Page 92 - New Mexico Summer 2022

RACING NEWS
SUNRAY PARK MEET RECAP
SunRay Park near Farmington, New Mexico, ended its 18-day Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse season on Sunday, May 29.
“It was great to be fully back with live racing in 2022,” said SunRay Park general manager Brad Boehm. “Our goal for 2022
was to maintain and surpass the momentum we had during the 2021 season. I believe we accomplished that goal thanks to the continued community support for this family friendly, unique Four Corners entertainment venue.
“We look forward to welcoming everyone back for the 2023 season,” he added.
Alfredo Juarez Jr. led all SunRay Park Thoroughbred jockeys with 12 wins from 70 mounts, one more than runner-up Enrique Go- mez, who rode the winners of 11 races from 70 mounts. Juarez also led all SunRay Thorough- bred jockeys in mount earnings at $408,116.
Martin Valdez Cabral Jr. was SunRay Park’s leading Thoroughbred trainer for the second consecutive season, as he sent out
nine winners from 36 starters, one more than runners-up Nancy Summers, James Cappel- lucci and Sherry Armstrong, who each saddled the winners of eight races. Cabral also led all of the track’s Thoroughbred trainers in starter earnings at $271,434.
Judge Lanier Racing LLC (Tom and Sandy McKenna) and the partnership of Terri Rust/ Barton Ranch Stables LLC were co-leading owners, as Judge Lanier Racing won four races
from 11 starters and Terri Rust/Barton Ranch Stables won four races from eight starters. Judge Lanier Racing also led all Thoroughbred owners in purse earnings at $121,083.
On the Quarter Horse side, Hector Aldrete was SunRay Park’s leading jockey with 12 wins from 60 starters, five more than runner-up Francisco Amparan, who rode the winners of seven races from 18 mounts. Aldrete was also SunRay’s leading Quarter Horse jockey in mount earnings at $270,088.
Wes Giles and Raul Vega lead all Quarter Horse trainers, as Giles won six races from 18 starters and Vega sent out the winners of six races from 20 starters. Armando Alamos led all SunRay Quarter Horse trainers in starter earn- ings at $155,843.
SunRay Park’s leading Quarter Horse owner, Enriqueta Mendoza, won three races from four starters. Lucina Salas Lopez was the track’s leading Quarter Horse owner in purse earnings at $80,603.
Six Thoroughbreds won two races dur-
ing the SunRay Park meet -- No Pasa Nada, Autopilot, Arranged Vows, Ima Saint Too, Impeaching and Awesome KP. A 6-year-old son of Attila’s Storm trained by Aurelio Valdez for owner Christopher N. Roybal and a $12,500 claim by Roybal at Sunland Park on Febru-
ary 12, No Pasa Nada won the 6 1/2-furlong, $100,000 Jack Cole Stakes (R) for New Mexico-breds on May 7.
Five Quarter Horses won two races dur- ing the SunRay meet -- Major Game, Wave Carver Returns, Brookstone K, KJ Wicked Wanda and JM Jesses Girl. A son of freshman sire Gronkowski trained by Eric Valenzuela for owners Jaime Perez, Andres Estrada and J. Santos Espinoza, Major Game won the meet’s richest race, the 350-yard, $120,000-added New Mexico Breeders’ Futurity (RG3) for state-bred 2-year-olds on May 22.
During the SunRay Park meet, which opened April 22, the track offered four New Mexico-bred Thoroughbred stakes worth $100,000. In addition to the Jack Cole Stakes, they were the April 23 Russell & Hel- en Foutz Distaff Stakes for fillies and mares (won by Paul Jenson’s Lemon Drop Gold), the May 8 C.O. “Ken” Kendrick Memorial Stakes for 2-year-olds (won by Jimmy and Rebecca Powers’ Nostrangrtotherain) and
the May 29 Dine Stakes (won by Derrick W. Jenkins’ Corrina Corrina).
There also were three New Mexico-bred Quarter Horse stakes worth $100,000 or more during the SunRay meet. In addition to the New Mexico Breeders’ Futurity, they were the April 24 New Mexico Breeders’ Stakes (RG3) for 3-year-olds (won by Robert M. Driggers’ and Ben Lee Ivey’s River Flash), and the May 15 Jimmy Drake Stakes (RG3) for 3-year-olds and older (won by Lucina Salas Lopez’s HS Golden Eagle).
90 New Mexico Horse Breeder