Sunland Park Racetrack and Casino
Thursday, November 12, 2009

$18 million Live Racing Season begins Dec. 11
2009-10 Sunland Park Stakes Schedule

Contact: Eric Alwan (575) 874-5248

Thursday, November 12, 2009 - Sunland Park Racetrack and Casino begins an $18 million live horse racing season on Friday, December 11 and continues through Tuesday, April 20, 2010.

The 77-day meet is loaded with rich championship stakes races and an enviable
purse distribution of nearly $18 million. Average daily purses for the new meet should exceed $230,000.

Sunland Park’s 2009-10 season boasts 30 stakes races worth $100,000 or more.

The 2010 Sunland Derby will carry an $800,000 purse if graded. The season’s highlight will be run on Sunday, March 28, 2010. Kelly Leak won last season’s 1 and 1/8 mile Kentucky Derby prep race on dirt. Fourth place finisher Mine That Bird went on to win the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby and placed in both the Grade 1 Preakness and Grade 1 Belmont Stakes.

Sunland Park Director of Racing Dustin Dix said, “We are proud of Mine That Bird’s accomplishments and all of the horses that ran in the Sunland Derby and believe we have a strong case to be graded for our eighth running in March.”

An extremely attractive Sunland Derby day program also includes the $200,000 Sunland Park Oaks, the $100,000-added Harry Henson Handicap, the $100,000 guaranteed New Mexico Breeders' Derby,  the $100,000 guaranteed New Mexico Breeders’ Oaks and the $125,000 guaranteed La Coneja Stakes.

The ninth running of the $350,000 Grade 1 Championship at Sunland Park takes place on Saturday, Dec. 26. Three-time world record holder First Moonflash finished first in last year’s Championship.

The $100,000-added Riley Allison Futurity traditionally lures top two-year-old thoroughbred talent. The 6 and 1/2 furlong feature will be run on Tuesday, Dec. 30. There will be no trials. Preference will be made by lifetime earnings.

New Mexico-bred thoroughbreds run for $125,000 guaranteed pots in the Johnie L. Jamison Stakes and the New Mexico State Racing Commission Handicap on Sunday, Dec. 13; the Enchantress Stakes on Dec. 20; the Red Hedeman Mile on Saturday, Dec. 26; the La Senora Handicap on Saturday, Jan. 16; the Pepsi Cola Handicap on Saturday, Jan. 23 and the New Mexico State University Stakes on Saturday, March 21.

New Mexico-bred Quarter Horses compete for $125,000 in the Jess Burner Memorial Handicap on Dec. 12; the Challenger Six Handicap at 870 yards on Dec. 19; the Lou Wooten Handicap on Dec. 20 and the NMHBA Quarter Horse Stakes on Feb. 21. Foals of 2007 compete in the $300,000 estimated Shue Fly Stakes at 400 yards on Jan. 2, 2010.

On Saturday, Feb. 27, the $100,000 Borderland Derby serves as an excellent prep for the Sunland Derby. The distance is 1 and 1/16 miles. Scorewithcater outlasted a game Mine That Bird in last season’s Borderland Derby.

The $110,000-added Bank of America New Mexico Challenge at 440 yards and the $300,000 estimated New Mexican Spring Futurity (restricted Grade 1) at 300 yards will both be run on Sunday, April 11.

The 2010 Copper Top Futurity will be split into two divisions for the first time. Both the colts and geldings division and the fillies division are valued at $75,000-added. The two 4 and 1/2 furlong features for New Mexico-bred two year-olds will be run on Saturday, April 17.

Many of the region's top Thoroughbred stakes runners converge in the $100,000 Sunland Park Handicap at 1 and 1/8 miles on Sunday, April 18. Former WinStar Derby winner Song of Navarone captured the 2009 edition.

The Grade I $250,000 estimated West Texas Futurity is also set for Sunday, April 18. The 300 yard classic features the nation’s elite two-year-old Quarter Horses.

Live racing will be held on a Tuesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday basis for most of the season. Racing on Wednesday, Dec. 23 and Wednesday, Feb. 17 will be the only exceptions. There will be  no live racing on Friday, Dec. 25 (Christmas). First post time to start the season will be 12:25 p.m.


Here is the list of stakes races for the upcoming season:

Saturday, Dec. 12 - Jess Burner Memorial Handicap. Purse $125,000 Guaranteed. Three year olds
and up. New Mexico-breds. 400 yards.

Saturday, Dec. 12 - KLAQ Handicap. Purse $50,000 Guaranteed. Three year olds and up.
5 and 1/2 furlongs.

Sunday, Dec. 13 - Johnie L. Jamison Stakes. Purse $125,000 Guaranteed. Three year olds and up.
New Mexico-breds. 6 and 1/2 furlongs.

Sunday, Dec. 13 - New Mexico State Racing Commission Handicap. Purse $125,000 Guaranteed.
Three year olds and up. Fillies and mares. New Mexico-breds. 6 furlongs.

Saturday, Dec. 19 - Challenger Six Handicap. Purse $125,000 Guaranteed. Three year olds
and up. New Mexico-breds. 870 yards.

Sunday, Dec. 20 - Lou Wooten Handicap. Purse $125,000 Guaranteed. Three year olds and up.
Fillies and mares. New Mexico-breds. 400 yards.

Sunday, Dec. 20 – The Enchantress Stakes. Purse $125,000 Guaranteed. Two year olds.
Fillies. New Mexico-breds. One Mile.

Saturday, Dec. 26 - Red Hedeman Mile. Purse $125,000 Guaranteed. Two year olds.
New Mexico-breds. One Mile.

Saturday, Dec. 26 - The Championship at Sunland Park. Grade 1. Purse $350,000 Guaranteed.
Three year olds and up. 400 yards.

Sunday, Dec. 27 - Sunland Park Winter Quarter Horse Derby. Purse $50,000-added. Three year olds.
400 yards.

Sunday, Dec. 27 - Bold Ego Handicap. Purse $50,000-added. Three year olds and up.
Fillies and mares. 5 and 1/2 furlongs.

Sunday, Dec. 27 - Sunland Winter Quarter Horse Futurity. Purse $50,000-added. Two year olds.
400 yards.

Tuesday, Dec. 29 - Riley Allison Futurity. Purse $100,000-added. Two year olds.
6 and 1/2 furlongs.

Saturday, Jan. 2 - The Shue Fly. Purse $300,000 est. $120,000-added. Foals of 2007. New Mexico-breds.
400 yards.

Sunday, Jan. 3 - Albert Dominguez Memorial Handicap. Purse $100,000 Guaranteed.
Three year olds and up. New Mexico-breds. 1 and 1/16 miles.

Saturday, Jan. 9 - Winsham Lad Handicap. Purse $50,000 Guaranteed. Three year olds and up.
One Mile.

Saturday, Jan. 16 - La Senora Handicap. Purse $125,000 Guaranteed. Three year olds.
Fillies. New Mexico-breds. 6 furlongs.

Saturday, Jan. 23 - Pepsi Cola Handicap. Purse $125,000 Guaranteed. Three year olds.
New Mexico-breds. 6 furlongs.

Sunday, Jan. 24 - El Paso Times Handicap. Purse $50,000 Guaranteed. Three year olds.
Fillies. 6 and 1/2 furlongs.

Saturday, Jan. 30 - KOFX – Radio Handicap. Purse $50,000 Guaranteed. Three year olds and up.
350 yards.

Saturday, Jan. 30 – SPRC Claiming Series – Phase I. Purse $30,000-added.
Three year olds and up. Claiming $8,000-10,000. 5 and 1/2 furlongs.

Saturday, Feb. 6 - Budweiser Handicap. Purse $50,000 Guaranteed. Three year olds and up.
5 furlongs.

Saturday, Feb. 13 – El Diario Handicap. Purse $50,000 Guaranteed. Three year olds and up.
Fillies and mares. 6 and one-half furlongs.

Sunday, Feb. 14 - Curribot Handicap. Purse $50,000 Guaranteed. Three year olds and up.
1 and 1/16 miles.

Saturday, Feb. 20 - The Sydney Valentini Handicap. Purse $100,000 Guaranteed.
Four year olds and up. Fillies and mares. New Mexico-breds. One Mile.

Sunday, Feb. 21 - NMHBA Quarter Horse Stakes. Purse $125,000 Guaranteed. Three year olds.
New Mexico-breds. 400 yards.

Saturday, Feb. 27 - Borderland Derby. Purse $100,000 Guaranteed. Three year olds.
1 and 1/16 miles.

Sunday, Feb. 28 - The Island Fashion Stakes. Purse $50,000 Guaranteed. Three year olds.
Fillies. One Mile.

Saturday, March 6 - West Texas Maturity. Purse $65,000-added.
Three year olds and up. 400 yards.

Sunday, March 7 – SPRC Claiming Series – Phase II. Three year olds and up.
Claiming $8,000-$10,000. 6 furlongs.

Saturday, March 13 - Bill Thomas Memorial Handicap. Purse $50,000 Guaranteed.
Three year olds and up. 6 and 1/2 furlongs.

Sunday, March 14 - Mesilla Valley Speed Handicap. Purse $100,000 Guaranteed.
Three year olds and up. New Mexico-breds. 350 yards.

Saturday, March 20 - Mt. Cristo Rey Handicap. Purse $100,000 Guaranteed.
Three year olds and up. New Mexico-breds. 4 and 1/2 furlongs.

Sunday, March 21 – New Mexico State University Stakes. Purse $125,000 Guaranteed.
Four year olds and up. New Mexico-breds. One Mile.

Sunday, March 28 - La Coneja Stakes. Purse $125,000 Guaranteed. Four year olds and up.
Fillies and mares. New Mexico-breds. 5 and 1/2 furlongs.

Sunday, March 28 - Harry W. Henson Handicap. Purse $100,000-added.
Three year olds and up. Fillies and mares. One Mile.

Sunday, March 28 – New Mexico Breeders’ Oaks. Purse $100,000 Guaranteed.
Three year olds. Fillies. New Mexico-breds. 1 and 1/16 miles.

Sunday, March 28 - New Mexico Breeders' Derby. Purse $100,000 Guaranteed.
Three year olds. New Mexico-breds. 1 and 1/16 miles.

Sunday, March 28 - Sunland Park Oaks. Purse $200,000 Guaranteed.
Three year olds. Fillies. 1 and 1/16 miles.

Sunday, March 28 - Sunland Derby. Purse $800,000 Guaranteed if Graded. Purse $600,000 Guaranteed if Ungraded.
Three year olds. 1 and 1/8 miles.

Saturday, April 3 – West Texas Derby. Purse $175,000 estimated, $65,000-added. Three year olds. 400 yards.

Sunday, April 4 - Red Cell New Mexico Challenge. Purse $55,000-added.
Three year olds and up. 870 yards.

Sunday, April 4 – SPRC Claiming Series – Phase III. Purse $35,000-added.
Three year olds and up. Claiming $8,000-10,000. 6 and 1/2 furlongs.

Saturday, April 10 - Czaria Handicap. Purse $50,000 Guaranteed. Three year olds and up.
Fillies and mares. 6 furlongs.

Saturday, April 10 - New Mexican Spring Fling. Purse $75,000-added.
Two year olds. New Mexico-breds. 300 yards.

Sunday, April 11 – Bank of America New Mexico Challenge Championship.
Purse $110,000-added. Grade I. Three year olds and up. 440 yards.

Sunday, April 11 - New Mexican Spring Futurity. Purse $300,000 estimated, $120,000-added.
Two year olds. New Mexico-breds. 300 yards.

Saturday, April 17 - West Texas Juvenile Stakes. Purse $50,000 Guaranteed.
Two year olds. 300 yards.

Saturday, April 17 – Sunburst Handicap. Purse $75,000 Guaranteed. Three year olds.
Fillies. New Mexico-breds. 350 yards.

Saturday, April 17 - Copper Top Futurity. Purse $75,000-added for Two-year-old Colts and Geldings Division.
Purse $75,000-added for Two-year-old Fillies Division. New Mexico-breds. 4 and 1/2 furlongs.

Sunday, April 18 - West Texas Futurity. Purse $250,000 estimated, $100,000-added.
Two year olds. Grade I. 300 yards.

Sunday, April 18 - Sunland Park Handicap. Purse $100,000 Guaranteed.
Three year olds and up. 1 and 1/8 miles.

Tuesday, April 20 - The Getaway Handicap. Purse $50,000 Guaranteed.
Three year olds. 870 yards.

Tuesday, April 20 – KHEY/Y-96 Sprint. Purse $50,000 Guaranteed.
Three year olds. 6 furlongs.

Tuesday, April 20 - Adios Amigos Claiming Handicap. Purse $40,000-added.
Three year olds and up. Claiming $12,500. 1 and 1/4 miles.

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