Ryansmanonthemoon (pictured), a Grade 1-winning son of champion First Moonflash, will make his 4-year-old season debut in Saturday’s 440-yard, $100,000 Dona Ana County Handicap (R) for Sunland Park.
Trained by Cynthia Gonzalez for owners Jimmy Negrete and Jimmy Vasquez, Ryansmanonthemoon is coming off of a sophomore campaign during which he earned $308,181 from eight races and won three stakes, including the 440-yard, $200,000 Zia Park Championship (G1) on December 1. The gelding drew post 8 and will be ridden by Mauro Salcedo.
Ryansmanonthemoon’s eight opponents include Freedom Flash, a homebred 4-year-old First Moonflash gelding trained by Jimmy Padgett for owners Pierre and Leslie Amestoy and Roger K. Beasley. Freedom Flash has banked $175,957 from 11 outs, and his three wins include a neck victory in last year’s 440-yard, $196,015 New Mexico Cup Derby (RG2) at Zia Park.
Freedom Flash drew post 6 and will be ridden by Alonso Rivera.
The complete lineup, in post position order including jockey assignments and morning-line odds:
Chicks Baby Suds (Jaime Leos), 8-1
Marcus Medallion (Adrian Ramos), 5-1
Rime Chimes (Paul Nieto), 4-1
Jess A Satin Flash (Alan Hernandez), 8-1
Faster Version (Hector Aldrete), 15-1
Freedom Flash (Alonso Rivera), 5-2
Siximoons (Tanner Thedford), 15-1
Ryansmanonthemoon (Mauro Salcedo), 2-1
Magnifico Dragon (Manuel Gutierrez), 10-1