Sunland Park Racetrack and Casino (Sunday, March 16, 2008)

Liberty Bull powers to win $600,000 WinStar Derby

Sky Mom roars in $200,000 WinStar Sunland Park Oaks

Tough Tiz’s Sis returns to win $104,700 Harry Henson Breeders’ Cup Handicap

Run Like Fire earns $100,000 New Mexico Breeders’ Derby title.

 

 

Liberty Bull drove home powerfully in upper stretch to earn an impressive 2-length

win in the $600,000 WinStar Derby at Sunland Park Racetrack and Casino on

Sunday.

 

The three-year-old colt by Holy Bull shipped in by jet last Tuesday, and he seemed

to relish the conditions of Sunland Park’s signature event in front of 14,491 fans.

 

Under a thoughtful ride from Louisiana’s star jockey Gerard Melancon, Liberty

Bull responded in kind to collect his biggest windfall. Melancon gained the

mount after regular pilot Eddie Razo was injured at Hawthorne Park this week.

 

Breaking from the outside #9 post position, Melancon guided Liberty Bull

into a prime stalking position while racing in the three path on the first turn.

 

Melancon said, “I noticed the two favorites (Winsome Charm and Poni Colada)

were acting up a bit in the gate before the start. That peaked my confidence.

Winsome Charm did not show much speed. The pace was soft, and I knew

I had a maiden and a longshot in front of me. So I just stayed close and waited

for the turn for home. I knew I had a lot of horse turning for home.”

 

Liberty Bull cruised into a menacing position and gained level terms on No

Jepordy and Screen to Screen with a quarter mile to go in the feature. No

Jepordy began to lose steam in mid-stretch while Screen to Screen tried

to hold off the invigorated Liberty Bull.

 

The grey runner stormed to the front and won with complete authority. The 3-1

second favorite stopped the clock for the one and one-eighth miles in a good

1:49.82 through some very blustery conditions.

 

Liberty Bull collected a $300,000 paycheck for winning owner Kenneth Maier

of Gurnee, Illinois. Mr. Maier purchased the colt for $30,000 in the OBS April

Sale of 2007. He said, “Liberty Bull was a very well balanced horse and his

third dam had some black type that interested me. This is my best day in racing

ever. To pick this horse out as a two-year-old and win a race like this is a real

thrill.”

 

Winning trainer Thomas Amoss has now guided Liberty Bull to earn two stakes

victories including the Smarty Jones last January at Oaklawn Park. The newly

crowned WinStar Derby champ has a record of 3 wins, 2 seconds and 1 third

from 6 starts. His career bankroll stands at an impressive $403,592.

 

Screen To Screen ran a big race for trainer Bob Baffert. The Santa Anita maiden

outran his 7-1 odds with jockey Aaron Gryder in the saddle. The runner-up

earned a cool $132,000 for the Pegram, Glasscock and Ol Memorial Stable.

 

Ablaze With Spirit closed well in the final stages to get third with jockey Garrett

Gomez. The Steven Asmussen trainee earned $72,000  for the Heiligbrodt Stable

of Houston, Texas.

 

The pace setting No Jepordy finished a solid fourth for trainer Doug O’Neill.

 

Deputyville, Cape Time, Poni Colada, Banker’s Way and Winsome Charm completed

the order of finish. Capetown Royal was a scratch.

 

Winsome Charm was the 8-5 favorite for trainer Jeff Mullins. The Silver Charm colt was

unruly in the gate and never fired.

 

Sky Mom and jockey Garrett Gomez collected a dazzling four and three-quarter length

win in the $200,000 WinStar Sunland Park Oaks at 1 and 1/16 miles.

 

The Maria’s Mon filly took charge in upper stretch and swept past a determined Snake Proof.

The 3-2 favorite won with authority for trainer Steven Asmussen.

 

Sky Mom earned $120,000 for winning owner Heather Stark of Lexington, Kentucky.

She is a multiple stakes winner of over $330,000.

 

Snake Proof held for second place, well in front of R Charlie’s Angel.

 

Liberty Bull - photo credit Jack Coady

Tough Tiz's Sis - Photo credit: Eugene O'Neill / Coady Photo

Sky Mom - Photo credit: Eugene O'Neill / Coady Photo

Run Like Fire - photo credit Jack Coady

 

2007 WinStar Sunland Park Oaks winner Tough Tiz’s Sis returned victoriously to Sunland Park

with a courageous win in the $104,700 Harry Henson Breeders’ Cup Handicap. The Grade 1

stakes winner showed her class by holding off a fast closing Nice Inheritance to win by

three-parts of a length.

 

Aaron Gryder rode the Tiznow filly for winning trainer Bob Baffert.

 

Tough Tiz’s Sis ranks as one of the leading four-year-old fillies in the country. Her

glossy resume is loaded with Grade 1 and Grade 2 races as she approaches $600,000

in career earnings. She has won 6 times from 16 starts

 

The winning owners are Watson and Weitman Performances LLC of Tucson, Arizona.

 

 

In a battle of three-year-old New Mexico-breds, Run Like Fire pulled clear in deep stretch

to defeat Brax in the $100,000 New Mexico Breeders’ Derby. Under jockey Martin

Bourdieu, Run Like Fire won the one mile race by a half-length. The Premeditation gelding

earned first place prize money of $60,000. The winner is owned by Mary Bowden of

Horseshoe Bay, Texas. J. Michael Welch trained the winner.