Fincher dominates trials with 10 qualifiers for New Mexico State Fair TB Futurity
ALBUQUERQUE – Trainer Todd Fincher will saddle as many as 10 starters for next month’s $160,000-added New Mexico State Fair Thoroughbred Futurity after trials were held Sunday afternoon at Albuquerque Downs.
Fincher, currently the leading trainer in the thoroughbred division at Albuquerque Downs, won all three trial races on Sunday, with Speed Merchant racing his way to the role of fastest qualifier for the 6 furlong event, winning the second trial by a half-length over stablemate Bully Boy in a final time of 1 minute, 10.09 seconds.
The son of Marking, out of Broken Vow mare Keep Your Promise, is owned by Dale F. Taylor Racing, LLC and was bred by Brad King and Chris Coleman. Speed Merchant has now won both of his career starts with earnings of more than $21,000.
Damsire Broken Vow was a prolific producer of stakes winners before his passing in 2022. He is responsible for six champions, including Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies winner and Eclipse Award winner Champagne Room, as well as Cotton Blossom, Unbridled Belle, and Rosalind.
Fincher saddled a total of 12 runners in the three trial heats, with 10 of them qualifying for the final, which will be one of several important state-bred stakes races to be held here on Sunday, Aug. 12. The top four finishers from each of the three trial heats automatically will be entered back to the stakes race.
All four of Fincher’s starters in the second trial advanced to the Futurity, with Speed Merchant narrowly prevailing over Bully Boy, who finished more than eight lengths clear of third place finisher American Prada, who finished ahead of Group Photo.
In Sunday’s first trial heat, Fincher-trained Risk Capital made his debut a winning one under jockey Aldo Arboleda, narrowly topping stablemate Mark’s Sassy Girl, stopping the clock with a time of 1:10.76 seconds.
Owned by J. Kirk Robison and Judy Robison, who bred the 2-year-old gelded son of Marking with Downstream Racing LLC, Risk Capital is out of the Mr. Greeley mare Souma. The damsire was a three-time stakes winner who finished his career with a second place finish in the 1995 Breeders’ Cup Sprint.
Fincher wrapped up his sweep of the three-race trial series when Sniper Unit and jockey Fausto Da Silva scored an upset win over Simon Buechler-trained Tumbleweed and jockey Christian Ramos.
A son of Sway Away out of the Seeking The Cat mare Tipsy Tea, Sniper Unit rallied in the final yards to win by a length in a time of 1:12.06.
Owned by Pierre Jean Amestoy, Jr., Leslie A. Amestoy and Roger K. Beasley, Sniper Unit was off the board in his career debut over this course last month.
Sway Away, who finished second in three Grade 2 stakes races, earned more than $206,000 on the racetrack. Among the leading progeny of Sway Away are stakes winners Massive Roar and Let Him Be, who have combined to win 20 times with earnings of more than $1 million.
Tipsy Tea, winner of the 2016 Enchantress Stakes and New Mexico Breeders’ Oaks at Sunland Park, finished her racing career with five wins from 11 starts and earnings of more than $174,000.
Buechler and Sherry Armstrong were the only other trainers who had starters find their way into the starting gate for the New Mexico State Fair Thoroughbred Futurity.
Tumbleweed, already a stakes winner having captured the Bill Hartack Thoroughbred Futurity at Wyoming Downs on July 26, races for owners Robert M. Driggers, Del Rae Driggers and Ben Lee Ivey. The son of Sporting Chance is out of the Mr. Gold Mover mare Sidewinder Sally, a stakes winner with earnings of more than $164,000.
Armstrong-trained Dashing American, third place finisher in Sunday’s first trial heat under Alejandro Medellin, races for owner Morgan Cox. The son of American Anthem, bred by Kim Saunders & Warren Franklin, is out of the Attila’s Storm mare Dashkova.
American Anthem stands at Sierra Blanca Equine in Ruidoso. The son of Arkansas Derby winner Bodemeister earned nearly $850,000 on the racetrack with wins in the 2017 Woody Stephens Stakes at Belmont Park and the Lazaro Barrera Stakes at Santa Anita.