Speed Merchant narrowly scores in thrilling finish to NM State Fair TB Futurity
ALBUQUERQUE – By the narrowest of margins, Todd Fincher-trained Speed Merchant put his nose down in front of the wire ahead of stablemate Bully Boy to capture the $312,891 New Mexico State Fair Thoroughbred Futurity on Sunday at Albuquerque Downs.
Ridden by Luis Valenzuela, the 2-year-old gelded son of Marking was always in contention, racing 3-wide down the backstretch while close behind pacesetter Mark’s Sassy Girl through an opening half mile in 45.81 seconds.
Alfredo Juarez, Jr. got busy aboard Mark’s Sassy Girl, opening up a 2-length lead at the head of the stretch before Valenzuela urged Speed Merchant along, with Bully Boy and Luis Fuentes to that one’s outside.
Speed Merchant and Bully Boy inched clear as the field approached the wire, with Speed Merchant winning by a nose, stopping the clock in 1 minute, 9.32 seconds for 6 furlongs.
Owned by Dale F. Taylor Racing LLC, Speed Merchant improves his career record to three wins from as many starts with earnings approaching $178,000. Bred by Brad King & Chris Coleman, Speed Merchant is out of the Broken Vow mare Keep Your Promise, who won her only career start in 2021 at Remington Park.
The damsire was a prolific producer of stakes winners before his passing in 2022. Broken Vow is responsible for six champions, including Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies winner and Eclipse Award winner Champagne Room, as well as Cotton Blossom, Unbridled Belle, and Rosalind.
Marking, who earned more than $432,000 on the racetrack winning three times from eight starts, currently stands at A&A Ranch and is a son of multiple grade stakes winner Bernardini. Marking finished second in the 2015 Malibu Stakes (Grade 1) at Santa Anita before a second place effort in the Grade 3 Belmont Sprint Championship Stakes in his final start in 2016.
In addition to Speed Merchant, Marking has produced several stakes winners including I Think I’m Here, Mojica, Antonios Mark, Marking Canyon and Slammed, a six-time stakes winner who retired in 2022 with earnings of more than $557,000.
Speed Merchant’s second dam, Bedanken was a multiple graded stakes winner in 2002, with victories in the Valley View Stakes at Keeneland and the Honeybee Stakes at Oaklawn Park.
Sent off as the 8-to-5 second choice in the NM State Fair TB Futurity, Speed Merchant returned $5.20 to his winning backers. The $2 exacta with post time favorite Bully Boy paid back $9.60. Mark’s Sassy Girl tired late and settled for third, with American Prada rounding out the top four finishers.
Group Photo and Sniper Unit were both scratched from the race, leaving a field of 10 in the race.