Page 38 - Summer 2020

SUNLAND PARK
by Emily Blankenship, photos by Coady Photography
Mesilla Valley Speed Handicap (RG2)
Winners Version
Holland Ease
The Jubilee Diamond
Salt N Sea TB
Gone Hollywood
Salaria
DJS WINNER
DJS Winner, a bay daughter of the Holland Ease stallion Winners Version owned by Double Eagle Ranch, scored her first stakes win in the February 22, $100,000 Mesilla Valley Speed Handicap (RG2) for state-bred aged runners at Sunland Park.
Prepped by Toby Keeton, DJS Winner covered 350 yards in :17.269, and her winning margin was a neck from Woodys Copy Cat. Noe Garcia Jr. rode the filly, who posted a 96 speed index and banked the $60,000 winner’s share of the purse from her first win in three starts for 2020.
DJS Winner was bred by Double Eagle Ranch. The filly’s sire, Winners Version, raced in New Mexico and California from 2008-09 and earned $399,057 from 17 outs and won the Hobbs America Derby (G3) at Zia Park in Hobbs, New Mexico.
Now 14, Winners Version has sired the earners of more than $4.5 million from eight crops, including NMHBA Stakes (RG2) win- ners Teana Fay and Seeyalateralligator, and New Mexican Spring Futurity (RG2) winner Winning Merlot. The stallion is owned by A and C Racing & Roping.
DJS Winner is out of Salt N Sea (TB), a winning 13-year-old daughter of the Gone
West (TB) stallion Gone Hollywood (TB), who was a finalist in three stakes races, including the Sandia Handicap in New Mexico in 2000.
DJS Winner traces back to her third dam, Survive (TB), a daughter of the Buckpasser (TB) stallion Pass The Glass (TB) and winner of three black type events, including the Bed O’Roses Handicap (G2), A Gleam Handicap (G2) and Shywing Handicap.
DJS Winner was coming off a third-
place finish in the Lou Wooten and Sydney Valentini Handicap (G2) on January 11 at Sunland Park. The filly has banked $124,750 from 14 races.
DJs Winner was sent to post at odds of 4-5 and returned a $11.00 win mutuel and com- pleted a $1 exacta payoff of $90.60.
Woodys Copy Cat finished second, a nose in front of Marcus Medallion, and was followed by CD Mamas Boy, Cat Daddys
Lil Girl, Rime Chimes, Magnifico Dragon, No Mires A La Luna, Jess A Satin Flash and Freedom Flash. Hollywoodcrown and Jess To Reel were on the also-eligible list.
Woodys Copy Cat is a brown daughter
of the Dash Ta Fame stallion Woodbridge campaigned by Enrique Barrera. The filly has
banked $370,928 from 19 outs, and she was coming off a second-place finish in the Lou Wooten and Sydney Valentini Handicap (G2) at Sunland Park.
A gelded son of the Mr Jess Perry stallion Jesse James Jr, Marcus Medallion has earned $282,718 from 22 races for his owner Kevin Perez. Marcus Medallion was coming off a second-place finish in the Dona Ana County Handicap at Sunland Park.
The Mesilla Valley Handicap has been a fixture on Sunland Park’s stakes sched- ule since 2003. Past winners include First Moonflash (2009), Jenuine Joy (2011) and Major Bites (2018).
36 New Mexico Horse Breeder