Sunland Park Racetrack and Casino-Wednesday, December 5, 2007
$19 million Sunland Park season lures top flight stables
By Eric Alwan
The upcoming $19 million live racing season at Sunland Park Racetrack and Casino has
lured a fleet of major stables including Breeders’ Cup Classic winning trainer Steve Asmussen.
The 77-day stand beginning on Wednesday, December 12 promises top flight racing
with daily average purses exceeding $250,000.
Racing Secretary Norm Amundson assigned stall space for 1,663 horses.
Steven Asmussen comes loaded with power for Sunland Park meet represented by an
armada of stakes quality runners including Golden Hare. The nation’s winningest Thoroughbred
has won 13 times in 2007 over a variety of racetracks. He is tentatively aiming for the $50,000
KLAQ Handicap at five and one-half furlongs on Saturday, December 15.
Last season’s winner of the $100,000 Harry Henson Breeders’ Cup Handicap winner
Eyes On Eddy is bound for a Sunland return. Asmussen also targets Super Derby finalist
Beta Capo, Reporting For Duty, Natural Speed, My Three Sisters and Reigning Court for
local spins.
Asmussen won a record 555 races nationally in 2004. He collected the biggest wins of his
career this year by taking the Preakness Stakes and Breeders’ Cup Classic with Curlin,
the likely 2007 Horse of the Year. His horses have earned well over $22 million this year.
He won the Sunland Park trainer title in the 2003-04 and 2004-05 seasons.
Jon Arnett was granted 35 stalls for the new season and is absolutely teaming with
High quality runners. Coming off big seasons at both Arapahoe Park in Colorado and
the Downs at Albuquerque. Arnett is rolling on a career high with stakes winners like
Absolutely True, Tanya’s Beau, Skip and Go and Rasmussen.
Both Absolutely True and Tanya’s Beau scored multiple stakes victories last fall
at Albuquerque. They should both make sizeable impressions at Sunland this winter.
Arnett won the combined Sunland Park training title at Sunland Park during the
1993-94 season.
Joel Marr brings a high powered stable of 30 runners to the southwestern oval including
the hottest horse in New Mexico – Peppers Pride. The outstanding stakes filly is unbeaten
In 13 starts and is aiming for the all-time Thoroughbred record of consecutive wins held
by the legendary Cigar, Citation, Hallowed Dreams and Mister Frisky with 16 victories.
Peppers Pride won both the $125,000 Sydney Valentini Handicap and $125,000 La Coneja
Stakes last season. She has since gone on to score triumphs at Ruidoso Downs on
Zia Day and at Zia Park on New Mexico Cup Day. Her seasonal bow at Sunland may
come in the $125,000 New Mexico State Racing Commission Handicap at 6 furlongs
on Sunday, December 16. Her career bankroll is closing in on $700,000.
The Joel Marr contingent also includes the highly effective Shezapirate, Franchise Three,
One Bad Ghost and Fullofenergy.
Perennial Sunland Park powerhouse Fred Danley brings a legion of winners highlighted
by the 2006 World Champion Aged Quarter Gelding Gotta Get. The winning machine defeated
open company in last year’s Grade 1 $400,000 Championship and Sunland Park. He continues
to run in fine form and is one of the all-time greatest New Mexico-bred Quarter Horses with
18 career wins.
Danley also has rising stars in New Mexico State Fair Senor Futurity winner First Moonflash,
870 yard expert Jackspots, La Serenata and Sweet Ghostrun. The classy On Star Cowboy
and Hollywood Gone are also part of a well balanced Quarter Horse and Thoroughbred stable.
Defending Sunland Park training champion Chris Hartman appears poised for another great
season with a stable of 26 runners. His racing team is led by last season’s top distaff sprinter
Tempting Date. The fleet mare won both the Bold Ego and Czaria Handicaps last season.
She raced to a driving victory in the Chamisa Handicap at the Downs at Albuquerque last
summer. Hartman’s stable is further strengthened by New Mexico Cup Juvenile Fillies
winner Etoile de Dome, Seneca Song, Wait In Line, Sweepingly and Buddha Lady.
Hartman sizzled last season at Sunland Park winning 51 races from 152 starts. His win
percentage rose to an amazing 33.6 percent winning clip.
2007 WinStar Derby winning trainer Henry Dominguez returns with another talented group
of Thoroughbreds. The popular conditioner won the prestigious $600,000 WinStar Derby
with Song Of Navarone and finished second in the Thoroughbred trainer’s standings with
47 winners.
Dominguez delivers plenty of firepower with Copper Top Futurity winner Thats Our Fred,
Dessie and Fern Sawyer Futurity winner Fritzie’s Chime, El Minuto, Hailey’s Gone West,
Silent Fusaichi amd Bless Idbyourname. Henry Dominguez won the Sunland Park
thoroughbred training title during the 2005-06 season.
Trainer Jimmy Collier is coming off highly successful stint at Zia Park. His surging
stable includes the New Mexico Cup Championship winner Highland Best. The former
claimer defeated the millionaire New Mexico-bred star Rocky Gulch. Collier also trains
Bold NXS, Top Set, Straight Set Win and Ghost At Play.
Gary Cross should be another trainer to watch. His outstanding barn includes the stakes
winning Thunder Belle, Kentucky shipper Eyeforglory, Broke Sharply, La Mamie.
His terrific filly Lauras Last Music won two stakes at Albuquerque brilliantly in near track
record time.
Paul Jones, the nation’s leading Quarter Horse trainer, will have an increasing presence
at Sunland Park. The talented Rainbow Derby winner Separate Bet, Casino Dash, The
Crawfish, Tricky Dust, Ketel Won and Mia Jones are possible contestants this season.
Two-time Sunland Park Quarter Horse training champ Mike Joiner looks ready for another
productive campaign. His barn includes last season’s West Texas Derby winner Mr Perry
Dash and the high powered stakes star Valiant Hero.