FARMINGTON – A pair of rich quarter horse futurities and a traditional closing day thoroughbred attraction will be served up as the marquee attractions on the final weekend of the live season of horse racing at SunRay Park and Casino.
Saturday’s $75,000-added Grade 3 Four Corners Futurity and the $120,000-added New Mexico Breeders' Futurity are just two of several stakes races scheduled to be run during the final weekend of the racing season.
On Sunday, the closing day of the 21-day season, open thoroughbreds will headline the $75,000 guaranteed San Juan County Commissioners Handicap, which will be run at a distance of 1 1/8 miles.
The Four Corners Futurity, with a field of 10 open runners set to go 350 yards, will be headlined by Eagles Diva, an impressive winner in her trial heat on May 5 for trainer Jesus Rondan, Jr.
The Texas-bred 2-year-old daughter of This Is An Eagle won her trial heat by nearly 2 lengths under jockey Luis Martinez, one of the leading quarter horse riders this season at SunRay Park. Martinez will be back aboard Eagles Diva, installed as the 3-to-1 morning line favorite when they break from post nine in the dash.
Before the trial win earlier this month, Eagles Diva was second best in the $50,000 West Texas Juvenile on April 1 at Sunland Park. She has earned more than $13,000 after three career starts for CHR Racing.
The main competition for Eagles Diva may come from Nola Brees and Playin Quarters, who finished in a dead heat for the win in another trial race that same day. Both runners broke their maidens when crossing the wire at the same time. Nola Brees is the third choice on the morning line at 5-to-1 odds and will be ridden by Daniel Amaya for trainer Misti Pate, while Adrian Ramos jumps back aboard Playin Quarters (8-to-1 ML) for trainer Wes Giles.
Giles is in close competition with several trainers atop the quarter horse standings. Giles (eight wins) and Rondan, Jr. (seven) have both had spectacular seasons and appear to be headed to the wire for the title of leading quarter horse trainer for the meet.
The Four Corners Futurity will be run as Saturday’s ninth race, with a scheduled post time of 6:14 p.m. local time.
In the $120,000-added New Mexico Breeders Futurity, jockey Esgar Ramirez appears to hold a strong hand with Eye Am On It, who posted a 2-length win and posted the fastest qualifying time in her debut on May 5. The Jaime Aldavaz, Jr.-trained filly won her trial heat for the New Mexico Breeders' Futurity.
Eye Am On It will break from post two in the 10-horse field and has been installed as a 12-to-1 long shot on the morning line.
Rondan may have the main challenger to Eye Am On It in the New Mexico Breeders’ Futurity in the form of Jess Have One More, who posted the second-fastest qualifying time when he won his trial heat.
Owned by CHR Racing, Jess Have One More has more than $23,000 in his career bankroll, the majority of which came after a fifth-place finish in the $366,000 New Mexico Spring Futurity on April 1 at Sunland Park. Jess Have One More is the 3-to-1 morning line favorite. He will be ridden by Martinez and will break from the far outside post.
The New Mexico Breeders’ Futurity, at a distance of 350 yards, will be the 10th and final race on the Saturday card, with a scheduled post time of 6:42 p.m. local time.
In addition to the two quarter horse stakes races, fans at SunRay Park and Casino on Saturday can also watch and wager on the Preakness Stakes from Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore. The Preakness is the second jewel of thoroughbred racing’s Triple Crown.
Mage, the upset winner of the Kentucky Derby earlier this month, is expected to be among the favorites in the Preakness Stakes.
On Sunday, trainer Todd Fincher is expected to have a pair of runners in the starting gate for the $75,000 San Juan County Commissioners Handicap. Sheriff Brown and Bye Bye Bobby will be part of a field of 10 runners in the traditional closing day featured event.
Sheriff Brown, an eight time winner from 32 starts, has amassed earnings of more than $519,000. A fourth-place finisher in each of his last two starts at Sunland Park, the 7-year-old son of Curlin is a three-time stakes winner. He will break from post two in the 1 1/8 mile event with jockey Felipe Valdez aboard.
Bye Bye Bobby, a 4-year-old son of Quality Road has four wins from 12 starts including a win here on opening weekend when he captured the Inaugural Stakes on April 8. Bye Bye Bobby will break from post three with Tracy Hebert in the irons.
The San Juan County Commissioners Handicap will go as the ninth race on the 10-race closing day program with a post time of 5:59 p.m.
