Sunday, June 12, 2011
Leave N Legal, a gelding by Illegal Runaway owned and trained by Jaime Aldavaz Jr., sprinted to a half-length victory in Saturday's $85,000 New Mexico Breeders' Stakes (RG2) for state-bred 3-year-olds at SunRay Park.
Ridden by Bonifacio Perez for the first time in a race and sent to post as the 7-2 second choice, Leave N Legal went 400 yards in :19.109, earning a 103 speed index and breaking by 15/100ths of a second the previous stakes record set by Smith And West in 2008. The $51,000 winner's share of the purse increased his earnings to $104,798.
Leave N Legal was bred by Gary and Bonnie Hartstack. The gelding's sire, Illegal Runaway, is a stakes-winning 16-year-old son of Runaway Winner who ran third in Cautious Memories' 1997 Rainbow Futurity (G1) at Ruidoso Downs. Racing from 1997-97, Illegal Runaway earned $152,159 from five wins in 13 starts.
Leave N Legal's dam, Steppin Mary, is a winning 11-year-old daughter of Leaving Memories. Her half sister, the Vital Class mare Fightin Jane, won the 2000 Ruidoso Futurity (G1).
Racing exclusively in New Mexico, Leave N Legal has won four of 11 races, including his last three outs. The gelding was coming off of a neck victory as the 2-1 favorite in a 350-yard allowance sprint at SunRay on May 15.
Leave N Legal returned a $7 win mutuel and teamed with runner-up Famous Paint for a $70.80 ($2) exacta. Real Jackpot ran third to complete a $470.80 ($2) trifecta.
Formerly Hot, Snow Regard, Love Me Caliente, Famous Dungarees, Primvvera, Rebellious Wind, and Woody Slew completed the order of finish.
Famous Paint is a sorrel Dash Ta Fame gelding racing for Sergio Enriquez and trained by Alonso Orozco. Famous Paint banked $17,000 to push his career earnings to $49,724 from one win in eight starts.
A sorrel gelding by Jacksboro owned and trained by Lawrence Boyd, Real Jackpot has earned $31,422 from 10 races. The gelding broke his maiden going 350 yards for a $12,500 claiming tag at Sunland Park on February 8.