Saturday, March 19, 2011
Ken Tohill rode Bonndaddy's to a come-from-behind 1 1/4-length victory in Saturday's $100,000 Mt. Cristo Rey Handicap (R) for New Mexico-breds at Sunland Park.
Trained by Dwain Grissom for owners Double Kee LLC and Grissom Racing Inc., Bonndaddy's covered 4 ½ furlongs in :51.30 after closing on the fractions of :21.80 and :44.98 set by Key's Band. The $60,000 winner's share of the purse increased the 5-year-old gelding's earnings to $242,073.
Bonndaddy's was bred by Grissom, and the gelding is one of 21 winners from 39 starters sired by B.G.'s Drone, a 22-year-old son of the Full Pocket stallion Full Choke who during his racing career banked $297,905 from 15 wins in 59 starts. B.G.'s Drone has sired the earners of more than $1.02 million, including two stakes winners. He stands at Byers Ranch at Bent, New Mexico.
Bonndaddy's dam, Mi Camila, is a 13-year-old winning daughter of the Halo stallion Southern Halo. The gelding tracels back to his fifth dam, Fanfreluche, a 1967 foal and stakes-winning daughter of Northern Dancer.
All told, Bonndaddy's has won eight of 24 starts, and he was coming off of a three-quarter length victory in a 5 1/2-furlong allowance-optional claiming ($25,000) sprint at Sunland Park on March 12.
Bonndaddy's stakes record includes a third-place finish in last year's 6-furlong, $170,000 New Mexico Cup Sprint Championship (R) at Zia Park.
Key's Band ran second and was followed by Lester's Echo, Pure D Gold, Daddy O., 2-1 favorite Chuchuluco, Comic Smarty Cat, Maybe To Fast, Red Rock Springs, and Herbal Slew.
A 7-year-old Chimes Band gelding racing for Maria G. Gonzalez of Edgewood, New Mexico, Key's Band earned $21,000 to push his bankroll to $279,852, and his six wins in 20 starts includes last year's Mt. Cristo Rey Handicap.
Lester's Echo has won four of 10 races and has earned $102,786 for his owners, Diana Bringhurst and Jeff and Chris Meyers. The 4-year-old gelding by The Trader's Echo ran third, 1 ½ lengths behind winner Train Rider Blues, in last year's 5 1/2-furlong, $50,000 Road Runner Handicap (R) for state-bred sprinters at Ruidoso Downs.