Thursday, August 18, 2011
A total of 96 New Mexico-bred Thoroughbreds and Quarter Horses have been entered in Sunday's Lineage Day races at The Downs at Albuquerque.
Post time for the first of 11 races, a 350-yard, $10,000 claiming stakes for Quarter Horses, is 1:30 p.m. (MDT).
Nine of Sunday's Lineage Day races are official black-type stakes, four of which are Quarter Horse races. The top state-bred runners entered include Rogelio Carrasco's BRT Opulence, the likely favorite in the 870-yard, $50,000 John Augustine Stakes (R). A 7-year-old gelding by the Runaway Winner stallion Real Runaway, BRT Opulence has won two consecutive stakes, including the July 31 Zia 870 Championship (R) at Ruidoso Downs.
Other prominent Lineage Day entries include Comicsperfectstorm, a homebred 3-year-old daughter of Comic Genius racing for Helen Nave of Hobbs, New Mexico. Comicsperfectstorm drew post 3 for Sunday's 6-furlong, $50,000 Chief Narbona Stakes (R) for sophomore fillies, and she is coming off of a six-length victory as the odds-on favorite in the July 31, 5 1/2-furlong Sierra Starlet Handicap (R) at Ruidoso.
The Lineage program also marks the return to The Downs at Albuquerque of the ageless Romeos Wilson, who drew post 9 in the 5 1/2-furlong, $50,000 Casey Darnell Pony Express Stakes (R). A 13-year-old gelding by the Encino stallion Jack Wilson campaigned by Rita J. Danley of Anthony, Romeos Wilson has won 19 of 100 starts, including last year's Pony Express Stakes.
Click here for the official track overnight entry sheet.