Alamos records mild upset victory in $150,000 Mountain Top Derby
By Steven Bortstein
Tungsten Racing Partnership’s Alamos proved best in the final yards of the $201,725 Mountain Top Derby, earning the first stakes win of his career Saturday at Ruidoso Downs under jockey Mauro Salcedo.
Trained by Tony Sedillo, Alamos broke well from his outside post in the 9-horse field, rallied late and was up in time a half-length ahead of Eye for Cambria. Alamos ran the 350 yards in a final time of 17.45 seconds and earned an Equibase Speed Index figure of 95.
Alamos, a 3-year-old son of Eye Am King, qualified for the Mountain Top Derby when he won a trial heat here over a muddy course on May 31. Alamos was one of three qualifiers for the race from the barn of Sedillo. Eye Im Flashin finished fourth in the race, while King Seis was scratched earlier in the day.
Alamos was bred by Mj Farms and purchased by the Tungsten Racing Partnership for $185,000 at the 2023 Ruidoso New Mexico Bred QH Yearling Sale. He is out of the Woodbridge mare Anakena, a three-time winner and earner of more than $36,000 in her racing career.
Woodbridge, the leading siring son of Dash Ta Fame, has produced several top runners including multiple stakes winners Mister Riptide, winner of the Grade 1 Zia QH Futurity, and Miss Hi Tide, who also captured the Mountain Top Derby.
With the win in the Mountain Top Derby, Alamos improves his career ledger to three wins from nine starts, while amassing earnings of more than $109,000. All three of his wins have come at Ruidoso Downs, where he has raced four times.
Sent off at odds of 11.10-to-1, Alamos returned $24.20 to his winning backers. The $2 exacta with Eye For Cambria paid back $149.80. Row By Row finished third in the race.
Harken, sent off as the overwhelming post time favorite under Sergio Becerra, Jr., broke alertly from the starting gate but failed to keep up his momentum in the stretch and finished fifth.