For Immediate Release
Media Contact:
Brandon Leigh
Director of Marketing &
Player Development
PAIR OF CALIFORNIA-BASED TURF SHIPPERS HEADLINE OUIJA BOARD DISTAFF
GRAND PRAIRIE, Texas (Wednesday, May 25, 2022) — California-based trainer Leonard Powell hopes to make it two stakes victories in a row with Golden Poppy Stakes (BT) winner Avenue de France(FR), as she takes on multiple-graded stakes placed Park Avenue in the $200,000 Ouija Board Distaff at Lone Star Park on the upcoming Lone Star Million Day card on Memorial day, Monday, May 30.

Avenue de France, the three-time stakes winning French bred mare by Cityscape, put in a gutsy performance to come home a winner by a nose at the wire last time out at Golden Gate Fields in the $75,000 Golden Poppy Stakes (BT) on the turf.  The Powell trainee also was victorious in the $65,900 Luther Banks Stakes (BT) in August of last year, as well as showing her versatility in winning on the all weather track on Golden Gate Fields in December of 2021 in the Miss America Stakes (BT) at 1 mile and one-sixteenth.  

Breeders Cup Classic winning trainer John Sadler ships into Lone Star Park with 4-year old Quality Road filly, Park Avenue, to take on eight-rivals in the Ouija Board Distaff for fillies and mares, 3-year-olds and up going one-mile on the Grand Prairie, Texas turf course.  In January of this year, Park Avenue was soundly beaten in her second-place effort to As Time Goes By in the La Canada Stakes(G3) at Santa Anita, before finishing fourth in her next start on the dirt in the Santa Monica Stakes(G2) in February.  

In an allowance optional-claiming event in March on the turf at Santa Anita, Sadler watched Park Avenue go wire-to-wire to record a three-length victory in her first and only attempt on the turf.  After putting out a solid 5-furlong work at Santa Anita on May 21, Sadler decided to ship the Hronis Racing LLC owned filly to take on eight other rivals in stakes company on the grass in the $200K Ouija Board Distaff at Lone Star Park.  Hall of Fame jockey Victor Espinoza has the riding assignment aboard Park Avenue.

The field for the 2022 $200,000 Guaranteed Ouija Board Distaff:
  1. PRETTY IN PINK - Kelsi Purcell - H. Ray Ashford - 30/1
  2. SHIRLEY'S TEMPLE - Stewart Elliott - Mindy J. Willis - 5/1
  3. BRANDONS BABE - Iram Vargas Diego - Karen E. Jacks - 20/1
  4. LAVENDER (IRE) - Jose L. Alvarez - Shawn H. Davis - 15/1
  5. IT'SFIFTYSHADETIME - Leandro D. Goncalves - David C. Gomez - 30/1
  6. ISLAND HIDEAWAY (GB) - Ry Eikleberry - Karl Broberg - 8/1
  7. AVENUE DE FRANCE (FR) - Florent Geroux - Leonard Powell - 5/2
  8. QUINN ELLA - Ernesto Valdez-Jiminez - Cesar Govea - 8/1
  9. PARK AVENUE - Victor Espinoza - John W. Sadler - 7/5

The $200,000 Ouija Board Distaff is scheduled as the tenth race on the Memorial Day card with an approximate post time of 6:30 p.m. CST. The remainder of the Lone Star Million Day card on Memorial Day at Lone Star Park in Grand Prairie, Texas contains five additional stakes events worth a combined purse of $1,000,000. The $400,000 Steve Sexton Mile(G3) headlines the card of stakes events that also includes the $300,000 Texas Derby for 3-year-olds going 8.5f on the dirt. The three-other stakes events on the card are the $100,000 Chamberlain Bridge Stakes, the $100,000 Memorial Day Sprint, and the $100,000 Speightstown Sprint. 

The first post-time of the twelve-race Memorial Day card at Lone Star Park is 1:40PM CST, with a vehicle giveaway of an all-new 2022 Ford Escape, as well as live music on the Courtyard of Champions stage from 1pm to 6pm, featuring Emerald City's Party Machine.

-30-
About Lone Star Park
Lone Star Park at Grand Prairie; A major league sports entertainment attraction that features two exciting racing seasons annually. Over 700,000 guests visit our beautiful facility each year, which features a seven-level glass-enclosed Grandstand, highlighted by our 1,200-seat Silks Dining Room and our 48 luxurious Penthouse Suites, all overlooking the newest race track in Texas. Situated next to our Grandstand is the 36,000 square foot world-class Las Vegas-style Racebook and simulcast facility, Bar & Book, which features wagering on horse racing from around the world 7-days a week year-round.

2022 Thoroughbred Racing Season; The heart of our product offering, running 48-days from April 28 through July 24. The Thoroughbred Racing Season runs during Triple Crown season and features an action-packed promotional schedule with lively entertainment and fun for the entire family. The 2022 Fall Meeting of Champions featuring American Quarter Horses, running 31-days from September 16 through December 17 features some of the very best in Quarter Horse racing.

Lone Star Park is located on Beltline Road, just ½ mile north of I-30 in Grand Prairie, Texas. Visit LoneStarPark.com for more information.
Lone Star Park at Grand Prairie | 1000 Lone Star PKWY, Grand Prairie, TX 75050
(972) 263-RACE (7223) | LoneStarPark.com