Preview Racing


Quarter Horse and Thoroughbred New Mexico-Bred Stakes Headline Weekend’s Racing Action at The Downs
Play Misty Foreme is one of nine New Mexico-bred Quarter Horses entered in Sunday’s feature, the 440-yard, $102,558 First Moonflash Maturity (R).

© Gay Harris / Ruidoso Downs
Quarter Horse and Thoroughbred New Mexico-Bred Stakes Headline Weekend’s Racing Action at The Downs

ALBUQUERQUE, NM—AUGUST 23, 2017—Two New Mexico-bred stakes, one for Thoroughbreds on Saturday and one for Quarter Horses on Sunday, will highlight this weekend’s live racing action at Albuquerque Downs.

Robert D. Smith’s Play Misty Foreme is one of nine New Mexico-bred Quarter Horses entered in Sunday’s feature, the 440-yard, $102,558 First Moonflash Maturity (R).

A 4-year-old gelding by Jesse James Jr trained by Shae Cox, Play Misty Foreme prepped with a half-length win as the 7-5 favorite in a 440-yard, $30,000 open-condition allowance race at Albuquerque Downs on July 22. Play Misty Foreme drew post 9 and will be ridden by Jose Luis Enriquez.

Other contenders include Major Bites, a 4-year-old Jesse James Jr gelding and the 5-2 morning-line choice. Trained by Cynthia Gonzalez for owner Israel Bordier, Major Bites is coming off of a third-place finish, a half of a length behind winner First Kool Moon, in the 400-yard, $50,000 Zia Handicap (RG2) at Ruidoso Downs on July 30.

Major Bites drew post 4 and will be ridden by Esgar Ramirez.

The First Moonflash Maturity honors First Moonflash, a New Mexico-bred 12-year-old son of First To Flash and the 2009 AQHA champion aged stallion. The complete lineup, in post position order including jockey assignments and morning-line odds:

  1. Dungarees Version (Agustin Silva), 4-1
  2. Comin To Your Town (Irving Delgado-Bustillos), 5-1
  3. Carson City Girl (Alfredo Sigala), 8-1
  4. Major Bites (Esgar Ramirez), 5-2
  5. Osbaldo (Isaias Cardenas), 10-1
  6. Tyger Power (Victor Escobar), 15-1
  7. Fire Stones (J. Martin Bourdieu), 12-1
  8. Dont Ever Slow Down (Porfirio Cano), 20-1
  9. Play Misty Foreme (Jose Luis Enriquez), 7-2

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Saturday’s 10-race program, which gets underway at 6:05 p.m. (MDT), is headlined by the 6 1/2-furlong, $70,000 Carlos Salazar Stakes (R), has drawn a field of eight state-bred fillies and mares, topped by 8-5 morning-line favorite Diabolical Dame. Trained by Todd Fincher for owners Joe Dee Brooks, Scott Bryant, and Derrol Hubbard, Diabolical Dame will be stretching out in distance off of her 3 3/4-length victory in the 6-furlong, $50,000 Lincoln Handicap (R) at Ruidoso Downs on July 30.

Diabolical Dame has won 13 of 22 starts and has earned $548,980. The 5-year-old daughter of the Artax stallion Diabolical drew post 4 and will be ridden by Roimes Chirinos. The mare’s seven opponents include Woodacouldadid, a homebred 6-year-old daughter of Minister Eric trained by Jose Gonzalez Jr. for owner Terrine Ransier of Deming, New Mexico.

Woodacouldadid returns to New Mexico off of her fifth-place finish in the 5-furlong, $75,000 Daisycutter Handicap on the turf at Del Mar. The mare’s season resume includes a wire-to-wire, half-length victory at odds of 34-1 in the 5 1/2-furlong, $100,000 La Coneja Stakes (R) at Sunland Park on March 26.

The Carlos Salazar Stakes honors the memory of Carlos Salazar, a longtime Albuquerque sportswriter who died in 1998. Salazar was inducted into the New Mexico Sports Hall of Fame in 1987.

The complete lineup, in post-position order including jockey and weight assignments and morning-line odds:

  1. Bryn’s Fancy Pants (Alfredo Juarez Jr., 120), 4-1
  2. Tilla Cat (Tracy Hebert, 120), 7-2
  3. My Dandy Girl (J. Martin Bourdieu, 120), 15-1
  4. Diabolical Dame (Roimes Chirinos, 123), 8-5
  5. One Foxy Babe (Enrique Garcia, 120), 15-1
  6. Pink Cadillac (Miguel Fuentes Jr., 120), 6-1
  7. Tijuana (Jorge Carreno, 120), 10-1
  8. Woodacouldadid (Elvin Gonzalez, 123), 12-1

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The Downs at Albuquerque Racetrack and Casino is located in the heart of Albuquerque at Expo New Mexico, the home of the New Mexico State Fair. General admission and parking (valet and self-parking) are always free. For more information, visit abqdowns.com and click on the “Racetrack” link at the top of the homepage.