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“Gateway to Greatness” Sunland
Park's prestige grows as live racing nears
Sunland Park, NM - Nov. 14, 2011 - Horses and jockeys just keep adding to the
prestige of Sunland Park Racetrack and Casino.
Winning or even finishing in the money in a Breeders' Cup race is quite a feat
and another horse that ran at Sunland this year accomplished that feat last
week. And he did it in the biggest Breeders' Cup race of all.
But wait. What, some of you less familiar with horse racing might ask, is the
Breeders' Cup? I like to refer to it as the World Championships of thoroughbred
horse racing. The best horses, both male and female, from throughout the country
and beyond compete in different age groups and different distances to determine
the best in each category. It’s such a big event it takes two days to hold all
the races.
MOST OF THE races carry purses of from $1 million to $5 million and the
possibilities of future earnings in breeding and other factors by doing well are
endless.
The biggest of the races is the Breeders' Cup Classic at a mile and a quarter.
That’s because it’s open to all three year old and up thoroughbreds regardless
of age or sex. Only the mightiest of the mighty run in that one. There were 14
powerful entries in that race this year. It included Horse of the Year contender
Uncle Mo.
Ruler on Ice, who finished third in the Sunland Derby last spring, dared to
enter. And oh, what a race he ran. With a little racing luck, the youngster
(three years old) ridden by former Sunland jockey Garrett Gomez, might very well
have won it.
RULER ON ICE was kept on the rail, saving ground, through most of the race and
when the horses hit the stretch he made his move. The rail seemed open but
suddenly it closed and Ruler on Ice had nowhere to go. Gomez smartly moved him
to his right but lost a precious fraction of a second in the process. There was
little room but Ruler on Ice somehow squeezed through to finish a fighting
third.
Despite his long odds, Ruler on Ice finished ahead of eleven other great
runners, including Uncle Mo, and returned $8.90 to show.
The winner? It was another longshot and it was ridden by another jockey who got
his start at Sunland. That was four-year-old Drosselmeyer ridden by Mike Smith,
who has also become one of the country’s greatest riders.
JUST THIS year, horses from Sunland have won the Belmont Stakes (Ruler on Ice),
finished third in the Preakness (Astrology) and finished first in the Kentucky
Oaks (Plum Pretty).
And let’s not forget Sunland’s Mine That Bird winning the Kentucky Derby in 2009
or Island Fashion who after winning the Sunland Oaks in 2003 went on to win
several Grade One races around the country.
Now Sunland has a third place finisher in the biggest race of all, the Breeders'
Cup Classic.
Jockeys like Gomez, Smith and even aging Pat Valenzuela are keeping the spirit
of Sunland alive. And then there’s Jerry Bailey, who after a great riding career
that started at Sunland, is now an analyst on national television.
ALL OF WHICH brings to mind that the live horse racing season at Sunland Park
Racetrack and Casino is less than a month away.
Horsemen and horses are already moving into the area to prepare for the Dec. 6
opening, There will be racing on Tuesdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays
through April 17.
As usual, highlight of the season will be the $800,000 Grade III Sunland Derby
on March 25.
The track’s motto this year is “Gateway to Greatness.” Ruler On Ice has proven –
again – that the track indeed deserves that designation.
Veteran sports journalist and author Ray Sanchez welcomes suggestions for his
column. Contact him at (915) 584-0626, by e-mail at
rayf358@yahoo.com or
online at www.raysanchezbooks.com
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