Page 88 - New Mexico Horse Breeder Spring 2018

SUNLAND pArk
by Michael Cusortelli
Dona Ana County Handicap (R)
Jesse James Jr
Mr Jess Perry
Loose Lips
Dyna Mo Rime
Major Rime
Dynamic Ego
MAjoR Bites
Israel Bordier’s Major Bites made his season debut with a convincing 2 1/4-length win in the Jan.28, 440-yard Dona Ana County Handicap (R) for New Mexico-breds at Sunland Park.
Ridden by Jose Alvarez for trainer Jesus Carrete, Major Bites made his quarter-mile
trip in :21.110. In addition to recording a 104 speed index, the 5-year-old gelding pocketed the $51,000 winner’s share of the $85,000 purse.
Major Bites was sent to post as the 6-5 favorite in a field of eight sprinters and returned a $4.40 win mutuel. The gelding was bred by Carlos Paez, and he was stretching out in distance off of his second-place finish, a 1/2-length behind winner Play Misty Foreme, in the Dec. 16, 400-yard Jess Burner Memorial Handicap (RG1) at Sunland.
Major Bites’ sire, the stakes-winning and Grade 1-placed Mr Jess Perry stallion Jesse
James Jr, has sired the earners of more than
$14.3 million from eight crops, including 2015 AQHA Champion 3-Year-Old Filly Astica and multiple graded stakes winners Osbaldo, Princess Jesse, and Cinco Menudos. A full brother to ‘06 Retama Park Derby (G1) winner Jesstified and a
half to stakes winner Loose Teller, Jesse James Jr died in August of last year due to laminitis.
Major Bites is out of Dyna Mo Rime, a win- ning New Mexico-bred daughter of the multiple graded stakes winning Rime stallion Major Rime. The gelding’s third dam, the Master Hand (TB) mare Western Hand (TB), won the 1979 Riley Allison Futurity at Sunland Park.
Major Bites traces back to his fourth dam, Penny Two (TB), an unraced Best Turn (TB) mare who was a half sister to multiple Grade 3 winner Highland Penny (TB).
Racing exclusively in New Mexico, Major Bites has won six of 21 starts, and he has banked $288,992. He was coming off of a 4-year-old season during which he earned $161,868 from seven outs and scored an upset 1/2-length win in the 440-yard, $170,000 Namehimastreaker New Mexico Cup Championship (RG1) at Zia Park on Oct. 29.
Hot Authorization ran second and was followed by Play Misty Foreme, Princess Jesse, Yudes Jess Dashin, Altitude Project, Cartels Star Daddy, and A Sure First.
Hot Authorization is a 7-year-old bay son
of Corona Caliente owned by Sergio Holguin, Cliften Nielsen, and Felix Rodriguez. The geld- ing, a $4,600 buy at the 2012 New Mexico-Bred Sale at Ruidoso Downs, has won five of 35 starts, and the $17,000 runner-up share of the Dona Ana County Handicap purse boosted his earn- ings to $145,336.
Robert D. Smith’s Play Misty Foreme has won eight of 21 outs and has banked $291,766.
Mountain Top Futurity (R) at Ruidoso Downs. Western Warning finished third and
was followed by Del Mar Summer, Jet N G, Loosewheelslouie, Strike A Storm, Rio Innoko, Tucker D, and Indian Jack.
Runner-up Hollywood Henry is a gelded son of Roll Hennessy Roll owned by Bennie A. Vanecek.
Western Warning races for Pierre and Leslie Amestoy. Western Warning has won two of eight races and has earned $58,284.
Red Hedeman Mile (R)
Song Of Navarone
Sultry Song
Timely Legend
Carmen’s Delight
Carmen’s Glory
Dela’s Delight
BLAZiNG NAVARoNe
Starting his sophomore campaign like he ended his 2-year-old season, Blazing Navarone was a prompt 6-5 favorite in the Jan. 21, $85,000 Red Hedeman Mile (R) for New Mexico-bred 3-year-olds at Sunland Park.
Blazing Navarone covered his 8-furlong trip in 1:38.57 under Ry Eikleberry, and his margin of victory was a clear 3 1/4-lengths from Hollywood Henry. The bay gelding races for George E. Coleman and trainer Henry Dominguez.
Blazing Navarone was bred by Lucky Six Inc., and he is one of 14 winners from 23 start- ers sired by Song Of Navarone, a 14-year-old Kentucky-bred son of the Cox’s Ridge stallion Sultry Song. Raced in three states, includ-
ing New Mexico, from 2006-10, Song Of Navarone earned $757,858 from 21 starts, and his eight wins included the $300,000 WinStar Derby at Sunland Park in ’07.
Song Of Navarone has sired the earners of more than $706,000. A half brother to mul- tiple stakes winner Celluloid Hero, the stallion is owned by Henry Dominguez and stands at Lucky Six Farm at Sunland Park, New Mexico.
Blazing Navarone’s dam, Carmen’s Delight, is a winning daughter of the Relaunch stallion Carmen’s Glory. A 2003 foal, Carmen’s Delight has foaled four winners from five starters, including Carmen’s Rocket, a winning half brother to Blazing Navarone who ran third in the ‘13 Dine Stakes (R) at SunRay Park.
Blazing Navarone’s fourth dam, the win- ning King Of The Castle mare Western Saint, ran second in two stakes in New Mexico dur- ing her 2-year-old season, including the Dessie Sawyer Futurity at Albuquerque Downs. The gelding traces back to his fifth dam, Saint Ives, a winning daughter of Crimson Satan and a half sister to White Ivy, the runner-up in the 1983 American Beauty Stakes at River Downs.
Blazing Navarone was stretching out in distance off of his 3 3/4-length win in the $85,000 Four Rivers John Deere Stakes (R) at Sunland Park on Dec. 31. All told, he has won four of eight starts, including all three of his outs at Sunland, and he has banked $168,226. Blazing Navarone’s resume includes a second- place run in last year’s 5-furlong, $141,000
86 New Mexico Horse Breeder
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