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Story by Ray Sanchez
Sunland looks to ‘competitive,
exciting’ season
Sunland Park, NM - Nov. 28, 2011 - Business wasn’t exactly been
overwhelming during the summer at Sunland Park Racetrack and Casino.
In fact, because of the state of the economy, it’s been what
businessmen like to call “slow.”
But not to worry. Sunland officials are going into the opening of
the 2011-2012 live horse racing season with a lot of optimism. When
fans turn out for the live season which begins Tuesday, Dec. 6, they
will find some sparkling new improvements, plenty of good quarter
horse and thoroughbred flesh and a new wagering format that promises
big payoffs for fans.
“This season will be very competitive and exciting,” general manager
Harold Payne promises. “Improvements include a canopy covering the
patio in front of the signature showroom, paddock and jockey room
improvements and a new big screen video board in the infield. Over
$200,000 in improvements were made during the off season.
“And then there’s the fact we added a new ‘solo six’ wager which
will offer players a large carryover to play during the season.”
That, and other details of the upcoming live horse racing season
will be further revealed at a press luncheon which will be held
Thursday, Dec. 1, at Sunland.
The biggest expense is the big screen video in the infield. The old
one was a bit difficult to see but new technology promises to solve
that problem.
As a rule there will be live horse races every Tuesday, Friday,
Saturday and Sunday throughout the season. The exception will be
Christmas week when there will be live racing Tuesday, Wednesday,
Thursday and Friday but not Saturday (Dec. 24) and Sunday (Dec. 25).
First post time throughout the season will be 12:25 p.m.
There’s no doubt that racing will be, as Payne says, “competitive
and exciting.” The track’s prestige has soared throughout the
country and keeps attracting top horses from California and other
states. Horses that run at Sunland have done so well in major races
at other tracks that Sunland’s $800,000 Derby has been graded. Mine
That Bird, for example, won the Kentucky Derby. Another horse that
ran at Sunland, Ruler on Ice, won the Belmont Stakes. And Plum
Pretty, the filly that won the Sunland Oaks, went on to win the
Kentucky Oaks.
There have been other impressive victories by other horses that have
run at Sunland but those three really stand out.
In fact, horses from Sunland have done so well throughout the
country that Bob Baffert, one of the country’s greatest trainers,
remarked last year that Sunland Park is “a gateway to greatness.”
Sunland quickly adopted that remark as its new motto.
As usual, the finest trainers and jockeys as well as horses in the
Southwest will flood the grounds. Some of them are already training
there.
The winningest thoroughbred trainer in New Mexico and a multi-time
champion at Sunland, Henry Dominguez, will be back with a powerful
stable of runners. He was the leading trainer at Ruidoso Downs and
Zia Park during the summer.
Also returning will be Chris Hartman who beat out Dominguez for the
Sunland trainer championship last year, 48 winners to 41.
New Mexico’s winningest jockey will also be on hand, That’s
Alejandro Medellin who won the riding title last year. He is so
talented he not only won the Sunland thoroughbred title with 64
winners but also finished third in the quarter horse rankings with
29.
The top quarter horse jockey was Esgar Ramirez with 35. He’ll be
back, too.
Paul C. Jones edged out runnerup Andres Gonzalez for the quarter
horse trainer title 14-13 last season. Both will be on hand, too.
Sadly missing will be Jackie Martin, one of the top quarter horse
jockeys in the world. He suffered a terrible spill during a race
last summer that left him paralyzed. Benefits have been held for him
world wide.
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