Holy Hank tabbed as morning line favorite for Casino at the Downs TB Derby
ALBUQUERQUE – Holy Hank will look to earn his sixth career stakes win when he loads into the starting gate as the 5-2 morning line Sunday at Albuquerque Downs in the $75,000 Casino at the Downs Thoroughbred Derby for trainer Simon Buechler.
Owned by Robert M. Driggers, Del Rae Driggers and Ben Lee Ivey and slated to be ridden by Luis Valenzuela, Holy Hank will face seven rivals in the one-mile affair, which will be run as the eighth race on a 10-race program with a scheduled post time of 4:25 p.m.
While many New Mexico-bred thoroughbreds were left with little to do during the summer months when thoroughbred racing was brought to a standstill after racing was shut down at Ruidoso Downs, Holy Hank was busy at Wyoming Downs, most recently winning the $53,000 added Rod Gallaway Thoroughbred Derby on August 3.
Holy Hank, a 3-year-old gelded son of Holy Lute out of the Gotham City mare City Veil, has won seven times from 12 starts with earnings of more than $487,000. As a 2-year-old, he scored stakes wins in the New Mexico State Fair Thoroughbred Futurity at Albuquerque Downs, as well as the New Mexico Classic Juvenile Stakes at Zia Park.
Earlier this year, Holy Hank won the Corralito Steak House Stakes as well as the New Mexico Breeders Derby at Sunland Park.
Holy Hank has three wins from four starts at Albuquerque Downs and will break from post five in the Casino at the Downs TB Derby as one of two starters trained by Buechler.
In addition to Holy Hank, Buechler will saddle Holy Rebel, returning from a long layoff and listed at 12-1 on the morning line with Enrique Gomez in the irons.
Trainer Dick Cappellucci and jockey Alejandro Medellin are represented in the Casino at the Downs TB Derby by B Bold Charlie, the 3-1 second choice on the morning line.
Owned by Glen Robertson and Bobby J. McQueen, B Bold Charlie is unraced since a third place finish last March in the New Mexico Breeders’ Derby at Sunland Park. The gelded son of Shame On Charlie will break from post six in search of his third win from six lifetime starts. He capped off his 2-year-old campaign last November at Zia Park winning the $150,000 Hobbs Fall Classic.
Owner Don Apodaca and trainer Filiberto Quiroz will send out Mojica as the third choice on the morning line. The son of Marking has three wins from five lifetime starts, including a pair of stakes wins earlier this year.
In his most recent start, Mojica captured the $81,000 Kendrick Stakes at SunRay Park and Casino on May 25. Mojica will be ridden by his regular pilot Jose Vazquez and they will break from post two in the Casino at the Downs TB Derby at 7-2 on the morning line.
Sunday’s program has a first post time of 1:30 p.m.
The field, with morning line odds and jockeys:
1 – Short Round Bound 9-2 Luis Fuentes
2 – Mojica 7-2 Jose Vazquez
3 – Sapello Riddler 20-1 Erick Medellin
4 – Holy Rebel 12-1 Enrique Gomez
5 – Holy Hank 5-2 Luis Valenzuela
6 – B Bold Charlie 3-1 Alejandro Medellin
7 – Gesara 10-1 Oscar Andrade, Jr.
8 – Trafficstorm 8-1 Christian Ramos