SUNLAND PARK, NM—APRIL 12, 2014—El Damazo, a colt by Desirio who has won both of his starts, drew post 4 for Sunday’s 300-yard West Texas Futurity (G2) at Sunland Park.

This year’s West Texas Futurity will be worth $317,648, making it the richest in the stakes’ 56-year history.

Racing from the barn of trainer Jose Luis Vargas for owners Daniel Balderrama and Juan Castro, El Damazo is the only finalist with more than one victory in his resume. The colt has earned $15,300, and he is coming off of a two-length win as the 7-5 favorite in the third of nine trials on March 21.

Efrain Vigi will again ride El Damazo, the fourth-fastest qualifier on Sunday.

Fastest qualifier First Famous Effort made his career debut with a 2 3/4-length victory in the first West Texas Futurity trial. A $50,000 buy at last year’s Ruidoso Select Yearling Sale, First Famous Effort is campaigned by Louis Howard and trained by John Stinebaugh, who won this race with VWP Jr. Inc.’s No Dice Special in 2010.

Omar Reyes takes the call back on First Famous Effort, who drew post 9 in the final.

Other contenders include Melvin Neugebauer’s CC Kachina Eagle, a filly by champion One Famous Eagle trained by Wes Giles and the second-fastest qualifier, and third-fastest qualifier JM Famous Master, a colt by PYC Paint Your Wagon campaigned by Javier Marquez’s J & M Racing and Farm of Monahans, Texas, conditioned by Jose Luis Muela.

A resident of Manzanola, Colorado, Neugebauer acquired CC Kachina Eagle for $19,000 at last year’s Heritage Place Yearling Sale in Oklahoma City. The filly won the sixth trial by 2 1/4 lengths as the 19-10 favorite.

All entries, including fillies, have been assigned to carry 122 pounds in the West Texas Futurity. The complete lineup, in post position order including jockey assignments--

1. Phenomenal Jess (Salvador Martinez)
2. CC Kachina Eagle (Larry Gamez)
3. Whos Kissin James (Esgar Ramirez)
4. El Damazo (Efrain Vigi)
5. Aka Bugga (Sergio Becerra Jr.)
6. Encore For James (Jaime Leos)
7. JM Famous Master (Alonso Rivera)
8. Bigtime Bye (Raul Gutierrez)
9. First Famous Effort (Omar Reyes)
10. Boi George (Adrian Ramos).

The West Texas Futurity has been carded his Race 5 on Sunday with an estimated post-time of 2:35 p.m. (MDT). All Sunland Park races, can been seen at Q-RacingVideo.com.