Sunday, April 17, 2011
Black Hills made his return to New Mexico a winning one, as the 7-year-old Judge TC gelding captured the $100,000 Sunland Park Handicap at Sunland Park on Sunday.
Ridden by Miguel Hernandez for owner Class Racing Stable, Black Hills covered his 1 1/8-mile trip in 1:48.59, closing off of the fractions of :22.67, :45.76, and 1:10.73 set by Imco Spirit (IRE). The victory was his 10th in 23 starts, and the $60,000 winner's share of the purse pushed his earnings to $444,830.
“It was nice to get back home today,” said trainer Bart Hone. “When I saw the first quarter-mile in 22 and change, I thought we might be in good shape.
“We're looking at taking him to the midwest and trying some stakes races at Prairie Meadows,” he added.
Black Hills was bred in Florida by Juan Centeno. The gelding's sire, Judge TC, is a Grade 2-winning son of the In Reality stallion Judge Smells who raced from 1993-96 and banked $826,826 from 28 starts.
Now 20, Judge TC has sired 14 stakes winners and the earners of more than $20.3 million from 412 starters. He was sold in 2006 to stand in Saudi Arabia.
Black Hills' dam, Little Sioux, is a winning 15-year-old daughter of the Forty Niner stallion Tactical Advantage.
Black Hills' stakes resume includes a half-length victory in the January 8, $50,000 Winsham Lad Stakes at Sunland Park, a race the gelding has won the past two seasons. Following that win, Black Hills finished eighth, 11 lengths behind winner Tackleberry, in the January 29, $500,000 Sunshine Millions Classic Stakes at Gulfstream Park, and he ran seventh, 9 ¾ lengths behind winner Z Humor, in the March 5, $150,000 Maxxam Gold Cup Handicap at Sam Houston Race Park.
Sent to post as the 8-5 favorite, Black Hills returned a $5.20 win mutuel.
Schramsberg ran second, five lengths behind the winner. Quiet Again, Infinite Resource, Cape Time, Imco Spirit (IRE), and Tizsosexy completed the order of finish.
Schramsberg is a 5-year-old Storm Cat stallion racing for Bobby Joe Hammer from the barn of trainer Chris Hartman. The Kentucky-bred stallion has banked $349,126 from 19 starts, and his five victories include the January 29, $200,000 John B. Connally Turf Cup Handicap (G3) at Sam Houston, and last year's 1 1/16-mile, $150,000 Remington Green Stakes at Remington Park.
A 6-year-old gelding by 1998 Kentucky Derby (G1) winner and champion 3-year-old colt Real Quiet, Quiet Again has won 12 of 37 outs and has earned $443,918 for his owner and breeder Paul B. Thomason. Quiet Again has won three black-type races the past two seasons, including the 1 1/16-mile, $50,000 Curribot Stakes at Sunland Park on February 13.