Page 53 - New Mexico Horse Breeder Summer 2018

SUNLAND pArk
New Mexico State University Stakes (R)
by Michael Cusortelli
Elijah’s Song
Unbridled’s Song
Toda Una Dama
Book The Cat
Tobasco Cat
Oka No Book
G M GaGe
Maurcenia Cross’ G M Gage rallied to win the March 25, $100,000 New Mexico State University Stakes (R) at Sunland Park.
Ridden by Tracy Hebert for trainer Gary Cross and sent to post at odds of 11-1, G M Gage defeated 2-1 favorite Shining Source by a neck while covering 1-mile & 70-yards in 1:40.55. The gelding banked $60,000 to push his earnings to $237,941 from 34 starts.
G M Gage was bred by Maurcenia Cross, a resident of Fort Sumner, New Mexico. The bay gelding is one of 12 winners from 25 starters sired by Elijah’s Song, a winning Kentucky-bred son of 1995 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Stakes (G1) winner Unbridled’s Song and the Grade 1-win- ning Cipayo (ARG) mare Toda Una Dama (ARG). A half brother to South American stakes winners La Extrana Dama (ARG) and Todo
Un Senor, Elijah’s Song has sired the earners of more than $1.1 million from six crops.
G M Gage is also one of five winners
from six starters produced by Book the Cat, a winning Kentucky-bred daughter of multiple Grade 1 winner Tabasco Cat. The gelding is
a half brother to two stakes-placed runners: Numberoneson, the runner-up in the 2011 Dine Stakes (R) at SunRay Park, and Jet N G, the runner-up in last year’s $140,000 Eddy
County Stakes (R) for New Mexico-bred 2-year-olds at Sunland Park.
G M Gage’s second dam, the Mari’s Book mare Oka No Book, won the $105,000 River Downs Breeders’ Cup Handicap in Ohio in ’97 and was a half sister to stakes winner Imperial Palace. The gelding traces back to his fourth dam, Palaska (IRE), an unraced daughter of Mountain Call (GB) who produced Tebaldo Brusato (IRE), a stakes winner in Italy in 1985.
Raced exclusively in New Mexico, G M Gage has won six races, including five of 18 at Sunland Park, and his two stakes victories include the 2016 New Mexico State University Handicap.
G M Gage returned a $24.60 win mutuel and teamed with Shining Source for a $2 exacta payoff of $109.80. Thunder Dome, the 7-2 second choice in the field of 11, ran third, a half of a length behind the winner, to complete a $288.50 ($1) trifecta.
Hute, Diabolical Gator, Go For A Stroll, He’s Another Who, Weather Dodger, Golly Gee, Mr. Digger, and Hunter Rocks completed the order of finish.
Shining Source was coming off of victories in the December 17, 6 1/2-furlong Johnie L. Jamison Handicap (R), and January 7, 1 1/16-mile Albert Dominguez Memorial Handicap (R) for his
owners, Barton Ranch Stables LLC and Blake Rust. A dark bay or brown 7-year-old son of the Montbrook stallion Source, the gelding has won 10 of 38 outs, and his four stakes wins include a one-length score in last year’s New Mexico State University Handicap. The $20,000 runner-up share of this year’s New Mexico State University Stakes purse pushed his bankroll to $423,458.
Thunder Dome races for W.D. Carson
Sr., M.H. Carson, and Leach Racing LLC. A 4-year-old chestnut son of the Storm Cat stal- lion Dome, the gelding has earned $289,563 from 19 starts, and his five wins include a three- quarter length victory in the 2016 Rio Grande Senor Futurity (R) at Ruidoso Downs.
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