Saturday, April 09, 2011
Dick Harp's Preacher James, a homebred bay gelding by Brookstone Bay, scored his first career victory in Saturday's 300-yard, $75,000 New Mexican Spring Fling Stakes (R) for state-bred 2-year-olds at Sunland Park.
Saddled by Jaime Aldavaz and ridden by Esgar Ramirez, Preacher James covered his 300-yard trip in :14.887 while posting his first win in three starts. The gelding's margin of victory was a half of a length from Fly Olivia Fly.
Preacher James' sire, Brookstone Bay, is a brown 10-year-old stallion by the late First Down Dash, Quarter Horse racing's all-time leading sire. Racing from 2003-05, Brookstone Bay earned $184,770, and his seven wins in 21 outs included the 2002 First Down Dash Handicap (G3) at Los Alamitos. He also ran second in two graded stakes at the California track, including AQHA world champion Whosleavingwho's '03 Vessels Maturity (G1).
Brookstone Bay's full brother, Valors Gold, won the Grade 1, $89,910 Bank of America Texas Challenge Championship Stakes at Sam Houston Race Park in 2004. The stallion's top performers include Runnning Brook Gal, the winner of the 2009 All American Futurity (G1) at Ruidoso Downs and that season's AQHA champion 2-year-old. He is owned by Chad Richard and Jim and Marilyn Helzer and stands for a $5,000 fee at JEH Stallion Station at Hondo, New Mexico.
The $35,955 winner's share of the New Mexican Spring Fling purse increased Preacher James' bankroll to $39,065. The gelding was coming off of a second-place finish to Runaway Sham Bo in a New Mexican Spring Futurity (RG1) trial at Sunland Park on March 25.
Takin Back, a 33-1 longshot, ran third, a nose behind runner-up Fly Olivia Fly. Jess One Ace, Runaway Sham Bo, Caught On Tape, Rare N Hot, Two Shine, Corona With A Shot, and Fysta completed the order of finish.
Fly Olivia Fly banked $13,770 to push her earnings to $14,770 from no wins in two starts. The chestnut filly by 2002 All American Derby (G1) winner Genuine Strawfly races for Abelardo and Shawn Vallecillo from the barn of Juan M. Gonzalez.
A homebred colt by the Takin On The cash stallion Takin On Spoon Man campaigned by Anjora Corp. and trained by Pablo Rabasa Jr., Takin Back has earned $10,565 from no wins in two starts.