Racing


Tempting Destiny Nails Grade 3 West Texas Derby
Tempting Destiny (#8), under jockey G.R. Carter, Jr., catches El Damazo (#1) and Luv Supreme (#5) to win the West Texas Derby(G3) at Sunland Park Racetrack & Casino.

© Coady Photography
Tempting Destiny Nails Grade 3 West Texas Derby

SUNLAND PARK, NM—MARCH 28, 2015—Tempting Destiny rallied from the outside to run down early leader El Damazo and win the Grade 3 $191,284 West Texas Derby Saturday afternoon at Sunland Park Racetrack and Casino. Fastest qualifier Luv Supreme finished a neck back in third.

Ridden by AQHA Racing champion jockey G.R. Carter, Jr., Tempting Destiny completed his 400 yard task in :19.268 seconds, a 91 speed index. The $89,905 winner's purse boosted his career total to $212,815.

Justin Joiner conditions the Grade 3 stakes winning son of champion Tempting Dash for the partnership of Mark Allen, Leonard Blach, Henry Southway and Linda Joiner. A finalist in both the Grade 1 All American Futurity and Grade 1 Ruidoso Futurity last season, Tempting Destiny has a (7) 3-2-0 record.

Kick Goodfellow bred the $75,000 Ruidoso Select Yearling Sale graduate in Texas from the stakes winning Mr Jess Perry mare Dashingfordestiny. The second dam is the champion/champion producer Dashing Phoebe, by Dash For Cash.

The winning connections of Tempting Destiny include owners Mark Allen, Henry Southway and Linda Joiner, trainer Justin Joiner, family and friends.
© Coady Photography
Returning off knee surgery following a second place effort in the West Texas Futurity(G2) last season, El Damazo was forced to settle for second again. The gritty son of champion sire Desiro has compiled a (6) 3-3-0 record while making all of starts at Sunland Park. The $34,431 second place derby payday boosted his earnings past $109,000.

Jose Luis Vargas trains the 3-year-old colt for the partnership of Daniel Balderrama, Juan Castro and Sergio Castro. James and Marilyn Helzer bred El Damazo in Texas from the Invisible Injun mare Invisible Streaker. Esgar Ramirez has the riding assignment.

San Gregorio Racing Stable Inc., World Champion Racing Stables LLC and Coby Cobb's Luv Supreme, the West Texas Derby post-time favorite, put in a bid but yielded under jockey Joe Badilla, Jr. to finish third. James J. Gonzales, II conditions the daughter of leading sire Mr Jess Perry out of the stakes winning Mr Eye Opener mare Thewayouwantmetoo.

Bred by Julianna Hawn Holt, the multiple stakes-placed filly used the $21,041 third place West Texas Derby payday to bring her earnings total to more than $201,000. Luv Supreme is a $45,000 Ruidoso Select Yearling Sale graduate.

Completing the official order-of-finish is Pyc Little Lady, V P Cornbread, Mr Special Cartel, This Fire Is Cold, Stolis Bud, Chicks Deville and Apollitical Sign.