Page 64 - NMHBA_FALL2021

RUIDOSO DOWNS
Mountain Top TB Futurity
MARKED
Marked, a homebred daughter of Marking owned by R. Lee Lewis and Brad King, over- came a stumble at the break and won the June 26, $123,991 Mountain Top Thoroughbred Futurity (R) at Ruidoso Downs.
Ridden by Tracy Hebert for trainer Todd Fincher and sent to post as the 4-5 favorite in a field of eight, Marked covered 5 furlongs in :57.95 while defeating 7-2 third choice Lonzo Who by 1 1/4 lengths. The dark bay or brown filly banked $61,996 from her second win in as many starts.
”She stumbled badly at the gate, got into a speed duel, and then held off a nice horse at the finish line,” said Fincher. “You can’t say enough about her effort today.”
Marked made her career debut with a 6 1/4-length victory in the first of two Mountain Top Futurity trials on June 12. The filly is one of four stakes winners from 23 starters sired
by Marking, a winning 9-year-old Kentucky- bred son of the A.P. Indy stallion Bernardini. Campaigned in two countries, including the United Arab Emirates, from 2015-16, Marking earned $426,200 from eight races, and he ran second in Runhappy’s 2015 Malibu Stakes (G1).
Marking has sired the earners of more than $537,000 from two crops, including 2020 Rio Grande Senor Futurity (R) winner
Delbert Too. A half-brother to Grade 2 winner Lake Avenue, the stallion is owned by Fred Alexander and Todd Fincher, and he stands for a $3,500 fee at Fred and Linda Alexander’s A & A Ranch.
Marked is the first starter foaled by Lookin Better, an unraced 7-year-old Kentucky-bred daughter of 2010 Preakness Stakes (G1) winner Lookin At Lucky. The filly’s second dam, Better Again, is a winning 17-year-old daughter of 1995 Kentucky Derby (G1) winner Thunder Gulch.
Marked’s third dam, the Unbridled mare Scenic Point, won the 1997 Princess Rooney Stakes at The Meadowlands in New Jersey. A 1993 foal, Scenic Point produced Better Now, a full sister to Better Again who won the 2005 Tempted Stakes (G3) at Belmont Park.
Marked traces back to her fourth dam, Bangkok, a Riverman mare who foaled two other stakes winners, both of whom were half-brothers to Scenic Point, including 1997 Hawthorne Derby (G3) winner River Squall.
”She’s still so young and learning, so I was trying to urge her forward as best as I could,” said Hebert, who also rode Marked in her trial. “This filly has plenty of potential for bigger things going forward.”
Life Jacket finished third, 1 3/4 lengths
behind Marked, and was followed by Mark’s Warrior, Lead Monterey, Annie Get Ur Guns, Mr. Mercedes, and Right On Time. Qualifiers Chippster and Warriors Mark were scratched.
Runner-up Lonzo Who is a homebred son of the Indian Charlie stallion Comfort owned by Sam E. Stevens and Sammy L. Stevens of Lamesa, Texas. The gelding banked $24,798 to bring his earnings to $25,998 from two starts.
Life Jacket races for Dale F. Taylor Racing LLC and Bob Matney. A homebred son of the Pulpit stallion Abstraction and a half-brother to stakes winners Roll Out The Band and Raider Red, the gelding has won one of two outs and has banked $18,479.
by Michael Cusortelli • Photos by Jake Rogerss
Marking
Bernardini
Seventh Street
Lookin Better
Lookin At Lucky
Better Again
62 New Mexico Horse Breeder