Heroic step rallied from last in the six-man field to win the $400,000 Steve Sexton Mile Stakes (G3) on May 27 at Lone Star Park to earn the first graded betting win of his career.
Campaigned in partnership with Arnold Bennewith, Randy Howg, Lana Wiest, R6 Stables, Gary Kroop and Norman Tremblay, Heroic Move is trained by Robertino Diodoro, who is currently banned from racing by the Safety Authority and the Horse Racing Integrity Regulator except the Texas Racing Commission which has allowed trainers to race there.
Diodoro was provisionally suspended by the Horseracing Integrity and Welfare Unit on March 29 after the alleged discovery of the banned substance levothyroxine in his stables at Oaklawn Park. The banned substance case is still pending with HIWU.
A three-way battle for victory in the $400,000 Steve Sexton Mile (G3). pic.twitter.com/JDpKN1Gron
– Lone Star Park (@lonestarpark) May 28, 2024
Heroic Move won several stakes last year and entered Monday’s mile race for 3-year-olds and up and had a fourth-place finish in the allowance race at Oaklawn. The son of Quality roads completed the distance in a time of 1:37.69 to win by a comfortable margin Touchuponastar . blurred grace finished third.
Also Monday, EJ won the trophy rallied from sixth place to clearly win the $300,000 Texas Derby. Owned and trained by Doug O’Neill, it marked the son’s second win this season Omaha Beach who also finished third in the Santa Anita Derby (G1).
