Racing


Favorite Eye N Capo Wins $50,000 Rio Grande Handicap
Eye N Capo, under jockey Jesse Levario winning the $50,000 Rio Grande Handicap Saturday at Sunland Park Racetrack & Casino.

© Coady Photography
Favorite Eye N Capo Wins $50,000 Rio Grande Handicap

SUNLAND PARK, NM—JANUARY 26, 2019—Favorite Eye N Capo, under jockey Jesse Levario, defeated Papaws Print by a neck in the $50,000 Rio Grande Handicap on Saturday at Sunland Park Racetrack & Casino. Jacky Martin 21 finished half-a-length back to take third.

Saddled by trainer Josue Ponce, Eye N Capo completed the 350 yards in :17.278 seconds, a 97 speed index with a 7 mph tailwind. It was the 10th career win for the graded stakes winning son of Capo de Capi.

Ruben Garcia Montemayor owns the 5-year-old Oklahoma-bred out of Satisfeyen by Mr Eye Opener. Bred by Dee and Betty Raper, Favorite Eye N Capo came into the race off a win in the Sam's Town Stakes at Evangeline Downs last month. He has compiled a (17) 10-3-2 record and the $30,000 winners' purse boosted his career earnings to $495,910.

The winning connections of Eye N Capo accept the Rio Grande Handicap Stakes trophy Saturday at Sunland Park Racetrack & Casino.
© Coady Photography
All American and Rainbow Derby third place finisher Papaws Paint, a graded stakes winning son of leading sire Pyc Paint Your Wagon, races for owner R H Resources and trainer Todd Fincher. Bonifacio Perez rode the Oklahoma bred out of Heavenly Trip by Splash Bac. The Ray Herring bred runner picked up $10,000 to boost his earnings to $386,906.

Ricky Ramirez rode third-place finisher Jacky Martin 21 for owner/breeder 21 Partnership. Ricardo Armendariz conditions the FDD Dynasty gelding out of Fleeting Touch by Tres Seis.

Only Business, Pitchin Woo, Jess Botticelli, A Special Dynasty, Beyond 15, Apollitical OK and Double O Seven B completed the field.

Live racing resumes on Sunday at 12:30 p.m. The 56th running of the $106,000 Riley Allison Derby (9th race) and the $65,000 Borderplex Stakes (8th race) are featured. Both races are local preps for the $800,000 Sunland Derby (Gr. III) and $200,000 Sunland Park Oaks, respectively to be run on Sunday, March 24.