Fine Am Eye, piloted by Noe Garcia, Jr., wins the Champagne Lane Stakes from wire-to-wire on Sunday at the Downs at Albuquerque.

© Coady Media

ALBUQUERQUE, NM–OCTOBER 27, 2024–Heavy favorite Fine Am Eye prevailed on Sunday with a gate-to-wire victory in the $50,000 Champagne Lane Stakes at the Downs at Albuquerque.

Jockey Noe Garcia Jr piloted Fine Am Eye to a 3/4-length win over First Flashin and Raul Ortega. Sent to post on 7/5 odds, the daughter of Eye Am King clocked a 102-speed index in 17.148 seconds. The 350-yard effort paid $4.80 to win.

Ridden by Sergio Becerra Jr, Maka Roon ran for third, finishing a neck behind First Flashin.

Fine Am Eye is coming off a second-place finish to yesterday's Downs Fall QH Distaff winner Hallmarke in the Balloon City Stakes. The four-year-old filly won the Vista Distaff Stakes in July and placed third in the Lou Wooten and Sydney Valentini Handicap [G2] at the beginning of the season.

The winning connections of Fine Am Eye accept the $50,000 Champagne Lane Stakes trophy at the Downs At Albuquerque on Sunday. © Coady Media

Today's victory improved Fine Am Eye's race record to eight wins, seven seconds, and one third-place finish from 22 starts, and the $29,500 payday boosted her earnings to $216,121 for owner Backdoor Thoroughbreds, LLC. J.J. Gonzalez conditions New Mexico-bred filly.

Fine Am Eye's owner purchased her for $27,000 in the 2021 Ruidoso New Mexico Bred Sale from breeder MJ Farms. The daughter of #1 leading third-year-sire Eye Am King is out of Starsmith by Tres Seis.

Carlos Acosta Jr saddled runner-up First Flashin for owner Victor Marroquin. Mike Abraham bred the five-time winner in New Mexico out of Stevie Six by Jumpn. The seven-year-old stakes-winning daughter of champion sire First Moonflash has earned $185,439 on the track.

Four-time winner Maka Roon has earned $110,136 from 18 starts. Breeder Dirk Jones sold the daughter of Eye Am King for $10,000 in last year's Heritage Place Winter Mixed Sale. Christian Olivas owns the four-year-old filly out of C Roon by Brookstone Bay.

Woodys Storm, Big Daddys Dream, Chicka Boom Babe, Jess A Cartel Prize and Daddysqueenofalice complete the order of finish.