Sunday, September 25, 2011
Fastest qualifier Visible Injun, a homebred colt by Invisible Injun racing for Verona Vaughn of Edgewood, New Mexico, sprinted to a wire-to-wire victory in Sunday's $66,507 New Mexico State Fair Breeders' Derby (RG3) for state-bred 3-year-olds.
Saddled by the owner's husband, Lonnie Vaughn, and ridden by Macario Rodriguez, Visible Injun made his 400-yard trip in :19.364, the third-fastest clocking in the stakes' 46-year history and just 7/100ths of a second off of the stakes' record set by Woody Dungarees last year. The colt's winning margin was a neck from Pakea Bay, and he returned an $8 win mutuel as the 3-1 favorite.
Visible Injun broke his maiden with a 1 3/4-length victory in the second of two trials on September 10. The colt's sire, the Easily Smashed stallion Invisible Injun, raced from 1993-95 and earned $173,092 from 16 starts, and his six victories included a $289,231 derby at Sam Houston Race Park in 1994.
Visible Injun's dam, Debs Winner, is a winning 12-year-old daughter of the Beduino (TB) stallion Ruanway Winner. Debs Winner has foaled three winners from four starters, and she has produced a 2010 foal by Dash Ta Fame named Runaway Lioness.
Visible Injun's sixth dam, Black Easter Bunny, was the AQHA champion 3-year-old filly in 1952.
All told, Visible Injun has won two of eight races, and the $33,254 winner's share of the State Fair Breeders' Derby purse pushed his bankroll to $40,162, of which $38,414 has been earned this year.
Habit Rabbit finished third, three-quarters of a length behind runner-up Pakea Bay. Talleys First Shake, U R A Fury Lady, Wilmon, Chets Famous Secret, Iridescent Gray, Son Of A Preacherman, and Famous Romeo completed the order of finish.
A gray Brookstone Bay gelding owned by David Barrett and Sue May, Pakea Bay was coming off of a half-length victory in his Breeders' Derby trial. The gelding has earned $52,921 from three wins in 10 outs, and he was a finalist in the July 31, $121,219 Zia Derby (RG2) at Ruidoso Downs.
Habit Rabbit is a homebred gelding by Rabbits Rainbow campaigned by Rita Danley of Anthony, New Mexico. Also a finalist in the Zia Derby, Habit Rabbit has won one of 10 starts and has banked $18,251.