Rated R Superstar Tops Steve Sexton Mile Field

A mix of experienced stakes winners and lightly raced but rising competitors make up the 10-horse field for the $400,000 Steve Sexton Mile Stakes (G3) being run May 30 on the main track at Lone Star Park.

Multiple graded stakes winner Rated R Superstar  is the 124-pound highweight in the Steve Sexton Mile, having two stakes wins from four starts so far this year that include the Fifth Season Stakes and the Essex Handicap (G3) at Oaklawn Park for owner Danny Caldwell and trainer Martin Villafranco. For his career, the 9-year-old gelded son of Kodiak Kowboy  has won six stakes since 2016, including three graded stakes, and has earned nearly $1.6 million. He will be saddled by Villafranco, the son of Federico Villafranco who went out on his own as a trainer earlier this year. The horse will break along the rail with rider Reylu Gutierrez.

Other multiple stakes winners contesting the Steve Sexton Mile include Mine That Star , who comes into the race off a win in the Inaugural Stakes at SunRay Park for Judge Lanier Racing and trainer H. Ray Ashford Jr. The 5-year-old son of Pioneerof the Nile  has won three stakes this year, having also captured the Winsham Lad Handicap Jan. 23 and the Curribot Handicap March 5, both at Sunland Park. He will be ridden by Kelsi Purcell from post 3 and carry 120 pounds.

Another multiple black-type winner is Flash of Mischief , who won the St. Louis Derby Sponsored by Fanduel Sportsbook and Delta Mile Stakes and was second in the Oklahoma Derby (G3) and Iowa Derby all last year. Jerry Namy's homebred 4-year-old son of Into Mischief   made his seasonal debut May 6 at Lone Star when he finished fourth in a six-furlong $75,000 allowance optional claiming race. Flash of Mischief will break from post 9 under Ry Eikleberry and carry 120 pounds.

The lightly raced challengers with multiple wins under their girths already are California shippers Shaaz , a 4-year-old son of Uncle Mo   owned by Michael Lund Petersen, who is undefeated (with the help of one disqualification) in three starts; and, Elector , a 4-year-old son of Constitution  , who is owned by West Point Thoroughbreds, Edwin Barker, and William Sandbrook.

Previously trained by Bob Baffert who is serving out a 90-day suspension, Shaaz is trained by Sean McCarthy. The colt is just starting to live up to the promise he showed when he was purchased for $1.1 million at the 2020 Fasig-Tipton Midlantic 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale from Pike Racing. He comes into the Steve Sexton Mile off a 2 3/4-length win in a $100,000 allowance optional claimer April 2 at Santa Anita Park. Florent Geroux will ride him from post 8 carrying 120 pounds.

Elector has won two of three starts since his racing debut Dec. 26. He is undefeated so far this year and comes into the Steve Sexton Mile off a 1 1/2-length win in a $50,000 allowance optional claimer April 16 at Santa Anita. The colt is trained by John Sadler and will be ridden by Victor Espinoza from post 5 with a 118-pound assignment.

Also on the May 30 card is the $200,000 Ouija Board Distaff Stakes, a one-mile turf race for fillies and mares 3 and older that has attracted nine entrants, including California shippers Avenue de France , from Leonard Powell's barn, and Park Avenue , who is trained by Sadler.

Contender Shirley's Temple  did not have things go her way in her sole start in a black-type stakes during her 15-race career but her success otherwise at Lone Star could open that door in the Ouija Board.

Avenue de France owns the best stakes record in the field with three wins and a grade 3-placed finish since August 2021. The 5-year-old daughter of Cityscape  comes into the race off a win April 30 in the Golden Poppy Stakes at 1 1/16 miles on the grass at Golden Gate Fields and is the co-highweight carrying 123 pounds.

Avenue de France will break from post 7 under Geroux, who will be making his first start with her. The mare is owned by Benowitz Family Trust, Convergence Stables, Madaket Stables, Wonder Stables, and Mathilde Powell. In addition to the Golden Poppy, Avenue de France won the Miss America Stakes at 1 1/16 miles on Golden Gate Field's all-weather main track Dec. 12 and was subsequently third in the Jan. 29 Megahertz Stakes (G3T) at a mile on the grass at Santa Anita Park. She went unplaced in two grade 2 stakes prior to her win in the Golden Poppy.

Shirley's Temple, a 4-year-old daughter of Temple City  , comes into the Ouija Board off two consecutive wins at Lone Star this month and three wins at the distance. She won a one-mile $75,000 allowance optional claimer May 6 by three lengths and followed that performance with a one-length win in a 1 1/16-mile starter optional claimer on the turf. Trained by Mindy Willis for owner Tye Smith, Shirley's Temple will be ridden from post 2 by Stewart Elliott, who was aboard for her win May 6. She has also been assigned 123 pounds.

Park Avenue, a 4-year-old daughter of Quality Road  , is a grade 3-placed winner so far this year. She was second in the 1 1/16-mile La Canada Stakes (G3) Jan. 1 on the main track at Santa Anita and two races later made her turf debut a winning one in an $80,000 allowance optional claimer at 1 1/8 miles at Santa Anita. She comes into Ouija Board off a fifth in the Santa Margarita Stakes (G2) for owner Hronis Racing. She will carry 123 pounds and break from the far outside post under Espinoza.

Entries: Steve Sexton Mile S. (G3)

Lone Star Park, Monday, May 30, 2022, Race 12

• Grade III
• 1m
• Dirt
• $400,000
• 3 yo's & up
• 7:35 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Rated R Superstar (KY)	Reylu Gutierrez	124	Martin Villafranco	10/1
2	2Tesoro (KY)	Sonny Leon	118	O. J. Jauregui	20/1
3	3Mine That Star (KY)	Kelsi Purcell	120	H. Ray Ashford, Jr.	20/1
4	4Sheriff Brown (KY)	Leandro D. Goncalves	122	Todd W. Fincher	12/1
5	5Elector (KY)	Victor Espinoza	118	John W. Sadler	3/1
6	6Mish (FL)	Edwin Gonzalez	120	Saffie A. Joseph, Jr.	7/2
7	7Popular Kid (CA)	Jose L. Alvarez	120	Shawn H. Davis	15/1
8	8Shaaz (VA)	Florent Geroux	120	Sean McCarthy	2/1
9	9Flash of Mischief (KY)	Ry Eikleberry	120	Karl Broberg	12/1
10	10Silver Prospector (KY)	Stewart Elliott	118	Steven M. Asmussen	12/1

Entries: Ouija Board Distaff S.

Lone Star Park, Monday, May 30, 2022, Race 10

• STK
• 1m
• Turf
• $200,000
• 3 yo's & up Fillies and Mares
• 6:30 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Pretty in Pink (KY)	Kelsi Purcell	119	H. Ray Ashford, Jr.	30/1
2	2Shirley's Temple (KY)	Stewart Elliott	123	Mindy J. Willis	5/1
3	3Brandons Babe (KY)	Iram Vargas Diego	119	Karen E. Jacks	20/1
4	4Lavender (IRE)	Jose L. Alvarez	121	Shawn H. Davis	15/1
5	5It'sfiftyshadetime (KY)	Leandro D. Goncalves	117	David C. Gomez	30/1
6	6Island Hideaway (GB)	Ry Eikleberry	119	Karl Broberg	8/1
7	7Avenue de France (FR)	Florent Geroux	123	Leonard Powell	5/2
8	8Quinn Ella (BC)	Ernesto Valdez-Jiminez	121	Cesar Govea	8/1
9	9Park Avenue (KY)	Victor Espinoza	123	John W. Sadler	7/5