Page 89 - NM Summer 2023

SUNRAY PARK
by Michael Cusortelli
SUNRAY PARK MEET RECAP
SunRay Park near Farmington, New Mexico, concluded its 21-day Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse meet on Sunday, May 21.
The track’s richest Quarter Horse race, the 350-yard, $235,689 New Mexico Breeders’ Futurity (RG3) for New Mexico-bred 2-year- old Quarter Horses on closing day, was won by Jetting Thru Clouds. Edgar S. Martinez rode the homebred daughter of the Game Patriot stallion Jet Black Patriot for owner and trainer Joel Gutierrez. The filly banked the $119,234 winner’s share of the stakes-record purse.
SunRay Park’s signature Thoroughbred race, the 1 1/8-mile, $75,000 San Juan County Commissioners Stakes, was also contested on closing day. Bye Bye Bobby, a 4-year-old gray or roan son of Quality Road racing for B4 Farms LLC, won the race under jockey Tracy Hebert. Todd Fincher trained the Kentucky- bred colt.
Alejandro Medellin was SunRay Park’s leading Thoroughbred jockey with 19
wins from 85 mounts, eight more than runners-up Alfredo Juarez Jr. (11 wins from 63 mounts), Christian Ramos (11 wins from 70 mounts), and Enrique Gomez (11 wins from 75 mounts). Medellin also led
all SunRay Park Thoroughbred riders with mount earnings of $349,333.
SunRay Park’s leading Thoroughbred trainer, Andres Gonzalez, won 11 races from 46 starters, one more than runner-up Martin Valdez-Cabral Jr., who prepped the winners of 10 races from 50 starters. Gonzalez also topped all SunRay Park Thoroughbred trainers in starter earnings at $340,848.
Dr. Miguel Gallegos’ Gallegos del Norte Racing (six starters) and Amanda Sweeten (19 starters) led all Thoroughbred owners with four wins each. B4 Farms LLC was SunRay Park’s leading Thoroughbred owner in purse earnings at $101,630.
On the Quarter Horse side of the ledger, Christian Ramos (71 mounts) and Hector Aldrete (73 mounts) topped all SunRay Park jockeys with 11 wins each. Ramos was the meet’s leading Quarter Horse rider in mount earnings at $281,383.
Fresh off winning the Quarter Horse training title at Sunland Park, Wes Giles was SunRay Park’s leading Quarter Horse trainer with eight wins from 35 starters, one more than runner-up Jesus Rondan, who prepped the winners of seven races from 39 starters. Omar Vargas topped all Quarter Horse trainers in starter earnings at $186,372.
Mario Dominguez led all SunRay Park Quarter Horse owners with five wins from 12 starters, one more than runner-up CHR Racing, which won four races from 11 starters. The track’s leading Quarter Horse owner in starter earnings was Joel Gutierrez with $137,434.
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