Lori Ritz / Coady Photography - Michael Cusortelli for SureBet

Longshot Cross Chris Run Gets First Stakes Win in New Mexico Cup Championship

Hobbs, NM – Oct. 30, 2011 - Cross Chris Run, a 4-year-old Desert God gelding racing for Cleber J. Massey, rallied to win the one-mile, $180,720 Rocky Gulch New Mexico Cup Championship (R) at Zia Park on Sunday.

Ridden by Ken Tohill for trainer Joel Marr, Cross Chris Run closed off of the pace of :24.12 and :47.61 set by Rosa's Catena before reaching the sire in 1:37.73. The gelding was sent to post at odds of 10-1 and returned a $23.20 win mutuel.

Cross Chris Run was bred by H. Joseph Allen of Abilene, Texas, who also co-owns Desert God with his cousin Ron Allen of Tucson, Arizona. Desert God is an unraced 20-year-old son of Fappiano, and he was the leading New Mexico-based sire last year. He stands for a $6,000 fee at Fred and Linda Alexander's A & A Ranch at Anthony, New Mexico.

Cross Chris Run was coming off of a second-place finish to Nuggets Please in a one-mile, allowance-optional claiming ($40,000) route prep at Zia Park on October 11. All told, the gelding has won four of 10 races and has earned $166,804, of which $131,504 has been banked this season.

Cross Chris Run was unraced at 2. He showed a lot of promise when he won two of three races during his sophomore season last year, but injuries stalled his progress.

“I really felt good about this horse's chances today,” said Marr. “He's always had the ability, but he's had a lot of ups and downs during his career or I think he would have gotten his first stakes win before today.

“He underwent surgery when he was a yearling, and he had some surgery after he'd run a few races – it's just been one thing after another,” added the trainer. “But he's finally come into himself, and I think this mile distance suits him perfectly. He might not have been the best horse in the race today, but it all worked out for him.”

Brother Louie finished second, a neck behind Cross Chris Run. Silver Matthias, 3-1 favorite Double Smart, Rosa's Catena, Nuggets Please, Brother John D., Deity, Spinning Touch, Dixie Film, Enchanted Outlaw, and Running Squall completed the order of finish.

The Rocky Gulch New Mexico Cup Championship was the richest of seven state-bred Thoroughbred stakes on the New Mexico Cup program.

Marr and Todd Fincher each saddled the winners of three Thoroughbred races. Marr started his parade of winners when That's Who won the New Mexico Cup Juvenile Colt & Gelding Stakes (R). He also sent out Desert Hennessy to win the New Mexico Cup Colt & Gelding Stakes (R).

Fincher's first victory of the day came with Comicsperfectstorm, a homebred daughter of Comic Genius who extended her win streak to five in the New Mexico Cup Filly Stakes (R).

Later on the card, Fincher won the New Mexico Cup Sprint Championship (R) with Chuchuluco, and the Peppers Pride New Mexico Cup Filly & Mare Championship (R) with Rose's Desert.

Zia Park reported attendance of 1,452 for New Mexico Cup Day. A total of $686,857 was wagered on the 11 races, of which $509,347 was handled out of state.

A complete recap of the New Mexico Cup Thoroughbred stakes, in the order they were run, appears below:

NEW MEXICO CUP JUVENILE COLT & GELDING STAKES (R)
That's Who

Carlos Madeira rode That's Who to a 1 1/2-length win in the 6-furlong, $140,600 New Mexico Cup Juvenile Colt & Gelding Stakes (R).

Trained by Joel Marr for owners and breeders Sam and Latane Stevens of Lamesa, Texas, That's Who stopped the timer in 1:10.17 while scoring his third victory in five outs and first stakes win. The winner's share of the purse pushed the dark bay or brown gelding's bankroll to $135,220.

That's Who's sire, Quinton's Gold, is a 14-year-old son of Carson City who won the $100,000 Phoenix Gold Cup Handicap at Turf Paradise in 2002. The stallion stands for a $3,500 at Steve Prather's Doubletree Farm at Hobbs, New Mexico.

That's Who was coming off of a 2 ¼-length victory as the 9-10 favorite in a 5 1/2-furlong, non-winners-of-two allowance for state-bred 2-year-olds at Zia Park on September 26. The gelding's record also includes a second-place finish to Desert Road in the 5 1/2-furlong, $149,000 Rio Grande Senor Futurity (R) at Ruidoso Downs in July.

Honshu City, the winner of the September 25 George Maloof Futurity (R) at The Downs at Albuquerque finished second, 2 ½ lengths in front of 11-10 favorite T.V. Stevie. Legal Storm, E Bar Way, Dueling Dom, Russianontherail, Sapello Larue, I Do My Own Tricks, Mr. Wizard, and Boy Ego completed the order of finish.


NEW MEXICO CUP JUVENILE FILLY STAKES (R)
Our Flying Angel

Our Flying Angel kept her perfect record intact in the $140,720 New Mexico Cup Juvenile Filly Stakes (R).

Racing for Pierre and Leslie Amestoy and Mike Abraham, Our Flying Angel covered 6 furlongs in 1:10.66, and her margin of victory was three-quarters of a length from runner-up Hot For You. Jimmy Coates rode the chestnut daughter of Abajo for trainer Ross Amestoy.

Our Flying Angel was bred by the Amestoys, residents of Albuquerque. The filly's sire is a 15-year-old son of the late Robyn Dancer who won five stakes at Fair Grounds Racecourse in New Orleans from 1999-2001. Abajo stands for a $2,000 fee at W.L. Mooring's Double LL Farm at Bosque, New Mexico.

Our Flying Angel was making her first start since July 31, when she scored a 2 1/4-length victory as the 1-2 choice in the 5 1/2-furlong, $156,000 Rio Grande Senorita Futurity (R) during the Zia Festival program at Ruidoso Downs. All told, the filly has won three of three starts and has banked $164,246.

Sent to post as the 4-5 favorite in the New Mexico Cup Juvenile Filly Stakes, Our Flying Angel returned a $3.60 win mutuel. She teamed with Hot For You, a 17-1 longshot, for a $49 ($2) exacta. Quinton's Doll Who, a 54-1 longshot, ran third to complete a $944.70 ($1) trifecta.

Gerda's Home finished fourth and was followed by Sandia Sonata, Easy Loving Who, Dashkova, Garretsghostlygirl, Super Stormy, Bev's Fast Lane, Roll Bloomers Roll, and Moonface.


NEW MEXICO CUP COLT & GELDING STAKES (R)
Desert Hennessy

Cleber Massey's Desert Hennessy, a chestnut gelding by Desert God, won the 6-furlong, $140,720 New Mexico Cup Colt & Gelding Stakes (R) for 3-year-olds.

Saddled by Joel Marr and ridden by Carlos Madeira, Desert Hennessy covered 6 furlongs in 1:10.60 while defeating Texas Silver, an 80-1 longshot, by 1 ½ lengths. The $84,000 winner's share of the purse increased his earnings to $138,900, all of which has been banked this season.

Desert Hennessy was bred by T.J. Monsen and Sharon Monsen, and the gelding is one of 21 stakes winners sired by Desert God, last year's leading New Mexico-based Thoroughbred sire.

Desert Hennessy began his career with a 2 1/4-length maiden special weight victory on April 19, closing day of the Sunland Park meet. He has won four of six races, including a 5 1/2-furlong non-winners-of-two allowance sprint at Ruidoso Downs on June 24.

Attitude E Racer, Mi Domscat, Jenna's Miracle, Beau Wizer, Quick Flag, 7-5 choice Mostly Dust, Jannas Pride, The God Of Reign, River Grade Trick, and Russian Lane completed the order of finish.


NEW MEXICO CUP FILLY STAKES (R)
Comicsperfectstorm

Helen Nave's Comicsperfectstorm was a prompt 4-5 favorite in the $140,480 New Mexico Cup Filly Stakes (R) for 3-year-olds.

Prepped by Todd Fincher and ridden by Juan Ochoa, who has been aboard the bay daughter of Comic Genius for all seven of her outs, Comicsperfectstorm went 6 furlongs in 1:10.45. She held off a late run from Funnyoushouldask, and her margin of victory over that rival was 1 ¾ lengths.

Comicsperfectstorm was bred by Nave, a resident of Hobbs. The filly's sire, Comic Genius, is a winning son of 1990 Kentucky Derby (G1) winner Unbridled who ran second in the '01 Rockingham Park Derby in New Hampshire. He stands for a $1,000 fee at McCarthy Farm in Albuquerque.

Comicsperfectstorm has won all three of her starts this year, including the 6-furlong, $50,000 Chief Narbona Stakes (R) during the August 21 Lineage Day program at The Downs at Albuquerque, and the 5 1/2-furlong, $50,000 Sierra Starlet Handicap (R) during the Zia Festival card at Ruidoso Downs on July 31.

Last year, Comicsperfectstorm scored a 4 1/4-length victory in the $198,000 Rio Grande Senorita Futurity (R) at Ruidoso.

All told, Comicsperfectstorm has won six of seven races and has earned $258,511.

Shamrock Girl finished third, 3 ½ lengths behind the winner, and was followed by Iplaytricks, Squallena, Ransomsgoodfriday, Charleston Bound, Heaters Abbey, Squall Wilbud, and Stormin Bomb.

NEW MEXICO CUP SPRINT CHAMPIONSHIP (R)
Chuchuluco

Chuchuluco, a 4-year-old Devon Lane gelding campaigned by the West Texas Racing Partners, unleashed a strong stretch rally to win the 6-furlong, $170,480 New Mexico Cup Sprint Championship (R).

Ridden by Ry Eikleberry for trainer Todd Fincher, Chuchuluco defeated Lesters Secret by a neck while making his three-quarter mile trip in 1:09.54. The gelding was making his first start since September 10, when he ran third, two lengths behind winner Lester's Echo, in a 6-furlong allowance-optional claiming ($40,000) race at Zia Park.

Chuchuluco was bred by Johnny and Mary Paiz of Bosque, New Mexico. His sire, Devon Lane, is a winning 18-year-old son of Storm Cat who has sired 13 stakes winners and the earners of more than $8.4 million. He stands for a $2,500 fee at Terry and Nan Lane's TNL Farm at Bosque.

Chuchuluco sold for $58,000 to top the 2008 New Mexico-Bred Yearling Sale at Ruidoso Downs. All told, the gelding has banked $449,784 from 17 races, and he's won four stakes from seven victories, including last year's 6 1/2-furlong, $120,000 Johnnie L. Jamison Handicap (R) at Sunland Park.

Our Choice, the even-money favorite, ran third, 1 ¼ lengths behind Chuchuluco. Fourteen Kt. Gold, Smash Dancer, Train Rider Blues, Daddy O., Lester's Echo, Explosive Mine, and Bonndaddy's completed the order of finish.

PEPPERS PRIDE NEW MEXICO CUP FILLY & MARE CHAMPIONSHIP (R)
Rose's Desert

Making her first start at the distance, Joe Peacock's Rose's Desert won the one-mile, $170,600 Peppers Pride New Mexico Cup Filly & Mare Championship (R).

Rose's Desert made her eight-furlong trip in 1:38.24 while defeating King's Water Lilly by three lengths. Juan Ochoa rode the homebred 3-year-old filly for trainer Todd Fincher.

Rose's Desert's sire, Desert God, stands for a $6,000 fee at A & A Ranch at Anthony, New Mexico.

One of only two sophomore fillies in the field of 11 – the other being Highspeed Rescue – Rose's Desert earned $102,000 to increase her lifetime bankroll to $144,985, of which $139,860 has been cashed this season. The filly has won three of her four outs, all of which have come during the current Zia Park meet.

Elvira Who finished third, five lengths behind Rose's Desert, and was followed by Cali Baby, Your Wild Eminence, Dream Kin, Time For Deception, Jengoneby, Please N Teras, Highspeed Rescue, and Pretty Danseur.