(May 14, 2006) - Trainer Greg Gilchrist said there is a "better than 50-percent chance" that one of racing's biggest stars, champion sprinter Lost in the Fog, will make his next start in the $100,000 Beck Auto Group Turf Sprint on Memorial Day, May 29, at Lone Star Park in Grand Prairie, Texas. A final decision will be made after Gilchrist evaluates weight assignments for the handicap to be released next weekend.

The Beck Auto Group is one of six rich stakes races to be run on the annual Memorial Day program known as the Lone Star Million. Gilchrist and owner Harry Aleo also have a 3-year-old filly, multiple stakes winner Victorina, who is being pointed to the $100,000 Stonerside Stakes. The connections are attracted to the idea of being able to run both horses on the same day.

"We've had a hard time spotting the filly around here, so I would say it's a better than 50-percent chance that we'll bring both those horses down there," Gilchrist said. "We might not come if it was just one, but the same man owns both horses and, who knows, maybe it could be a lot of fun down there."

Lost in the Fog would be making his first start on grass in the Beck Auto Group, a five-furlong turf sprint. The son of Lost Soldier won his first 10 starts before faltering as the odds-on favorite in the Grade I Breeders' Cup Sprint. In his much-anticipated 4-year-old debut last month, Lost in the Fog finished second in the $100,000 Golden Gate Fields Sprint, a race Gilchrist said his colt was not completely fit for.

"We've always wanted to run the horse on the turf and this race happens to come up at a pretty good time in his schedule," Gilchrist said. "I know they have to weight the race and everything, so I should preface that by saying that if he's going to have to pack the grandstand we're not going to put him through that."

Gilchrist said that Lost in the Fog came out of his last start "fine" and that he now understands better what kind of surface his colt thrives on. Even though Lost in the Fog has never run on the grass, the important thing is to find a firm surface that is easy to get a hold of. "The couple of times this horse has been outrun has been on deep, lose tracks," Gilchrist said. "I'm just trying to stay away from that right now."

Lost in the Fog's sire, Lost Soldier, ran second in the inaugural running of the Dallas Turf Cup over this course in 1997. Lost Soldier was a stakes winner on dirt and turf in North America and Dubai, a fact that has long made Lost in the Fog's connections eager to give the grass a try.

"It's something we've thought about for quite a while, but it never presented itself at the right time," Gilchrist said. "We're trying to get to a race at Calder at their Summit of Speed in July and we're obviously spacing the horse's races out a whole lot more than we were last year. We didn't want to be running every month this year so this just comes up at a pretty good time."

The second Gilchrist horse looking toward Million Day, the 3-year-old filly Victorina, won the $100,000 Meafara Stakes at Hawthorne Race Course in April and the $40,000 Eire Go Brach Stakes at Golden Gate Fields in March.

"She's a filly that goes and gives you her best every time," Gilchrist said. "We're looking to get her a little farther than six furlongs and [the Stonerside] is seven-eighths of a mile."

Gilchrist's only start at Lone Star Park came in the inaugural Lone Star Derby on opening weekend in 1997 with Wild Wonder, who ran fourth to Anet.

In other Lone Star Million news:

· The Grade III, $400,000 Lone Star Park Handicap is shaping up as a very tough race. Early known probables include the top three from last month's Grade III, $300,000 Texas Mile-Preachinatthebar, Stockholder and Texcess-as well as Grade I Santa Anita Handicap runner-up Magnum, multiple New York stakes winner Gold and Roses, multiple Evangeline Downs stakes winner Watchem Smokey and UAE Derby fifth-place finisher Dominguin.

· Nominations for the six Lone Star Million stakes close Wednesday. The races are: the Grade III, $400,000 Lone Star Park Handicap for older horses at 1 1/16 miles; the Grade III, $200,000 WinStar Distaff for older females at one mile on turf; the $150,000 Pin Oak Stud USA Stakes, for 3-year-olds at 1 1/16 miles on turf; the $100,000 Stonerside Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at seven furlongs; the $100,000 Beck Auto Group Turf Sprint for older horses at five furlongs on turf; and the $100,000 Valid Expectations Stakes, for older females at six furlongs.

Wanna Runner Bouncing Back From Walmac Lone Star Derby Win

Trainer Bret Calhoun, who has been housing Wanna Runner in his Barn D1, said the Walmac Lone Star Derby winner came out of his record 5 ¼-length victory in excellent condition.

"He knew this morning that he had won," Calhoun said. "He was strutting and full of energy."

Wanna Runner is scheduled to return to California to continue preparations for the $1 million Queen's Plate at Woodbine on June 25.

Preakness Stakes Simulcast Saturday

Kentucky Derby winner Barbaro takes his Triple Crown bid to Baltimore on Saturday for the 131st Preakness Stakes. The only place in North Texas to bet the Preakness is at Lone Star Park, where the Crown's middle jewel will be simulcast between live races. First post for a special 12-race card is 1:35 p.m. Gates open at 11:35 a.m. The Post Time Pavilion simulcast center will open at 8:30 a.m., one hour before first post from Pimlico Race Course at 9:30 a.m. CT.

Saturday also marks the return of Jose Cuervo Margarita Madness in the Courtyard of Champions. Enjoy an ice-cold frozen margarita while grooving to live music by Panamania from noon to 4 p.m. Also, don't miss your chance to try out the RoboSurfer mechanical surfboard.

DOWN THE STRETCH: Waupaca, a top regional turf horse from the barn of Donnie K. Von Hemel, looks to defend his title in Saturday's feature race, the $40,000 Connecting Terms Stakes, a 1 1/16-mile turf test for 3-year-olds and up that have not won a stakes race this year...May 17 will be the final Wednesday racing program of the season. The following racing week will run from Thursday to Monday for the holiday Lone Star Million program. Racing will be conducted four days per week, Thursday to Sunday, in June and July, with additional days on July 3-4...Friday's "Party at the Park" features live music by The Jeremiah Houston Band in the Courtyard of Champions from 7-11 p.m...Advance wagering on the Preakness Day card from Pimlico will be available Friday...Sundays are Senior Citizens Days with free admission for fans 62 and up.

By Jim Mulvihill