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| 3 | 4 | | |
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| 4 | 5 | | R E S O L U T I O N |
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| 5 | 6 | | WHEREAS, Lone Star Park in Grand Prairie is celebrating 20 |
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| 6 | 7 | | years of horse racing in 2017; and |
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| 7 | 8 | | WHEREAS, The track held its first race, the $50,000 Premiere |
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| 8 | 9 | | Stakes, on April 17, 1997, when, to the great shock of even the |
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| 9 | 10 | | horse's trainer, a five-year-old Thoroughbred gelding with the |
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| 10 | 11 | | unlikely name I Are Sharp won against 50 to 1 odds; two years later, |
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| 11 | 12 | | an appearance at the track of the Kentucky Derby and Preakness |
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| 12 | 13 | | winner Real Quiet and the retirement ceremony of jockey Julie Krone |
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| 13 | 14 | | brought some 21,000 fans to the park; and |
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| 14 | 15 | | WHEREAS, In 2004, the Breeders' Cup drew a record crowd of |
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| 15 | 16 | | more than 53,700, and the following year, the park celebrated its 10 |
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| 16 | 17 | | millionth visitor; the park's first $400,000 purse was won in May |
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| 17 | 18 | | 2006 by Santa Anita Handicap runner-up Magnum; and |
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| 18 | 19 | | WHEREAS, Prior to its 2013 season, the park reconditioned its |
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| 19 | 20 | | main track, renovated the 1,200-seat Silks Dining Terraces, and |
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| 20 | 21 | | redesigned its television presentation; in addition to live races |
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| 21 | 22 | | at the park, the track simulcasts other races from around the |
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| 22 | 23 | | nation; in 2016, the park took in $160 million in wagers, nearly |
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| 23 | 24 | | half of the total bet on horse racing in the entire state that year; |
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| 24 | 25 | | and |
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| 25 | 26 | | WHEREAS, The park's 2017 Thoroughbred season runs from April |
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| 26 | 27 | | 20 to July 30, and its quarter horse season runs from September 15 |
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| 27 | 28 | | to November 11; in addition to racing, the park offers its Lone Star |
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| 28 | 29 | | Music concert series and hosts various other events throughout the |
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| 29 | 30 | | year; and |
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| 30 | 31 | | WHEREAS, For two decades, Lone Star Park has offered the |
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| 31 | 32 | | residents of the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex the thrill of live |
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| 32 | 33 | | horse racing as well as other entertainment opportunities, and the |
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| 33 | 34 | | track is truly deserving of special recognition on this milestone |
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| 34 | 35 | | occasion; now, therefore, be it |
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| 35 | 36 | | RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 85th Texas |
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| 36 | 37 | | Legislature hereby commemorate the 20th anniversary of Lone Star |
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| 37 | 38 | | Park and extend to the track's owners and staff sincere best wishes |
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| 38 | 39 | | for continued success; and, be it further |
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| 39 | 40 | | RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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| 40 | 41 | | prepared for Lone Star Park as an expression of high regard by the |
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| 41 | 42 | | Texas House of Representatives. |
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