ALBUQUERQUE – A field of 10 older New Mexico-bred thoroughbreds will face off in the first $100,000 featured race of the season at Albuquerque Downs on Saturday in the Casey Darnell Stakes, set for 5½ furlongs.
Led by 5-to-2 morning-line favorite No Pasa Nada, winner of his most recent start in the $50,000 Sierra Blanca Stakes on July 22 at Ruidoso Downs, the Darnell Stakes will go as the ninth race on a 10-race program with a first post time of 1:30 p.m.
Owned by Christopher Roybal and trained by Jose R. Gonzalez Jr., No Pasa Nada is a nine-time winner and earner of more than $435,000 in his 44-race career. The 7-year-old son of Attila’s Storm has won twice from nine starts at Albuquerque Downs and will be ridden Saturday by Elvin Gonzalez.
No Pasa Nada drew post position six in the 10-horse field and will line up alongside Delbert Too, the second choice on the morning line at odds of 7-to-2 with jockey Alejandro Medellin aboard.
Delbert Too, a six-time winner from 36 career starts, has earned more than $417,000 for owner/trainer Filiberto Quiroz. His most recent win came against allowance company at SunRay Park and Casino on May 20.
The third choice on the morning line, Thruthestorm, will be ridden by Rodolfo Guerra, who has gotten off to a fast start at the current meet. Guerra has ridden six winners from 15 starts this season at Albuquerque Downs, and is in the midst of his finest year of his career. Guerra finished in the top 10 at Lone Star Park in Grand Prairie, Texas, earlier this year and was the fifth-leading rider in the throughbred standings this summer at Ruidoso Downs.
Thruthestorm is a two-time stakes winner with earnings of more than $171,000 for owners Leslie and Pierre Jean Amestoy and trainer Todd Fincher. He will break from post eight and is listed as the 5-to-1 third choice on the morning line.
Post time for the Casey Darnell Stakes is set for 4:50 p.m. Fans locally can watch and wager on the races from Albuquerque Downs at SunRay Park and Casino.
For more information on the race as well as entries and results, log on to equibase.com.
