Page 124 - NM Winter 2023

THE DOWNS AT ALBUQUERQUE
First Moonflash QH Maturity (RG2)
Photos by Coady Photography
First Moonflash
First To Flash
Nagano Moon
Dont Looke Ethel
Genuine Strawfly
Minnie Coup
NO MIRES A LA LUNA
Byron L. Woodard’s No Mires A La Luna, a homebred 7-year-old son of First Moonflash, sprinted to a neck victory in the October 8, $100,000 First Moonflash Maturity (RG2) for New Mexico-bred Quarter Horses at Albuquerque Downs.
Trained by Fred Danley, No Mires A La Luna covered 440 yards in :21.314 while earning a 94 speed index and his seventh graded stakes win. Noe Garcia Jr. rode the bay gelding.
No Mires A La Luna was stretching out
in distance off of his fourth-place finish in a 350-yard, $43,600 allowance dash on a sloppy track at Ruidoso Downs on August 25. The gelding’s sire, First Moonflash, was a New Mexico-bred son of 2002 AQHA champion 2-year-old colt First To Flash and the sport’s champion aged stallion in 2009. Raced from 2007-09, First Moonflash won 14 of 25 starts and banked $969,828, and his 10 graded stakes victories included the 2008 and 2009 Championship at Sunland Park (G1). He also was a finalist in the 2008 All American Derby (G1) at Ruidoso Downs.
A half-brother to graded stakes winner Moonifisant and Dash Ta Moon, First Moonflash has from 11 crops sired the earners of more than $27.6 million, including AQHA champions Flash And Roll, Handsome Jack Flash, and Foxy Moonflash and Grade 1
winner Too Flash For You. The stallion died after a battle with laminitis in May 2019.
No Mires A La Luna is out of Dont Looke Ethel, a winning New Mexico-bred daughter
of the Strawfly Special stallion Genuine Strawfly. Campaigned in three states, including Oklahoma and Texas, No Mires A La Luna
has won nine of 40 races, and the $60,000 winner’s share of the First Moonflash Maturity purse increased his bankroll to $754,245.
The gelding’s four wins in 12 starts at the 440-yard distance and two wins in three outs at Albuquerque Downs include a half-length victory in last year’s $75,000 First Moonflash Maturity (G1).
No Mires A La Luna’s career record includes a third-place finish, three-quarters of a length behind winner Apocalyptical Jess, in the 2018 All American Futurity (G1) at Ruidoso Downs.
The 5-1 third choice in the seven-horse field, No Mires A La Luna returned a $13.60 win mutuel. Man Of Faith, a 16-1 longshot, finished second to complete a $2 exacta dividend of $97.80.
JC New Dawn ran third, a half of a length behind No Mires A La Luna, and was followed by 3-10 favorite Big Crush BB, Classy Moon, HS Paul Walker and HS Golden Eagle.
Man Of Faith banked the $20,000 runner-up share of the First Moonflash Maturity purse to bring his earnings to
$160,767 for his owner, Jose E. Vargas. The homebred 6-year-old gelded son of the One Famous Eagle stallion One Handsome Man was making his first start since January 7, and his record includes a second-place finish in last year’s First Moonflash Maturity.
A son of the Dash Ta Fame stallion Woodbridge, JC New Dawn races for Telma Meraz and Federico Gonzalez, and he was making his 4-year-old season debut in the First Moonflash Maturity. The chestnut gelding has won four of 14 starts, and the $10,000 third-place share of the purse bumped his earnings to $182,378. JC New Dawn’s sophomore campaign included a second-place finish, a neck behind winner River Flash, in the September 25, $288,000 New Mexico Cup Derby (RG2) at Zia Park.
122 New Mexico Horse Breeder