Diamond And A Half (#11), third in the Grade 2 Decketta Sakes in March is entered in Saturday’s 400-yard, $50,000 Balloon City Stakes at Albuquerque Downs.

© Dustin Orona Photography

ALBUQUERQUE, NM—AUGUST 11, 2020—Eight fillies and mares, led by Antonio Gomez’s Diamond And A Half, are entered in Saturday’s 400-yard, $50,000 Balloon City Stakes at Albuquerque Downs.

A 4-year-old daughter of champion First Moonflash trained by Jorge Luis Hernandez, Diamond And A Half is coming off of a ninth-place finish as the 5-2 favorite in the 400-yard, $50,000 Zia Handicap (RG2) for New Mexico-breds at Ruidoso Downs on July 25. During the Remington Park spring meet, the mare ran second, a nose behind winner Jess B Glory, in the 400-yard, $85,000 Junos Request Stakes (G2) on May 30.

Diamond And A Half drew post 5 and will be ridden by Tanner Thedford. Other contenders include Mystic Blues, a stakes-winning 4-year-old Walk Thru Fire mare trained by Jose Luis Muela for owners Abelardo F. Gallegos and L O S LLC. Mystic Blues will be stretching out in distance off of her victory in the 350-yard, $25,000 Dash For Speed Stakes at Ruidoso Downs on May 31.

Mystic Blues drew post 7 and will be ridden by Sergio Becerra Jr.

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

1. Taking The Stage (Jaime Parga Leos)
2. Black Shadow (Daniel Amaya)
3. Dashin Special Cuz (Edgar Martinez)
4. Apolliperfection (Jose D. Ruiz)
5. Diamond And A Half (Tanner Thedford)
6. Jess To Reel (Paul Nieto)
7. Mystic Blues (Sergio Becerra Jr.)
8. Eyes On Mollie (Esgar Ramirez)

All Albuquerque Downs races can be seen at Q-RacingVideo.com.