Eight New Mexico-bred fillies and mares, led by early favorite Fine Am Eye (pictured), are entered in Sunday’s 350-yard, $50,000 Champagne Lane Stakes (R) at Albuquerque Downs.
Fine Am Eye will be facing state-bred company off of her second-place finish, one length behind winner Hallmarke, in the September 7, 400-yard Balloon City Stakes (G3) at Albuquerque Downs. The 4-year-old Eye Am King mare was a prompt favorite in the July 4, 350-yard Vista Distaff Stakes (R) for state-bred distaffers at Ruidoso Downs.
Fine Am Eye is trained by James J. Gonzales III for owner Backdoor Thoroughbreds LLC. The mare drew post 6 and will be ridden by Noe Garcia Jr.
Other contenders include Chicka Boom Babe, a graded stakes winning daughter of Chicks Regard and one of two 3-year-olds in the field. Trained by Wes Giles for owners Robert M. Driggers and Ben Lee Ivey, the gray Chicks Regard filly ran second, a half of a length behind winner Solid, in the July 27, $167,000 Zia Derby (RG2) for New Mexico-bred sophomores at Albuquerque Downs, but she ended her 2-year-old season with a victory in the 350-yard, $298,910 New Mexico Classics Futurity (RG2) at Zia Park.
Chicka Boom Babe drew post 3 and will be ridden by Adrian Ramos.
The complete lineup, in post position order including jockey assignments:
Daddysqueenofalice (Joseph Belloc Jr.)
Woodys Storm (Alfredo Sigala)
Chicka Boom Babe (Adrian Ramos)
Big Daddys Dream (Daniel Amaya)
First Flashin (Emilio Tapia)
Fine Am Eye (Noe Garcia Jr.)
Maka Roon (Sergio Becerra Jr.)
Jess A Cartel Prize (Omar Iturralde)