La Plata Stakes headlines Sunday program at SunRay Park
FARMINGTON — A field of 12 older quarter horses were entered for Sunday's $75,000 La Plata Stakes, the featured event of a 10-race program set to begin at 2:15 p.m.
Tlc Signature, who finished a strong second in his most recent start, will be one of several contenders in the La Plata, which will be contested at a distance of 400 yards.
A 5-year-old gelded son of The Louisiana Cartel, Tlc Signature is a three-time winner from 12 career starts and has earned more than $124,000 for owner Emilio Perez and trainer Omar Vargas.
In his most recent start, the Grade 3 West Texas Maturity on March 20 at Sunland Park, Tlc Signature missed by just a neck behind winner Mitey Political.
The La Plata Stakes will be a chance for Tlc Signature to snap a five-race losing streak, which includes efforts in the Grade 2 Lovington Stakes at Zia Park and the Grade 1 American Quarter Horse Challenge Championship Stakes at Albuquerque Downs last fall.
Installed as the 5-to-2 morning line favorite, Tlc Signature is scheduled to break from the rail with Agustin Silva on board.
Trainer Wes Giles will be seeking his second stakes win of the season when he sends out Kj Frankie B in the La Plata.
Horse racing season kicked off at SunRay Park last weekend. See a recap of the action
A winner in five of 22 career starts and an earner of more than $202,000, Kj Frankie B most recently was second in a trial race for the West Texas Maturity on Feb. 26. His most recent win came in the Lovington Stakes at Zia Park last November. He will go to the starting gate as the 7-to-2 second choice on the morning line for the La Plata.
Giles, who saddled River Flash to an upset victory last weekend in the New Mexico Breeders' Stakes and is one of the leading quarter horse trainers in America, has employed jockey Adrian Ramos to ride the Arizona-bred son of Apollitical Jess. They'll break from post nine in the La Plata, which will go as the fourth race on the card and has a scheduled post time of 3:27 p.m.
Among the more intriguing starters in the La Plata could be the well-traveled Runaway Witch for trainer Armando Alamos and owners LG Racing, LLC.
A four-time winner from 10 career starts, the 3-year-old Louisiana-bred filly by Sir Runaway Dash has victories at Los Alamitos Race Course in Cypress, California, earlier this year as well as Albuquerque Downs last summer and a pair of wins at Pocatello Downs in Idaho.
Runaway Witch began her racing career at Laurel Brown Racecourse in South Jordan, Utah.
Jockey Carlos Antonio Guillen Chacon will have the mount aboard Runaway Witch, who will break from post five in the La Plata Stakes at 12-to-1 on the morning line.
A field of 10 will enter the starting gate for the La Plata, with Favorite Temptation and Clean Up Man drawn on the also-eligible list.
For more information on the racing season at SunRay Park and Casino, check out their official page at Equibase.com.
Steve Bortstein can be reached via email at SBortstein@Gannett.com, via Twitter @DTSBortstein or on the phone at (505) 635-2680. Support local journalism with a digital subscription.
This article originally appeared on Farmington Daily Times: La Plata Stakes featured event on Sunday card at SunRay Park
