(April 14, 2005) - It took a stakes record by the 7-year-old gelding Rare Cure to run down 3-5 favorite Yessirgeneralsir in Lone Star Park at Grand Prairie's opening night feature, the $50,000 Premiere Stakes for Texas-breds. Ridden by Cliff Berry and trained by Joe Petalino, Rare Cure ran one mile on a fast main track in 1:37.15 and pushed his career earning past the half-million mark to $507,610.

"That was a big race," said his elated owner and breeder Larry Dyson of Bonham, Texas. "He loves this racetrack."

Not so happy were the connections of Yessirgeneralsir, who led nearly every step of the way, only to be caught by Rare Cure in the final strides to lose by a neck.

"[Jockey Lonnie Meche] yanked at him at the top of the stretch [to try and change his lead foot] and he threw his head," said Yessirgeneralsir's owner and breeder Jim Jackson of Rockdale, Texas. "You've got to turn this horse loose. He's a push button horse and doesn't need to be yanked. I think that cost him. But that's horseracing."

Race Cure paid $32.60, $7.60 and $3.80. It was his 12th victory in 54 starts, and fourth triumph at Lone Star Park. Last summer, he defeated open company to win the $75,000 Bob Johnson Memorial Stakes.

This was Race Cure's third try in the Premiere and first victory in the race. The son of Rare Brick finished third in 2003 and eighth a year ago.

"He came into this race better than he had the last two years," Petalino said. "We decided to keep in training this year. He was a fitter horse because we raced him a couple of times at Fair Grounds (and Sam Houston). This really is an honest horse and he loves this racetrack. I think we might switch him back to the turf next time because he really responds to a surface switch."

Trainer Dallas Keen said Yessirgeneralsir's next start would most likely come in the Grade III, $300,000 Texas Mile. He finished third in that race a year ago, and subsequently won the Grade III, $300,000 Lone Star Park Handicap. Keen indicated that he would "most likely" make a jockey switch.

Trainer Danny Pish reported that third place finisher Agrivating General, who sought his third straight Premiere triumph, grabbed a quarter in his front foot at the start of the race.