Lone Star Park: Stakes winners crowned on Memorial Day

Betting favorite Vive Veuve ran down pacesetter Tizawiz in the final strides Monday, getting up at the wire to win the $200,000 Ouija Board Distaff Stakes on Memorial Day at Lone Star Park.

Irad Ortiz Jr. rode the 6-5 winner for trainer Joe Sharp in the one-mile race for fillies and mares 3 and up, which came off the turf to a fast main track and lost four runners to the scratch. The victory completed a stakes-riding triple Monday for Ortiz.

Tizawiz (7-1), with Deshawn Parker aboard for trainer W. Calhoun, broke sharply and rolled to the front through fractions of 25.17, 49.59, 1:13.89 and 1:25.99. Multiplication (3-1) moved up to attend the pacesetter from the outside under Jose Alvarez. Vive Veuve settled in mid-pack with Lucky Speech (13-1) trailing.

Parker asked Tizawiz for run off the second turn, and the leader maintained a clear advantage to the eighth pole. Ortiz tipped Vive Veuve off the rail and launched his rally, ranging up alongside the leader in deep stretch before surging past at the wire to win by a head in 1:38.88. Vive Veuve returned $4.40, $3.40 and $2.20.

Tizawiz placed second and paid $7.20 and $3.40. Multiplication closed for third and returned $3.40 to show. Lucky Speech crossed fourth under Erik Asmussen for trainer Steven Asmussen. Miss Metoyer (11-1) was fifth under Edward Santiago, and second choice Love You Anyway (2-1), with Luis Sáez up for Asmussen, completed the order.

The $2 exacta returned $28.20, the 50-cent trifecta paid $21.80 and the 10-cent superfecta came back at $11.33.

Owned by Carl R. Moore Management, Vive Veuve delivered Sharp a stakes win on a Memorial Day card that lost its turf course but produced a head-bob finish.

Souper Tuscan takes the Speightstown Sprint Stakes

Souper Tuscan rallied four wide under Irad Ortiz Jr., took command in the final sixteenth and held off a late charge from For All Mankind to win Monday's $100,000 Speightstown Sprint Stakes by a neck at Lone Star Park.

The 9-2 third choice covered the six furlongs for trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. and owner C2 Racing Stable in the sprint for 3-year-olds and up.

Dancin for Gold (5-1) hustled away from the start under Floyd Wethey Jr. and dictated terms through a quarter-mile in 22.11 seconds, contested by Stonehenge (10-1) along the inside under Cristian Torres. The pair pressed on through a half in 45.04 as 7-5 favorite Booth stalked three wide in third for trainer Steven Asmussen and son Erik Asmussen aboard.

Souper Tuscan tracked the early pace from mid-pack, saving ground around the bend as Ortiz bided his time. Booth ranged up alongside the leaders three wide nearing the quarter pole, dashed five-eighths in 57.31 and took a narrow lead past the furlong pole. Souper Tuscan angled out, rallied through the lane and overtook Booth into the final sixteenth.

For All Mankind, off a step slowly under Luis Sáez for John Sadler after breaking out and bumping Stonehenge at the start, trailed the field before swinging widest in the lane and unleashing a furious rally. He bore down on Souper Tuscan with every stride but ran out of ground, finishing a neck behind the winner and 1 3/4 lengths clear of Booth for second.

Souper Tuscan stopped the clock in 1:10.05 on the fast main track and paid $11, $5.80 and $4.20. For All Mankind returned $9.40 and $5.60. Booth held for third by a half-length and paid $3.20 to show. Dancin for Gold yielded late and settled for fourth, a head in front of Master Mule (7-2) in fifth.

Kavod (8-1) got caught in traffic and faded to sixth, and Stonehenge tired late after dueling on the lead to finish seventh. Neiman, Colleague, Surveillance, Blue Light and Mikel W were scratched.

Surveillance takes home the Chamberlain Bridge

Surveillance ran past stubborn pacesetter Sawasdee in deep stretch and held off late-running Let's Go Mark by a half-length at 5-1 Monday in the $100,000 Chamberlain Bridge Stakes at Lone Star Park, where 1-2 favorite Usually Wrong faded to fourth.

The five-furlong sprint for 3-year-olds and up came off the turf and ran on the fast main track at the same distance. Two stakes scratches left a six-horse field.

Jackman's Ride (5-1) broke alertly and traded blows with Sawasdee through an opening quarter-mile in a sharp 22.00 seconds, with Usually Wrong disputing the pace from between rivals. Sawasdee (8-1) hustled from a wide trip to take command along the bend and led the field through the half-mile in 45.54 seconds, opening a length on his pursuers as they straightened for home.

Surveillance tracked from fourth under Lane Luzzi, angled out four wide and unleashed a sustained rally up the lane. He drew even with Sawasdee inside the sixteenth pole, took command in deep stretch and held over Let's Go Mark (10-1), who weaved through traffic under Deshawn Parker and came up short on the wire. Sawasdee yielded to the top pair late and held third under Alfredo Juarez Jr. Usually Wrong, between foes early and angled three wide for the drive, flattened in deep stretch.

Surveillance covered the five furlongs in 58.53 seconds and paid $13.00, $4.60 and $2.80. Let's Go Mark returned $6.20 and $4.20, with Sawasdee paying $4.80 to show.

Jackman's Ride dueled on the inside early, checked at the quarter pole and faded to fifth under Rene Diaz. High Front (15-1) trailed throughout.

Stewards conducted an inquiry into the running on the turn, and Diaz lodged an objection against Sawasdee for interference nearing the top of the stretch. Both were disallowed, leaving the order of finish unchanged.

Surveillance carries the colors of Karon Ashford for trainer Tristan Ashford. Let's Go Mark runs for owner BSF Equine Athlete and trainer Danny Pish. Sawasdee races for owner-trainer Isaiah Ortiz.

Thermal runs away with the Memorial Day Sprint

Second choice Thermal popped to the front from the start and went on with it, drawing clear of odds-on favorite and defending champion Mystic Lake in the stretch to win the, $100,000 Memorial Day Sprint Stakes by 8 1/4 lengths Monday at Lone Star Park.

Luis Sáez rode the 2-1 winner for trainer John Sadler in the six-furlong feature for fillies and mares 3 and up over a fast main track.

Thermal broke in at the start and crowded Letta's Legacy before Sáez sent her clear to the lead. Mystic Lake (2-5), under Irad Ortiz Jr., tracked the winner from second through opening fractions of 21.84 and 44.04 seconds. Letta's Legacy (9-1) recovered to run third.

Thermal opened daylight on the turn, reached five furlongs in 55.93 and drew off under urging to mid-stretch. She kept to her task through the final sixteenth and crossed the wire in 1:08.56, paying $6.60, $4.40 and $2.10 across the board. Aye Candy (10-1), who hopped at the start and saved ground early, swung four wide into the lane under Geovanni Franco for trainer Todd Fincher and got up for second by a neck, returning $6.80 and $2.80. Mystic Lake yielded in the late stages and held third, paying $2.10 to show.

Letta's Legacy crossed fourth under David Cabrera for trainer Joe Offolter. Reclusive (33-1), with Rodolfo Guerra up for trainer Tina Hurley, settled off the pace and never threatened, coming in fifth. Blushing Belle (34-1) swung widest into the lane and finished last of six. Practical Dream was scratched.

Owned by By Talla Racing and John Sadler Racing, Thermal has now won three of her last four starts. Mystic Lake captured this race in 2025.