Page 80 - NM Spring 2019

SUNLAND PARK
by Michael Cusortelli
Lou Wooten/Sydney Valentini H. (RG2)
First Moonflash
First To Flash
Nagano Moon
Eye Am Forever Yours
Mr Eye Opener
Forever For Always
FIRST N FOREVER
Felipe Garcia-Luna rode First N Forever to a wire-to-wire victory in the Dec. 30, $85,000 Lou Wooten/Sydney Valentini Handicap (RG2) for New Mexico-bred distaffers at Sunland Park.
Trained by Justin Joiner for owners Robert Elliott and Billy L. Smith and aided by a reported 7-mph tail wind, First N Forever defeated odds-on favorite Mamacita Cartel by a neck while covering 400 yards in :19.772. The First Moonflash filly earned $51,000 from her first stakes win.
First N Forever was bred by Mike Abraham of Bosque, New Mexico. The filly’s sire, First Moonflash, was the sport’s champion aged stallion in 2009.
A 13-year-old son of ’02 champion 2-year- old colt First To Flash, First Moonflash won 10 graded stakes and earned $969,828 from 25 starts from 2007-09. The stallion has sired several graded stakes winners, including champions Handsome Jack Flash and Foxy Moonflash, and open Grade 1 winners Flash And Roll and Too Flash For You.
First Moonflash is a half-brother to Grade 2 winner Dash Ta Moon and graded stakes winner Moonifisant. The stallion is owned by a partnership and stands for a $10,000 fee at
W.L. and Dee Mooring’s Double LL Farm at Bosque, New Mexico.
First N Forever’s dam, the stakes-winning Mr Eye Opener mare Eye Am Forever Yours, ran second in the 2006 Animas Handicap (G3) at SunRay Park. The filly is a half-sister to multiple stakes winner Forever Your Fire.
First N Forever’s third dam, the winning Some Kinda Man mare Southern Streaker, ran second in champion My Easy Credit’s 1977 Rainbow Derby at Ruidoso Downs. Southern Streaker produced two stakes winners, includ- ing ’84 world champion Dashs Dream.
First N Forever was a $9,000 yearling purchase at the 2016 New Mexico-Bred Sale at Ruidoso Downs, and she was coming off of a second-place finish to Mamacita Cartel in the 400-yard, $145,000 New Mexico Filly & Mare Championship (RG1) at Zia Park on Dec. 2. The filly has won two of 11 races, all in New Mexico, and she has earned $148,115.
Regard The Rose ran third, a nose behind Mamacita Cartel, and was followed by Moon River, Hollywoodcrown, Everybuddys Talkin, Leftlane, Hardtookiss, and Sixie Won.
Mamacita Cartel is a homebred 4-year-old daughter of Big Daddy Cartel campaigned
by David Bloomer of Bosque, New Mexico. The mare has won six of 17 starts, includ- ing the 2018 New Mexico Filly & Mare Championship (RG1) at Zia Park and Jimmy Drake Stakes (R) at SunRay Park, and the $17,000 runner-up share of the purse pushed her bankroll to $264,897.
A 3-year-old Chicks Regard filly owned by Mason A. King, Regard The Rose has won seven of 15 outs and has earned $153,663. Regard The Rose has won two stakes, includ- ing the 400-yard, $134,387 New Mexico State Fair Breeders’ Derby (R) at Albuquerque Downs on Sept. 23.
78 New Mexico Horse Breeder