Thursday, July 01, 2010
SunRay Park in Farmington, New Mexico, ends its 2010 meet with seven stakes this weekend.
Saturday’s 11-race program, which gets underway at 2:15 p.m. (MDT), features three stakes – two for Thoroughbreds and one for Quarter Horses. The 400-yard, $75,000 Tommy “Duke” Smith Stakes (RG2), has attracted a full field of 10 aged state-bred runners. In Famous Caper, a 5-year-old Dash Ta Fame gelding racing for Ramon O. Gonzalez Jr. of Edgewood, New Mexico, is the 3-1 morning-line favorite.
In Famous Caper has earned $141,240 from five starts this season, and his four wins include the March 14, $100,000 Mesilla Valley Speed Handicap (RG2) at Sunland Park. The gelding was claimed by his current owner for $10,000 last October at Zia Park, and he has since banked $141,240 since the claim.
In Famous Caper is coming off of a fourth-place finish against open company in the $250,000 Remington Park Invitational Championship (G1) on May 29.
All horses will carry 124 pounds. The complete lineup for the Tommy “Duke” Smith Stakes, in post position order including jockey assignments and morning-line odds – Astreakin Bliss (Esgar Ramirez), 20-1; A First Caller (Casey Lambert), 7-2; Go Buddy Lee (Miguel Perez), 15-1; Salt On The Side (Dennis Means), 8-1; Dueling Juan (Jose Montoya), 6-1; Blushing Daisy (Adan Fuentes), 8-1; Gold Zime (Alonso Rivera), 10-1; Klassic Strawfly (Salvador Estrada Jr.), 12-1; In Famous Caper (Alejandro Medellin), 3-1; and Miracle Snow (J. Martin Bourdieu), 9-2.
Also on Saturday, a full field of 10 New Mexico-bred 2-year-olds will match strides in the 4 ½-furlong, $75,000 Totah Stakes (R). Willard Burbach’s Verny, a homebred gelding by Gold Case who is undefeated in two starts, is the 4-1 morning-line favorite.
Racing from the barn of Greg Green, Verny is coming off a nose victory in the colts and geldings division of the 4 ½-furlong, $125,162 Copper Top Futurity (R) at Sunland Park on April 17. The gelding made his debut with a 1 ¾-length win in a Copper Top trial on March 30.
All horses will tote 120 pounds in the Totah. The complete lineup, in post position order including jockey assignments and morning-line odds – Elijah’s Elite (Ken Tohill), 9-2; Harry And Lloyd (Casey Lambert), 8-1; River Grade Trick (Alejandro Medellin), 6-1; Runaway Hennessy (Catalino Martinez), 20-1; Running Squall (Enrique Garcia), 12-1; Verny (Alfredo Juarez Jr.), 4-1; Ting (Miguel Hernandez), 10-1; Mesh (J. Martin Bourdieu), 8-1; Brittany Boy (Perry Whetstone), 10-1; and Russian Lane (Miguel Perez), 5-1.
Finally on Saturday, New Mexico-bred sophomores will square off in the $75,000 Dine Stakes (R). Smash Dancer, a homebred Robyn Dancer gelding racing for Barbara M. Coleman, is the 3-1 morning-line choice and will break from post 3 under jockey Miguel Hernandez.
Smash Dancer will face nine opponents, including two-time 2-year-old stakes winners Rig’s Runner and Train Rider Blues.
All horses will carry 122 pounds for the 6 ½-furlong Dine Stakes. The complete lineup, in post position order including jockey assignments and morning-line odds – Eightnchangegroom (J. Martin Bourdieu), 6-1; Go Emmit Go (Perry Whetstone), 12-1; Smash Dancer (Miguel Hernandez), 3-1; Go Barney Go (Ken Tohill), 10-1; In Flags Honor (Quyet Bui), 15-1; Rig’s Runner (Casey Lambert), 9-2; Riot Control (Rico Flores), 20-1; My Picasso (Alejandro Medellin), 8-1; Train Rider Blues (Joe Martinez), 7-2; and Countrybumpkin Who (Rodrigo Jaime), 8-1.
Four stakes are scheduled for Sunday’s 11-race closing-day program, two of which are for New Mexico-bred Quarter Horses and two of which are for open Thoroughbreds. Post time for Sunday’s card is 2:15 p.m. (MDT).
A total of seven state-bred 3-year-old fillies are entered in the 400-yard, $75,000 SunRay Park Firecracker Stakes (R), including Sixy Chamisa. A gray daughter of Sixes Royal racing for SM Cattle Export Co. of Socorro, Texas, Sixy Chamisa is a two-time stakes winners whose record includes a three-quarter length victory in last year’s $150,000 New Mexico Breeders’ Futurity (RG2) at SunRay.
Sixy Chamisa has earned $223,913 from 11 races, and her seven wins include a 1 ¼-length score in the 350-yard, $75,000 Sunburst Stakes (R) for state-bred 3-year-old fillies at Sunland Park on April 17.
All horses have been assigned to carry 122 pounds. The complete lineup for the Firecracker, in post position order including jockey assignments – Woody Dungarees (Alonso Rivera), Sixy Chamisa (Freddie Martinez), Frosties Corona (Dennis Means), Little Bit Southern (Casey Lambert), Me Bankita (Nancy Summers), Gold Diggin Reason (Esgar Ramirez), and Eleven To Seven (Noe Garcia).
The final Quarter Horse stakes of the meet, the 870-yard New Mexico Horsemen’s Association Handicap (R), has attracted a full field of eight state-bred aged runners. Key’s Band (TB), a 6-year-old Chimes Band gelding campaigned by Maria G. Gonzalez, is the 125-pound top weight and will break from post 4 under jockey Ken Tohill.
Racing exclusively in New Mexico, Key’s Band has won eight of 21 races and has banked $376,902. The gelding’s stakes resume includes three victories at 870 yards and 4 ½ furlongs.
The complete lineup for the $75,000 NMHA Handicap, in post position order including jockey and weight assignments – Lost Southerner (Casey Lambert, 121), Recall Dreams (Freddie Martinez, 123), Littlesouthernswing (Rodrigo Jaime, 120), Key’s Band (Ken Tohill, 125), BRT Opulence (J. Martin Bourdieu, 124), Heza Bold Color (Alejandro Medellin, 122), Whata Lucky Man (Esgar Ramirez, 122), and Robyn Lane (Catalino Martinez, 120).
The two Thoroughbred stakes will be run as Sunday’s ninth and 10th races. The 6 ½-furlong, $50,000 Frontier Trophy Buckles Allowance Stakes has attracted seven sophomore fillies. Stable HMA’s Tornado Betty, a dark bay or brown daughter of Comic Strip and $12,500 at Golden Gate Fields in 2009, drew post 3 and will be ridden by Miguel Hernandez.
Tornado Betty has won two stakes this year – the 6-furlong, $60,000 Goldfinch Stakes on a sloppy track at Prairie Meadows on April 23, and the one-mile Arizona Oaks at Turf Paradise on February 20. The filly has earned $125,265 from five wins in 13 outs, of which $114,000 has been banked since the claim.
All fillies will tote 120 pounds in the Frontier Buckles Allowance Stakes. The complete lineup, in post position order including jockey assignments – Ringing Bernie (Alejandro Medellin), Badgett’s Royal (Rodrigo Jaime), Tornado Betty (Miguel Hernandez), Sweep The Road (Alfredo Juarez Jr.), Myrosapozzi (J. Martin Bourdieu), Facil Catana (Catalino Martinez), and I Am Lesters Gal (Ken Tohill).
The $100,000 San Juan County Commissioners Handicap, the final stakes of the season, has drawn seven entries going 1 1/8 miles. Racing secretary Jim Collins has assigned Quiet Again the top weight of 123 pounds.
A 5-year-old gelding by 1998 Kentucky Derby (G1) winner Real Quiet, Quiet Again races for Paul B. Thomason of Anthony, New Mexico. Quiet Again won the 6 ½-furlong Bill Thomas Memorial Stakes during the 2009-10 Sunland Park meet, and he is coming off of a third-place finish against Texas-breds in the 6-furlong, $50,000 Carter McGregor Jr. Memorial Stakes (R) at Lone Star Park.
The complete lineup in the San Juan County Commissioners Handicap, in post position order including jockey and weight assignments – Quiet Again (Catalino Martinez, 123), Tizsosexy (E. Garcia, 118), Summertime Sal (Perry Whetstone, 115), Guiding Hand (Miguel Hernandez, 119), Infinite Resource (Ken Tohill, 116), El Vic (Alejandro Medellin, 113), and Putthehammerdown (J. Martin Bourdieu, 117).