Stakes races highlight final weekend of horse racing at Sunland Park Racetrack & Casino
The final weekend of horse racing at Sunland Park Racetrack & Casino features several quarter horse and thoroughbred stakes races on Saturday and Sunday. Here is a look at the key races.
Saturday's card
The quarter horses take center stage on Saturday with five stakes races: The New Mexican Spring Fling for 2-year-old New Mexico breds, The West Texas Juvenile Stakes for 2-year-olds, the Grade II West Texas Futurit for 2-year-olds, the New Mexican Spring Futurity for 2-year-old New Mexico-breds and the NMHBA Quarter Horse Stakes for 3-year-old New Mexico breds.
The quarter horse stakes races are races five through nine. The most prestigious race is the 300-yard West Texas Futurity, which could feature several horses to watch at the Ruidoso meet in New Mexico this summer.
The 3-1 favorite in the race is Think On It, who is owned and trained by El Paso's Jesus Soto. Think On It won his qualifying mark in a time of 14.98 seconds.
The 300-yard New Mexican Spring Futurity for 2-year-old state-bred horses, Crispyn is the horse to watch. The 3-1 morning-line favorite won his qualifying trial on March 10 in a time of 15.289 seconds.
Sunland Park Handicap
The 62nd running of the 1 1/8th miles Sunland Park Handicap highlights Sunday's closing day card. The six-horse field features Zestful, Limonite, Sheriff Brown and Mine That Star. The four horses have combined to win 39 races.
Limonite ran a game second in the Curribot Handicap to former Breeders' Cup horse, Senor Buscador in his last start at Sunland Park. Zestful has earned more than $664,000, Sheriff Brown gets the meet's leading jockey, Luis Fuentes aboard and Mine That Star gets 2023 Sunland Derby winning jockey Ken Tohill aboard.
Wild On Ice update
Trainer Joel Marr said no final decision has been made on Sunland Derby winner Wild On Ice and whether he will run in the Kentucky Derby on the first Saturday in May at Churchill Downs in Louisville.
Wild On Ice stunned his five rivals by winning the Sunland Derby at odds of 35-1 for trainer Joel Marr and owner Frank Sumpter. Jockey Ken Tohill had the winning ride.
The Texas-bred Wild On Ice has won three races and earned 50 qualifying points for the Kentucky Derby with his win at Sunland Park.
Wild On Ice was among a dozen 3-year-olds that were made eligible to compete in the 2023 Triple Crown with a late $6,000 payment that was due March 27.
More: Sunland Derby upset Longshot Wild On Ice wins Sunland Derby at odds of 35-1
Felix F. Chavez can be reached at fchavez@elpasotimes.com; @Fchavezeptimes on Twitter
This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: Stakes races highlight final weekend of horse racing at Sunland Park
