Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Sunland Park Racetrack, which ended its 77-day season on Tuesday, has announced its horses of the meet.
Twice The Appeal and Noconi were Sunland's top Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse, respectively. Trained by Jeff Bonde and ridden by Christian Santiago Reyes, Twice The Appeal won the 1 1/8-mile, $800,000 Sunland Derby (G3) on March 27, which marked his only start of the meet. He was also named the meet's top 3-year-old colt or gelding.
Noconi, the reigning AQHA champion aged gelding, won the meet's richest Quarter Horse race, the 400-yard, $350,000 Championship at Sunland Park (G1) on December 26. The 6-year-old son of Mr Jess Perry races for R.D. Hubbard and John T.L. Jones from the barn of trainer Paul Jones.
Other Sunland Thoroughbred honors went to Riley Allison Futurity winner City Cool (top 2-year-old colt or gelding), Plum Pretty (3-year-old filly), Ducky Drake (sprinter), Black Hills (distance horse), Hayley's Halo (sprinter filly or mare), Twelve Twenty Two (distance filly or mare), and Time For Deception and Candy Apple Red (co-most improved horses).
New Mexico-bred Thoroughbred honors were awarded to I Play Dirty (top 2-year-old colt or gelding), Roll Bloomers Roll (2-year-old filly), Chuchuluco (older sprinter colt or gelding), Shamrock Girl (filly sprinter), Iplaytricks (filly router), Attitude E Racer (3-year-old colt or gelding), and Cali Baby (older mare).
Sunland's top Quarter Horses were Rylees Boy (top older horse), Osbaldo (New Mexico-bred 2-year-old colt or gelding), Valiant War Hero (2-year-old colt or gelding), Prospect To The Top (3-year-old), Jenuine Joy (older New Mexico-bred filly or mare), One Diamond Kitty (older New Mexico-bred colt or gelding), and Hez Our Rock (distance horse).
Also, Chris Hartman won his fourth Thoroughbred training title, while Paul Jones was the meet's top Quarter Horse trainer. The leading jockey titles went to Alejandro Medellin (Thoroughbred) and Esgar Ramirez (Quarter Horse).
According to figures provided by Sunland officials, the track's handle declined 10 percent when compared to its 2009-10 meet. Average all-sources handle dropped to $766,681 from $854,540 the previous season, and average daily purses reached $270,093, down 3 percent from $279,415 during the 2009-10 season.