Seven New Mexico-bred 3-year-old Thoroughbreds, led by Marking Canyon, are entered in Saturday’s 6 1/2-furlong, $75,000 Kendrick Stakes (R) at SunRay Park.
A homebred son of the Bernardini stallion Marking racing for Maureen Fincher and trainer Leroy Fincher, Marking Canyon will be shortening in distance off of his second-place finish, a neck behind winner Community Leader, in the March 29, 1 1/16-mile New Mexico Breeders’ Derby (R) at Sunland Park. The gelding has earned $118,500 from five starts.
Marking Canyon drew post 6 and will be ridden by Jorge Carreno.
Other contenders include Higher Ed, a homebred Sporting Chance gelding trained by Todd Fincher for owners J. Kirk and Judy Robison of El Paso, Texas. Higher Ed has banked $57,559 from five outs, and his 2-year-old season included a second-place finish, 3 1/4 lengths behind winner Community Leader, in the 5 1/2-furlong, $118,000 Rio Grande Senor Futurity (R) at Ruidoso Downs.
Higher Ed drew post 7 and will be ridden by Christian Ramos.
The complete lineup, in post position order including jockey assignments and morning-line odds:
Tee Breaker (Alfredo Juarez Jr.), 5-1
Sidewinder Slick (Alejandro Medellin), 10-1
Snow Boots (Luis Ramon Rodriguez), 8-1
Milk It (Francisco Amparan), 4-1
Holy Bullet (Jose Miguel Vazquez), 7-2
Marking Canyon (Jorge Carreno), 3-1
Higher Ed (Christian Ramos), 7-2