James J. Gonzales II and Dennis Means, two horsemen with past ties to Quarter Horse racing's most prestigious race, combined to win Saturday’s Tommy “Duke” Smith Handicap (RG2) for New Mexico-bred aged runners at SunRay Park.

Saddled by Gonzales and ridden by Means for owner Victor R. Diaz of Sunland Park, New Mexico, the 4-year-old gelding Salt On The Side outran his 16-1 odds to win the $75,000 stakes by a nose from A First Caller. The son of the late The Down Side went 400 yards in :19.122, earning a lifetime-best 106 speed index and breaking by 27/100ths of a second the previous stakes record set by Leonas TR in 2008.

Gonzales and Means have both ridden winners of the Grade 1, $2-million All American Futurity at Ruidoso Downs. Gonzales won the race with Rosella Anrin Prieto’s By By JJ in 2003, and Means accomplished the feat with TNT Racing’s Ausual Suspect in ’01.

Salt On The Side was bred by R.D. Hubbard, and the gelding is one of seven stakes winners from 75 starters sired by The Down Side, a Grade 1-winning stallion by all-time leading sire First Down Dash whose three crops have earned more than $2.5 million and include Double Down Special, a gelding who has won this year’s Ruidoso (G1) and West Texas (G3) derbies. The Down Side died in a barn fire in 2006.

Salt On The Side is also one of two winners from as many starters produced by his dam, the winning Salt Lake (TB) mare Salty Broad. Now 11, Salty Broad is a half sister to three graded stakes winners, including 1996 Southern California Derby (G1) winner Western Heart and ’99 Rainbow Derby (G1) winner and 2008 AQHA champion broodmare My Dashing Lady.

Salt On The Side’s third dam, Lady Juno, was a 1976 foal by the Bold Ruler (TB) stallion Master Hand (TB) who won the 1980 Champion of Champions at Los Alamitos and was that season’s champion aged mare. The gelding’s fourth dam, Juno Reward, was a winning daughter of the Moon Deck stallion Jet Deck who foaled three stakes winners, including 1985 West Texas Futurity (G2) winner Life Styles.

A 16-1 longshot, Salt On The Side returned a $35.60 win mutuel and teamed with A First Caller for a ($2) exacta payoff of $222.20. Miracle Snow ran third, three-quarters of a length behind the winner, to complete a $970.20 ($2) trifecta.

The $45,000 winner’s share of the Duke Smith purse increased Salt On The Side’s earnings to $118,154. Racing exclusively in New Mexico, the gelding has won three of 10 races, including last year’s 400-yard, $107,173 Zia Derby (RG2) at Ruidoso Downs at odds of 18-1. He also was a finalist in the New Mexico State Fair Breeders’ Derby (R) at The Downs at Albuquerque.

In Famous Caper, the 3-5 favorite, ran fourth and was followed by Dueling Juan, Gold Zime, Klassic Strawfly, Blushing Daisy, Go Buddy Lee, and Astreakin Bliss.

A First Caller is a homebred 5-year-old gelding by Calligrapher who ran second to champion First Moonflash in last year’s New Mexico Cup Championship (RG1) at Zia Park and Jess Burner Memorial Handicap (RG1) at Sunland Park. A winner of seven of 28 races, A First Caller earned $15,000 to increase his bankroll to $339,315 for his owner, Richard R. Shearer of Portales, New Mexico.

Miracle Snow banked $7,500 for his owners, Melvin and Mary Neugebauer of Manzanola, Colorado. The homebred 6-year-old gelding by champion Dean Miracle has earned $272,500 from eight victories in 30 outs, and his stakes resume includes a win in the 2007 Hard Twist Stakes (RG3) for state-bred 3-year-olds on Lineage Day at The Downs at Albuquerque.