BY BROCK SHERIDAN
Lure Him In leads a Sunshine State invasion into Texas Monday as the 7-year-old gelding is set for the $400,000 Steve Sexton Mile (Grade 3) at Lone Star Park Monday. He is among six Florida-breds entered in four different stakes at Lone Star including Spirit Wind, the 3-5 favorite in the $100,000 Memorial Day Sprint for fillies and mares at six furlongs; Mish (2-1), Tape to Tape (4-1) and Ruggs (30-1) in the $100,000 Speightstown for older horses going six furlongs; and General Ledger in the $300,000 Texas Derby set for a mile-and-a-sixteenth.
Spirit Wind is also entered in $250,000 Winning Colors (G3) for fillies and mares at Churchill Downs Monday where she is the 3-1 second choice.
Lure Him In will make his second start from the Joseph barn after finishing fourth behind winner Il Miracolo in the Grade 3 Ghostzapper going a mile-and-a-sixteenth at Gulfstream Park on March 30. He will be trying for his second stakes victory of the year after winning the $95,000 Sunshine Classic against Florida-breds at the same distance at Gulfstream on Jan. 20 when trained by Herman Wilensky for Double B Racing. In one other start this year for Wilensky, Lure Him In was second to Black Belt in an upper level, $62,500 optional claiming at eight-and-a-half furlongs at Gulfstream on Feb. 17.
Double B Racing now partners with C2 Racing Stable LLC, Paul Braverman and Mach 1 Racing on the son of Journeyman Stud’s leading Florida sire Khozan. Lure Him In has eight wins, nine seconds and seven thirds in 43 starts with career earnings of $493,333. Out of Alluring Lady, by Indygo Shiner, Lure Him In was bred in Florida by Stonehedge LLC.
Edgard Zayas will ride Lure Him in from post four in the field of eight 3-year-olds and older.
Trainer Mike Maker has Frosted Grace looking for his third straight victory as he defends his title in the Steve Sexton Mile.
Like Lure Him In, Frosted Grace also will be making his second start for his trainer after winning the Grade 3 Oaklawn Mile in his last race on March 30. Two races ago, the 3-year-olds son of Mark Valeski won a $62,500 claiming race going a mile at Oaklawn when trained by Robertino Diodoro.
An earner of $1,113,562, Frosted Grace was claimed by current owner Flying P Stable for $32,000 out of a winning effort at Keeneland in October of 2022. He has since won five of 11 races and has a career ledger of 11 wins, 14 seconds and seven thirds in 46 starts.
Ramon Vasquez will ride Frosted Grace, the 2-1 morning line favorite, from post five.
Another strong contender is Touchuponastar, a winner of 11 of his last 13 races including the $54,000 Evangeline Downs Classic against Louisiana-breds going a mile over a sloppy track on May 4 in his last race.
Trained by Jeff Delhomme for Set-Hut LLC, Touchuponastar also won the $150,000 Premiere Championship for state-breds at Delta Downs at a mile-and-a-sixteenth on Feb. 3, also on a sloppy track. The 5-year-old son of Star Guitar has proven capable against open company however, finishing second to Red Route One in the Grade 2 New Orleans Classic at Fair Grounds going a mile-and-an-eighth on March 23.
Touchuponastar has a career record of 12 wins, three seconds and a third in 16 starts with earnings of $844,100.
He is 7-2 in the program and will break from post three with jockey Timothy Thorton.
Others set for the Steve Sexton Mile are Everso Mischievous with Cristian Torres in the saddle, Stewart Elliot is named to ride Presidential, Silver Prospector and jockey Keith Asmussen, Heroic Move will be ridden by Harry Hernandez and Reylu Gutierrez will guide Denington.
