Day

Lone Star Park at Grand Prairie set a single day Spring Thoroughbred Season on-track handle record Saturday as the 15,961 in attendance wagered $3,452,423 on Kentucky Derby Day. Saturday's total eclipsed the previous mark of $3,412,462 bet on Kentucky Derby Day in 2004.

A track record $2,558,843 was wagered on simulcasts - eclipsing last year's $2,466,823 on Kentucky Derby Day - and another $893,580 was bet on the 12 live races. The record wagering represented a 3.7% increase from last year's Derby Day total of $3,330,245.

Local wagering on Churchill Downs' Kentucky Derby Day program totaled $1,610,723, including $1,117,811 on "The Run for the Roses." Lone Star's Drive-Thru Wagering business at Gate 2 also was a record as 878 cars passed through the service lanes and wagered $154,786, a 39% increase from last year's $111,246.

Saturday's Lone Star Park wagering total was the third highest in track history, only behind the 2004 Breeders' Cup World Championships ($13,603,202) and the day before that year's Breeders' Cup ($4,005,985).

Top 10 Lone Star Park Spring Thoroughbred Season On-Track Total Handle:
1. $3,452,423, Saturday, May 5, 2007, Kentucky Derby Day
2. $3,412,462, Saturday, May 1, 2004, Kentucky Derby Day
3. $3,356,951, Saturday, May 6, 2000, Kentucky Derby Day
4. $3,330,245, Saturday, May 6, 2006, Kentucky Derby Day
5. $3,309,426, Saturday, May 3, 2003, Kentucky Derby Day
6. $3,277,522, Saturday, May 4, 2002, Kentucky Derby Day
7. $3,144,103, Saturday, June 5, 2004, Belmont Stakes Day
8. $3,132,970, Saturday, May 7, 2005, Kentucky Derby Day
9. $3,130,221, Saturday, May 1, 1999, Kentucky Derby Day
10. $3,076,926, Saturday, June 8, 2002, Belmont Stakes Day

Down the Stretch

Sunday's early Daily Double of longshots Mr. Kryptonite at odds of 40-1 and Chaco Latte at 18-1 paid a track record $9,437.40 for a $1 ticket. Mr. Kryptonite won the first race and paid $82.80 to win, while Chaco Latte returned $38.80 in the second. The previous record was $3,016.80, which linked Shawnee Wind ($35.20) and Tulipan ($81.60) on July 18, 1998 . . .

The field for next Saturday's Grade III, $300,000 Lone Star Derby is beginning to take shape. According to stakes coordinator Mike Shamburg, the following horses are probable starters (with trainer): Illinois Derby runner-up Reporting for Duty (Steve Asmussen); Rushaway Stakes third Reata's Rocket (Joe Orseno); Northern Spur Breeders' Cup Stakes one-two Takedown (Asmussen) and Harrow Land (Tony Reinstedler); Oaklawn Park allowance winners Moyer's Pond (Reinstedler) and Slew By Slew (Donnie K. Von Hemel); Lone Star Park allowance winner Mr. Nightlinger (Bret Calhoun); and Sam Houston maiden winners Gold Wonder (Kamal Sheena) and Taksent (Eddie Webb). Possible entrants include Lexington Stakes winner Slew's Tizzy (Greg Fox) as well as third and fourth place finishers Forty Grams (Asmussen) and Trust Your Luck (Helen Pitts); WinStar Derby champ Song of Navarone (Henry Dominguez); Northern Spur Breeders' Cup third Speedway (Bernie Flint); and Keeneland allowance winner Sahara Heat (Eoin Harty) . . .

A plane transporting Kentucky-based Lone Star Derby participants is due in Dallas on Wednesday . . .

Live racing at Lone Star Park resumes Thursday at 6:35 p.m. CT for the start of Week 5 of the 16-week meeting . . .

"Party at the Park" returns to the Courtyard of Champions on Friday night with drinks specials and live music by Ice House from 7-11 p.m. . . .

Lone Star Park customers will receive a free commemorative Lone Star Derby glassware set on Saturday with a paid general admission while supplies last. The glasses pay tribute to the past Lone Star Derby winners: Anet (1997), Smolderin Heart (1998), T.B. Track Star (1999), Tahkodha Hills (2000), Percy Hope (2001), Wiseman's Ferry (2002), Dynever (2003), Pollard's Vision (2004), Southern Africa (2005) and Wanna Runner (2006) . . .

Lone Star Derby Day entertainment includes live country music by Scott Whitaker between races in the Courtyard of Champions from 12-4 p.m. and bounce houses for children on the lawn area in front of the Post Time Pavilion. . .

The Lone Star Derby is one of three stakes races on Saturday. There also will be $125,000 divisions of the Texas Stallion Stakes for 3-year-old progeny of nominated Texas-based stallions. Both the Stymie Division (colts and geldings) and Got Koko Division (fillies) will be run at 1 1/16 miles . . .

The first 500 women (age 21 and over) to attend Lone Star Park for Sunday's nine-race Mother's Day program will get a chance to dig to a real diamond on the main track after the last race. The diamond, valued at $2,500, will be buried in a section of the main track near the finish line and contestants will use spoons to find it . . .

Sundays also doubles as Senior Citizen's Day where all patrons age 62 and up will receive free general admission with proof of identification.