Page 117 - NM Winter 2023

RUIDOSO DOWNS
Road Runner Stakes (R)
Photos by Ruidoso Downs, Bailey Ivey
Marking
Bernardini
Seventh Street
Samba Queen
Giant’s Causeway
Misty Moon
SAMBAS MARK
Sambas Mark, a bay son of Marking, earned his first stakes victory in the July 23, $50,000 Road Runner Stakes (R) for New Mexico-bred 3-year-old Thoroughbreds at Ruidoso Downs.
Trained by Todd Fincher for owners Norman W. Allen, Chuck Sonnenberg and Fincher Racing LLC, Sambas Mark covered 5 1/2 furlongs in 1:05.07, and his winning margin was two lengths from Thruthestorm. Tracy Hebert rode the gelding.
Sambas Mark was bred by the late R.D. Hubbard. The gelding is one of 52 winners from 76 starters sired by Marking, an 11-year- old son of Bernardini. Racing from 2015-16, Marking banked $426,200 from eight starts, and he ran second in Runhappy’s 2015 Malibu Stakes (G1) at Santa Anita Park.
Marking has sired eight official black- type stakes winners and the earners of more than $4.7 million from four crops, including Slammed, the winner of last year’s Grade 2, $350,000 Thoroughbred Club of America Stakes at Keeneland Racecourse. The stallion is owned by Fred Alexander and Todd Fincher and stands for a $6,000 fee at A & A Ranch at Anthony, New Mexico.
Sambas Mark is also one of nine winners from 11 starters produced by Samba Queen,
a Kentucky-bred daughter of the Storm Cat stallion Giant’s Causeway. Sambas Mark is a half-brother to three stakes winners, including six-time stakes winner Sippin.
Sambas Mark’s second dam, the winning Baronius (BRZ) mare Misty Moon (BRZ), foaled three stakes winners, all of whom are half-sisters to Samba Queen, including Virginie (BRZ), the winner of the 1999 Beverly Hills Handicap (G2) at Hollywood Park.
Sambas Mark was shortening in distance off of his 4 1/2-length victory in a 6-furlong, $33,000 non-winners-of-two allowance race for New Mexico-breds at Ruidoso Downs on June 25. All told, the gelding has won three of seven starts and has banked $89,330,
of which $81,880 has been earned from
five outs this season. His resume includes
a third-place finish, 3 1/4 lengths behind winner Thru The Storm, in the February 28, $100,000 Red Hedeman Mile Stakes (R) at Sunland Park.
Marked Money finished third, 2 3/4 lengths behind Sambas Mark. Leave Them Behind, Smartsrealgood, Valentino Who,
New Mexico Jeremy and Nostrangrtotherain completed the order of finish.
Thruthestorm is a chestnut son of Atilla’s Storm owned by Leslie and Pierre Amestoy. The gelding has won three of nine races, including the Red Hedeman Mile and the January 8, 6-furlong Corralito Steak House Stakes (R) at Sunland Park. He has banked $171,680.
A gelded son of Marking campaigned by Bob Matney, Marked Money has won three of eight races, and the $5,000 third-place share of the Road Runner Stakes purse brought his earnings to $109,254.
WINTER 2023 115