Lesters Secret Tops Sierra Blanca, Tri-Super Carryover Grows To $51,865

RUIDOSO DOWNS, NM - July 4, 2011 – Lesters Secret kept his career-long consistent record intact when he wore down pacesetter Comic Smarty Cat and went on to win the $50,000 Sierra Blanca Handicap for New Mexico-breds on Monday afternoon at Ruidoso Downs.

Enrique Portillo Gomez rode Lesters Secret to the one-length win.

Chuchuluco, the even-money favorite, ran down the tiring Comic Smarty Cat to secure second place.

Lesters Secret, owned by Simply The Best Thoroughbreds with trainer Henry Dominguez, was timed in 1:06.03 over five-and-one-half furlongs for his eighth career win from 25 starts. The five-year-old gelding also has nine second-place finishes and four thirds. The winner’s share of $30,000 pushed his earnings to $431,103.

Lesters Secret was rested this winter and prepped for the Sierra Blanca Handicap with a front-running win in a seven-furlong optional-claiming race at SunRay Park on June 7.

Chuchuluco, owned by West Texas Racing Partners, gained the favorite’s role after winning an optional-claiming race two starts ago and then racing to a fourth-place finish in the Jack Cole Handicap.

Nobody won the Tri-Super wager on Monday afternoon and that creates a carryover of $51,865 for Friday’s program featuring the trials to the Grade 1, $700,000 Rainbow Futurity. To win the wager the player must correctly pick the first three finishers, in order, in the fourth race and then the first four finishers, in order, in the sixth race.

There is a special 10 a.m. first post time on Friday to accommodate the 22 Rainbow Futurity trials.