Saturday’s 1-mile, $100,000 Casino at The Downs Derby (R) at Albuquerque Downs has drawn a field of 11 state-bred 3-year-old Thoroughbreds.
Thruthestorm (pictured), a chestnut son of Attila’s Storm trained by Todd Fincher for owners Pierre and Leslie Amestoy of Albuquerque, will be facing sophomores again off of his fifth-place finish in the September 16, 5 1/2-furlong Casey Darnell Stakes (R) for older New Mexico-breds. The gelding is undefeated at the 1-mile distance, as he rallied to win the February 28, 1-mile Red Hedeman Mile (R) at Sunland Park.
Thruthestorm drew post 8 and will be ridden by Rodolfo Guerra.
Fincher will also send out Still In The Trap, a multiple stakes placed son of the Desert God stallion Proceed owned by Dale F. Taylor Racing LLC. Still In The Trap will be stretching out in distance off of his 2 1/2-length victory in a 5 1/2-furlong non-winners-of-two allowance race on September 3.
Still In The Trap finished second in two stakes during the Sunland Park winter meet, including the 1 1/16-mile, $250,000 New Mexico Breeders’ Derby (R) on March 26. The bay gelding drew post 7 and will be ridden by Felipe Valdez.
Other contenders include Let Him Be, an undefeated gelded son of the Afleet Alex stallion Sway Away trained by Joel Marr for owner V Bar V Racing LLC, and Valentino Who, a stakes winning son of the Indian Charlie stallion Comfort trained by Jose A. Gonzalez for owner Juan Carlos Gutierrez.
Let Him Be has won both of his races and has earned $35,880, and he will be stretching out in distance off of his three-length victory in a 6-furlong non-winners-of-two allowance for New Mexico-breds at Ruidoso Downs on August 18. Let Him Be drew post 4 and will be ridden by Miguel Fuentes Jr.
Valentino Who was claimed by Gutierrez for $12,500 at Sunland Park on February 12. Since the claim, the bay gelding scored an upset victory at odds of 44-1 in the New Mexico Breeders’ Derby (R).
Valentino Who drew post 9 and will be ridden by Jose M. Vazquez.
The complete lineup, in post position order including jockey assignments and morning-line odds:
Antonios Mark (Oscar Ceballos), 5-1
Musics My Vice (Daniel Vergara), 15-1
Sweet Money (Luis A. Valenzuela), 8-1
Let Him Be (Miguel Fuentes Jr.), 9-2
My Special Mistake (Karlo Lopez), 20-1
Smartsrealgood (Francisco Amparan), 7-2
Still In The Trap (Felipe Valdez), 5-2
Thruthestorm (Rodolfo Guerra), 8-1
Valentino Who (Jose M. Vazquez), 12-1
Ryders Up (Jose L. Torres), 25-1
AE-Weekend Warrior (Larry Marquez), 20-1