Page 106 - NM Summer 2023

SUNLAND PARK
Photos by Coady Photography
Jamison Memorial Handicap (R)
Attila’s Storm
Forest Wildcat
Sweet Symmetry
Road To Reason
Redattore
Loveontheroad
CHEESE TRAY
Cheese Tray, a 5-year-old homebred Attila’s Storm gelding racing for J. Kirk and Judy Robison of El Paso, Texas, was a prompt 2-1 favorite in the January 29, $100,000 Jamison Memorial Handicap (R) for New Mexico-bred Thoroughbreds at Sunland Park.
Ridden by Luis Fuentes for trainer Todd Fincher, Cheese Tray covered 6 1/2 furlongs in 1:15.99, and his margin of victory was a nose from 9-2 second choice Thunder Dome. The bay gelding earned $60,000 from his second career stakes win.
Cheese Tray was coming off a wire-to-
wire, 2 1/4-length victory in a 6 1/2-furlong, $47,000 third-level allowance race for state- breds at Zia Park on December 5. The gelding’s sire, the late Attila’s Storm, was a Kentucky- bred son of the Storm Cat stallion Forest Wildcat. Campaigned from 2004-07, Attila’s Storm earned $534,983 from 18 starts, and his five wins included the 2005 Fall Highweight Handicap and 2007 Toboggan Handicap (G3), both at Aqueduct Racetrack in New York City.
Attila’s Storm has sired 27 official black-type stakes winners and the earners of more than $17.9 million from 13 crops, including multiple stakes winners Waltzing Attila, Stormin The Jewels, Little Vidalia, and Reaper. The stallion died following colic surgery on June 23, 2021.
Cheese Tray’s dam, Road To Reason, is a winning California-bred daughter of the Roi
Normand stallion Redattore (BRZ). A 2006 foal, Road To Reason has produced five winners from six starters including Road To Heat, a half-brother to Cheese Tray who ran third in the ‘19 Rio Grande Senor Futurity (R) at Ruidoso Downs.
Cheese Tray’s second dam, Loveontheroad, was a daughter of the Rainbow Quest stallion Jahafil (GB) who won the 1998 Santa Paula Stakes at Santa Anita Park and foaled four winners from as many starters. The gelding traces back to his fifth dam, Easter Junction, a stakes-winning Florida-bred daughter of
the Nearco (ITY) stallion Amerigo. Easter Junction produced Five Up Player, a Fleet Mel colt who won the ‘77 San Francisco Handicap at Bay Meadows.
Cheese Tray has won seven of 22 races
while campaigned exclusively in New Mexico., The winner’s share of the Jamison Memorial Handicap purse increased his bankroll to $343,866. The gelding’s 4-year-old season
record included a three-quarter length victory
in the March 27, $120,000 New Mexico State University Handicap (R) at Sunland Park, and second place runs in the 7 1/2-furlong, $50,000 Land of Enchantment Stakes (R) at Ruidoso Downs, and the 1-mile, $125,000 Rocky Gulch New Mexico Cup Championship (R) at Zia Park.
Storm Bayou ran third, a half of a length behind Cheese Tray. Jet N G, Izeright, Strawberry Whisky, Delbert Too, Bodie Got
Gold, Cerveza, No Pasa Nada and One Mark completed the order of finish.
Runner-up Thunder Dome banked $20,000 to bring his earnings to $859,662 from 54 starts for his owners, Mike H. Carson and Bill Carson. A 9-year-old son of the Storm Cat stallion Dome and a half-brother to stakes winner If I Had A Bull, the chestnut gelding has won 14 races, and his eight stakes victories include the 2020 and 2022 Rocky Gulch New Mexico Cup Championship (R).
Storm Bayou is a 7-year-old Attila’s Storm gelding racing for Kent V. Kunz and a full brother to stakes winner Two Stepper. Storm Bayou has won seven of 29 outs, and the $10,000 third-place share of the Jamison Memorial Handicap purse pushed his bankroll to $162,087.
104 New Mexico Horse Breeder