Lone Star Park’s main track is in its best condition ever, according to several horsemen who have been stabled in Grand Prairie, Texas for several weeks.

The 10th annual 66-date Spring Thoroughbred Season commences Thursday night at 6:35 p.m. for an action-packed 15-week run through Sunday, July 23.

“We really like what we’ve seen so far,” said Bret Calhoun, the second-leading trainer at last year’s meet. “You can walk across it and tell it’s a complete different track this year. You can pick up the soil in your hand, squeeze it, and it binds.”

Calhoun was especially impressed with the track’s recovery from a late-March deluge.
 
“It already passed a pretty good acid test a few weeks ago when we had that nine inches of rain,” he said. “Within two days it was in perfect condition. In past years it might have been in poor condition for a week.”
 
Mr. Sandman
The high marks must come as a relief, but probably not a surprise, to Lone Star’s new director of track maintenance, George McDermott, who was hired in October for one purpose-to develop the fairest and safest surface in racing