Tuesday, January 15, 2013
A full field of 12 New Mexico-bred 3-year-olds, including morning-line favorite Attila's Hurricane, has been entered in Saturday's $85,000 Pepsi Cola Stakes (R) at Sunland Park.
A homebred gelding by Attila's Storm owned by Gary L. Thompson and trained by Bart Hone, Attila's Hurricane has won two of three starts and has earned $56,310. Attila's Hurricane will be making his first start since December 29, when he ran second, 4 ½ lengths behind longshot winner Storms Surprise, in the $85,000 Red Hedeman Mile Stakes (R) at Sunland.
Attila's Hurricane will be ridden by Isaias Enriquez from post 10 in the Pepsi Cola Stakes.
Storms Surprise drew post 3 and will be ridden by Isaias Cardenas. A homebred Attila's Storm gelding racing for Margaret V. Bloss and trained by Owen Bringhurst, Storms Surprise has banked $111,251 from six outs, and his three wins include a four-length victory at odds of 21-1 in the 6-furlong, $81,050 George Maloof Futurity (R) during the New Mexico State Fair portion of The Downs at Albuquerque meet in September.
Another Pepsi Cola Stakes contender, Kiss My Hennessy, has earned $178,098 from seven races for his owners, Joe Dee Brooks and Scott Bryant, who acquired the Roll Hennessy Roll gelding for $19,000 at the 2011 New Mexico-Bred Yearling Sale at Ruidoso Downs. Todd Fincher trains the two-time stakes winner.
The Pepsi Cola will be the 10th race on Sunland Park's 11-race program. Approximate post time is 4:05 p.m. (MST).
The complete lineup, in post position order including jockey assignments and morning-line odds – Jenson's Miracle (Enrique Gomez), 10-1; Hush's Storm (Aldo Arboleda), 15-1; Storms Surprise (Isaias Cardenas), 4-1; Devons Ca Ching (Ken Tohill), 12-1; Indication N M (Ry Eikleberry), 6-1; Rio El Diablo (Francisco Giles), 10-1; Mos Dancer (Ricardo Jaime), 20-1 Keagan's Way (Carlos Madeira), 12-1; Key To The Venture (Miguel Hernandez), 10-1; Attila's Hurricane (Isaias Enriquez), 7-2; Kiss My Hennessy (Casey Lambert), 9-2; and Thermal (Duane Sterling), 5-1.