Page 102 - New Mexico Winter 2021

ZIA PARK
Story by Michael Cusortelli • Photos by Coady Photography
New Mexico Cup Juv. Champ. (R)
Artful Run
Artie Schiller
Daintree
Little Mandate
Full Mandate
Royal Navy
WHERES BRAYDEN
R. Dwain Yarbar’s Wheres Brayden, a homebred son of the Artie Schiller stallion Artful Run, earned his first career stakes win in the October 31, 6-furlong New Mexico Cup Juvenile Championship (R) for state-bred 2-year-old colts and geldings at Zia Park.
Prepped by Greg Green and ridden by Enrique Gomez, Wheres Brayden defeated Reads Pet Zenon by a clear four lengths in 1:11.15. The bay gelding banked the $60,000 winner’s share of a $100,000 purse.
Wheres Brayden became the first stakes winner sired by Artful Run, a 13-year-old Kentucky-bred stallion who earned $42,081 from 2010-2012 while racing in three states, including Florida and Kentucky. Artful Run has sired three winners and the earners of more than $208,000 from five starters. He is owned by R. Dwain Yarbar and stands at Susan Hunter’s Hunter Creek Farms near Roswell, New Mexico.
Wheres Brayden is one of two starters pro- duced by Little Mandate, a winning daughter of the A.P. Indy stallion Full Mandate. His second dam, the unplaced Polish Navy mare Royal Navy, foaled Sr. Quisqueyano, a half-brother to Little Mandate who won five stakes in Florida from 2012-15 and ran second in the 2013 Gulfstream Park Derby.
Wheres Brayden’s third dam, the unraced Buckfinder mare Little V., produced three stakes winners in Massachusetts, all of whom were half- sisters to Royal Navy, including seven-time stakes winner Lt’l Miss D.S. and five-time stakes winner Big Miss. The gelding traces back to his fourth dam, Mary Mitsu (IRE), a Group 3 stakes winner in Ireland in 1982.
Wheres Brayden prepped for the New Mexico Cup Juvenile Championship with a third-place finish in a 6-furlong, $39,000 non-winners- of-two allowance for state-bred 2-year-olds on October 17. He has won two of six starts and
has earned $108,505, and his record includes a fourth-place run, 6 1/4 lengths behind winner Bella Dona, in the September 19, $235,000 New Mexico State Fair Thoroughbred Futurity (R) at Albuquerque Downs.
Wheres Brayden was sent to post as the 9-2 second choice in the field of 10 and returned a $11.20 win mutuel. Runner-up Reads Pet Zenon completed a $102.20 ($2) exacta.
Rig Rider finished third, 5 1/2 lengths behind Wheres Brayden. Lonzo Who, Lead Monterey, Zenfully Zesty, 9-10 favorite Action Junky, Real Penny, Mark’s Warrior, and Truely Right com- pleted the order of finish.
Reads Pet Zenon is a dark bay or brown
son of the Sunday Silence stallion Fusaichi Zenon (JPN) campaigned by Glenn Berry
and S. Linda Berry. A maiden, the gelding has banked $56,951, and his race record includes a third-place finish, 5 1/2 lengths behind winner Bella Dona, in the September 19, 6-furlong New Mexico State Fair Futurity.
Rig Rider is a gray or roan gelded son of the Unbridled’s Song stallion Right Rigger owned
by B.W. Duncan, Joe Duncan, Valerie Duncan, and Chris Zamora. Rig Rider has earned $45,690 from five starts, and his two wins include a neck victory at odds of 29-1 in a 6-furlong, $39,000 first-level allowance for New Mexico-bred 2-year-olds on October 17.
100 New Mexico Horse Breeder