Eight state-bred Thoroughbred stakes will be contested at Zia Park in Hobbs on Wednesday.
Post time for the first race on the 10-race program is set for 12 p.m. (MST). As a result of across-the-board purse cuts at Zia Park due to the COVID-19 pandemic, every race will offer a purse of $50,000.
Following is an exclusive preview of all eight stakes, listed in the order they will be run. Approximate post times for all eight stakes are also listed.
NEW MEXICO CUP DISTAFF SPRINT CHAMPIONSHIP (12:54)
Purse, $50,000 — 6 furlongs
Fillies & mares, 3-year-olds & older
Six state-bred fillies and mares, headed by morning-line favorite Flight Song, are entered in Wednesday’s New Mexico Cup Distaff Sprint Championship.
A 4-year-old daughter of Attila’s Storm owned by Pierre and Leslie Amestoy of Albuquerque, Flight Song rallied to win the 6 1/2-furlong, $100,000 Carlos Salazar Stakes (R) at Albuquerque Downs on August 22. The filly drew post 5 and will be ridden by Francisco Amparan for trainer Jimmy Padgett.
The complete lineup, in post position order including jockey assignments and morning-line odds:
Let It Roll (Shane Laviolette), 5-2
Pink Sky (Luis Ramon Rodriguez), 8-1
Sky Vue (Luis A. Fuentes), 12-1
Shug’s Best (Ernesto Valdez-Jiminez), 6-1
Flight Song (Francisco Amparan), 2-1
Mindofmyown (Duane Sterling), 7-2
PEPPERS PRIDE NEW MEXICO CUP DISTAFF CHAMPIONSHIP (1:21)
Purse, $50,000 — 1 mile
Fillies & mares, 3-year-olds & older
Dale F. Taylor Racing LLC’s Hennessy Express will attempt to defend her title in Wednesday’s Peppers Pride New Mexico Cup Distaff Championship.
A homebred 5-year-old daughter of Roll Hennessy Roll, Hennessy Express has earned $2,000 from two races this season, but she ended her 4-year-old campaign with a two-length victory in the 1-mile, $175,000 Peppers Pride New Mexico Cup Distaff Championship. The mare drew post 7 and will be ridden by Shane Laviolette for trainer Todd Fincher.
Other contenders include C. Donnell Echols’ Movin On, a homebred 5-year-old Indian Firewater mare who will be stretching out in distance off of her neck victory in the 7 1/2-furlong, $20,000 Governor’s Stakes at Ruidoso Downs on September 7. Joel Marr trains Movin On.
The complete lineup, in post position order including jockey assignments and morning-line odds:
Short Pockets (Aldo Arboleda), 8-1
Movin On (Miguel T. Fuentes Jr.), 5-2
Sexy Bikini Model (Ernesto Valdez-Jiminez), 10-1
Beautiful Bounty (Luis Negron), 6-1
Orogrande (Isaias Enriquez), 7-2
Movin’ On Bye (Jimmy Ray Coates), 12-1
Hennessy Express (Shane Laviolette), 3-1
NEW MEXICO CUP LASSIE CHAMPIONSHIP (1:48)
Purse, $50,000 — 6 furlongs
2-year-old fillies
Seven 2-year-old fillies, headed by stakes winner Comic Hot Toddy, are entered in Wednesday’s New Mexico Cup Lassie Championship.
Comic Hot Toddy is a homebred Indian Firewater filly trained by Todd Fincher for owner Helen Nave. Comic Hot Toddy is coming off of a wire-to-wire, five-length win in the 5 1/2-furlong, $134,000 Rio Grande Senorita Futurity (R) at Ruidoso Downs on August 16.
The complete lineup, in post position order including jockey assignments and morning-line odds:
Athena’s Storm (Alejandro Medellin), 12-1
Ragtime Rythm (Ernesto Valdez-Jiminez), 10-1
Sassy Gal (Jimmy Ray Coates), 3-1
Comic Hot Toddy (Shane Laviolette), 5-2
Quatro (Frank Reyes), 7-2
Destiny Who (Miguel T. Fuentes Jr.), 6-1
Line Call (Duane Sterling), 8-1
ROCKY GULCH NEW MEXICO CUP CHAMPIONSHIP (2:15)
Purse, $50,000 — 1 mile
3-year-olds & older
Thunder Dome, a 6-year-old son of Dome and a stakes winner during the 2020 Albuquerque Downs meet, is one of seven state-bred runners entered in Wednesday’s Rocky Gulch New Mexico Cup Championship.
Trained by Dallas Barton for owners W.D. Carson Sr., M.H. Carson, and Leach Racing, Thunder Dome has earned $72,500 from four races this season, and his record includes a neck victory in the 7-furlong, $100,000 O.D. McDonald Stakes (R) on September 13. The gelding drew post 4 and will be ridden by Shane Laviolette.
Other contenders include Next Affair, a 5-year-old son of Diabolical trained by Joel Marr for owners Chase Carter and Levi James. Next Affair scored a 4 1/4-length win in the 7 1/2-furlong, $50,000 Land of Enchantment Handicap (R) at Ruidoso Downs in July.
The complete lineup, in post position order including jockey assignments and morning-line odds;
Shining Source (Luis Negron), 3-1
Pulpits Fox (Alejandro Medellin), 8-1
Evacuee (Aldo Arboleda), 5-1
Thunder Dome (Shane Laviolette), 7-2
Next Affair (Luis Fuentes), 9-2
Mr. Wild Rockete (Alfredo Juarez Jr.), 8-1
Jet N G (Jimmy Ray Coates), 6-1
NEW MEXICO CUP SPRINT CHAMPIONSHIP (2:42)
Purse, $50,000 — 6 furlongs
3-year-olds & older
Wheredoesthecashgo, a 5-year-old Southwestern Heat gelding owned by Amanda Sweeten and Pablo Navarez Hernandez, is the 5-2 morning-line choice for Wednesday’s New Mexico Cup Sprint Championship.
Wheredoesthecashgo is coming off of a wire-to-wire, eight-length victory in a 6-furlong, $22,000 open-condition allowance race for New Mexico-breds on October 21. The multiple stakes placed gelding drew post 3 and will be ridden by Miguel Perez for trainer Andres Gonzalez.
The complete lineup, in post position order including jockey assignments and morning-line odds:
My Indian Warrior (Luis Fuentes), 9-2
Del Mar Summer (Miguel T. Fuentes Jr.), 12-1
Wheredoesthecashgo (Miguel Perez), 5-2
Golden Band (Rodolfo Guerra), 7-2
Diabolical Ruler (Duane Sterling), 6-1
Knuckle Ball (Luis Negron), 5-1
E J’s Gold (Frank Reyes), 8-1
No Pasa Nada (Tracy Hebert), 10-1
NEW MEXICO CUP JUVENILE CHAMPIONSHIP (3:09)
Purse, $50,000 — 6 furlongs
2-year-old colts & geldings
Stakes winner Aisle Runner heads a field of nine 2-year-olds entered in Wednesday’s New Mexico Cup Juvenile Championship.
Trained by Todd Fincher for owners B. Ray Willis and Clifton Eldridge, Aisle Runner is coming off of a clear 2 3/4-length win in the 6-furlong, $279,000 New Mexico State Fair Thoroughbred Futurity (R) at Albuquerque Downs on September 20. The gelded son of Attila’s Storm has won two of six races and has earned $151,678.
The complete lineup, in post position order including jockey assignments and morning-line odds:
Quick Laugh (Ernesto Valdez-Jiminez), 8-1
Pub (Rodolfo Guerra), 6-1
Coming Abstraction (Aldo Arboleda), 15-1
Cheese Tray (Shane Laviolette), 10-1
Aisle Runner (Luis Fuentes), 2-1
Jornalero (Miguel Perez), 9-2
Postmanfourtyeight (Jimmy Ray Coates), 12-1
Champ Spirit (Luis Ramon Rodriguez), 20-1
Sarge (Miguel T. Fuentes), 3-1
NEW MEXICO CUP DERBY CHAMPIONSHIP (3;36)
Purse, $50,000 — 6 furlongs
3-year-old colts & geldings
A field of 11 sophomores, headed by stakes winners Effort N Results and Attilianno, are entered in Wednesday’s New Mexico Cup Derby Championship.
A homebred Shame On Charlie gelding racing for Terry B. Adams from the barn of trainer Joel Marr, Effort N Results drew post 11 and will be ridden by Miguel T. Fuentes Jr. Effort N Results has earned $162,985 from seven outs, and his three wins include a 1 1/4-length score in the 1-mile, $100,000 Casino at The Downs Derby (R) for New Mexico-bred 3-year-olds at Albuquerque Downs on September 5.
Attilianno is trained by Jimmy Padgett for owners Pierre and Leslie Amestoy. A gelded son of Attila’s Storm, Attilianno ended his juvenile campaign with a head victory in the 6-furlong, $145,000 New Mexico Cup Juvenile Championship (R).
The complete lineup, in post position order including jockey assignments and morning-line odds:
On A Warpath (Rodolfo Guerra), 8-1
Strawberry Whisky (Tracy Hebert), 20-1
West Dawn (Luis Ramon Rodriguez), 12-1
Charlie Comanch (Jimmy Ray Coates), 20-1
Attilianno (Francisco Amparan), 4-1
Royal Bertrando (Isaias Enriquez), 15-1
Lariat (Duane Sterling), 8-1
Cerveza (Luis Fuentes), 9-2
Franchise Tagged (Shane Laviolette), 5-1
Desert Danger (Alejandro Medellin), 12-1
Effort N Results (Miguel T. Fuentes Jr.), 7-2
NEW MEXICO CUP CUP OAKS CHAMPIONSHIP (4:03)
Purse, $50,000 — 6 furlongs
3-year-old fillies
Count Them Again will risk her win streak in Wednesday’s New Mexico Cup Oaks Championship.
A daughter of Premeditation owned by Lola L. Cuellar and Alexandria M. Cuellar, Count Them Again has won her last two starts, including the 6 1/2-furlong, $100,000 Petticoat Stakes (R) at Albuquerque Downs on September 12. The filly has won six of nine races and has banked $238,280.
Count Them Again drew post 6 and will be ridden by Frank Reyes for trainer Jaime Fuentes.
The complete lineup, in post position order including jockey assignments and morning-line odds:
Reception (Shane Laviolette), 6-1
Tight Fittin Jeans (Francisco Amparan), 3-1
Fritzies Flame (Alfredo Juarez Jr.), 4-1
Diabolical Wildcat (Enrique Gomez), 8-1
Delightful Hips (Luis Fuentes), 8-1
Count Them Again (Frank Reyes), 5-2
Tutta Terlingua (Luis Negron), 12-1
Laugharoo (Isaias Enriquez), 15-1
Graceanne (Duane Sterling), 10-1