Page 207 - January 2018
P. 207
Sunland Park Winter Juvenile Championship
DESPAIN GL
by Danny Camp
Despain GL battled his way to his first stakes victory in the $200,000 Sunland Park Winter Juvenile Championship on Dec. 31.
Despain GL and Edwuin Lujan broke sec- ond from the 2-gate behind Believe Me Irene. After the first hundred yards of the 400-yard race, it was anybody’s game. Despain GL, however, rallied to win by a neck at the wire.
Despain GL overcame a 13mph head wind and crossed the line with a time of :19.676 to earn an 86 speed index.
Despain GL took home the $80,000 winner’s share of the purse, boosting his lifetime earnings to $157,875, and he now has a race record of 3(1)-0-1 from six starts. Trainer R.L. “Rick” Robinson saddled the sorrel gelding for owner Garza Laurel Partnership LLC.
Bred in Texas by Somos Diez, Despain
GL is the only foal to date out of the winning mare Pain And Pleasure, who is a half-sister to graded stakes winner Adolph Tres Knockout. The geldings second dam is lightly raced Oh Whatta Knockout, a half-sister to high money earning horse and All American Futurity winner Falling In Loveagain. Oh Whatta Knockout has produced 100% money earners from 24 starters.
Despain GL broke his maiden in his first start in the trials to the Oklahoma
West Texas Futurity-G2 winner Suenos Dineros (Bodacious Dash-Tres Suenos) overcame a bad start by mak- ing a great run up the lane. The gelding finished with courage behind the leaders and brought home the third place money for owner Victor Lozano and trainer Jose Muela. Esgar Ramirez was handling the reins. The geld- ing has a 7-3(1)-0-1 record
and the $18,000 third place share of the purse from this finish has pushed his cumulative earnings to $153,623.
Posttime favorite and New Mexico
Classic Futurity winner A Passion For Flashn (First Moonflash-Subtly Sixy) finished fourth. The colt was followed by Carris Cartel (The Louisiana Cartel-Shesa Wicked Gypsy), Apollitical Brooke (Apollitical Jess- Runaway Brooke), Estrella Damm (FDD Dynasty-Lawanda Fay), Phantom Fury (One Sweet Jess-SR Gizella), Jessica Alexandra (Apollitical Jess-Phoebe Wallingford), Desire Astoli (Desirio-Stoli Victory) and Pops (Apollitical Jess-Romance Cartel). JM Johnny Cash was scratched.
Futurity-G3, qualifying
to the Oklahoma Juvenile Invitational at Remington Park last Spring. After a fourth place finish in tthat race, he returned to set the fastest qualifying time over- all from two days of trials to the $1.1 million Heritage Place Futurity-G1.
Following a sixth place
finish in the Heritage Place
Futurity-G1 finals, Despain
GL rested over the summer and returned
to finish third in a 400-yard Texas Classic Futurity-G1 trial at Lone Star Park on Oct. 21.
Finishing second by a neck in the Sunland Park Winter Juvenile Championship, Believe Me Irene (Valiant Hero-Financial Leverage) was coming off a second-place attempt in the Southwest Juvenile Championship-G1 at Zia Park. The filly, who was also a finalist in the All American Futurity-G1, was hoping for her first career win in this race for owner Diamond Racing Stables LLC and trainer Jose Muela. Regular rider Jose Enriquez was in the irons. Believe Me Irene boosted her lifetime earnings to $133,800 with the addition of the second- place money from this event.
Sunland Park $200,000 400 yards :19.676 si 86
Strawfly Special
Desirio
Lady Tanaya
DESPAIN GL, ‘15-g.
Mighty Invictus
Pain And Pleasure
Oh Whatta Knockout
Despain GL (#2) & Edwuin Lujan rally to win the $200,000 Sunland Park Winter Juvenile Championship by a neck.
SPEEDHORSE, January 2018 205
RACING NEWS
Coady Photography
