Jungle Runner, Exaulted Headline Mine That Bird Derby

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Jungle Runner, Exaulted Headline Mine That Bird Derby
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Photo: Coady Photography
Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen starts runners in Mine That Bird Derby and Island Fashion Stakes at Sunland Park

Calumet Farm homebred stakes winner Jungle Runner, trained by Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen, will face five rivals in the $100,000 Mine That Bird Derby Feb. 23 at Sunland Park—including the promising Exaulted, runner-up in his lone start at Santa Anita Park Jan. 19 to Nadal, next-out winner of the San Vicente Stakes (G2).

The 1 1/16-mile feature for 3-year-olds is a final local prep for the March 22 Sunland Derby (G3), the track's signature race that offers Road to the Kentucky Derby points on a 50-20-10-5 scale to the top four finishers. 

Jungle Runner will stretch out past a mile for the first time Sunday. The Candy Ride  colt won the Nov. 1 Clever Trevor Stakes going seven furlongs at Remington Park, then was fourth in the Dec. 15 Remington Springboard Mile Stakes, in which he was pinched at the start and rallied four wide. He last finished eighth over a muddy track at Oaklawn Park in the Jan. 24 Smarty Jones Stakes after pulling early while racing sixth.

Luis Contreras will ride Jungle Runner from the outside post. The colt adds blinkers.

Although still a maiden, C R K Stable's Exaulted seems likely to start as the favorite after illustrating his talent in chasing Nadal, finishing 3 3/4 lengths behind that rival after rallying from last. He has since trained smartly at Santa Anita.

Video: Race 7 (MSW) at SA on 1/19/20



Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith will the mount aboard the Peter Eurton trainee and will ride from post 3. The Twirling Candy  colt was a $200,000 purchase from Select Sales at The Saratoga Sale, Fasig-Tipton's select yearling sale in New York, in 2018.

Another Southern California invader is Slam Dunk Racing, Jerry McClanahan, and Michael Nentwig's Stackin Silver, who steps up after winning maiden claiming and starter optional claiming races by more than five lengths at Del Mar and Santa Anita Park, respectively. Richard Baltas trains the Union Rags  colt. Heriberto Figueroa will ride from post 2.

Richard Davis' Sir Rick, formerly trained by Asmussen, will make his first start for trainer Robertino Diodoro following a 5 1/4-length win in a Jan. 18 allowance optional claiming race at Sam Houston Race Park. The Paynter  colt was also third in the Nov. 23 Jean Lafitte Stakes at Delta Downs.

Nex Mexico maiden winners Top Draw and Tappin Fora Dance complete the field.

In the $75,000 Island Fashion Stakes for 3-year-old fillies, Asmussen has WinStar Stablemates Racing's Caribbean Sea. The one-mile test is a prep for the March 22 Sunland Park Oaks which offers points on a 50-20-10-5 basis on the Road to the Kentucky Oaks.

Caribbean Sea was second, beaten only half a length, in the Dec. 25 Trapeze Stakes at Oaklawn. Contreras will ride the Hard Spun  filly from post 3.

Tommy Town Thoroughbreds's Dynasty of Her Own returns after rallying to a 5 3/4-length win in the Jan. 26 Borderplex Stakes for trainer Jonathan Wong. She is undefeated in two starts and won on debut on Golden Gate Field's synthetic surface. Francisco Arrieta, who rode the Shanghai Bobby filly in the Borderplex, has the call again from post 5.

Sunland Park has also carded two stakes races for registered New Mexico-breds Sunday. The $100,000 Robert and Henry Dominguez Memorial Handicap, for 4-year-olds and up running 1 1/16 miles, drew eight entries and the $100,000 Red Hedeman Mile Stakes, for 3-year-olds going a mile, attracted a field of 10 with two also-eligibles.


Entries: Island Fashion S.

Sunland Park, Sunday, February 23, 2020, Race 7

  • STK
  • 1m
  • Dirt
  • $75,000
  • 3 yo Fillies
  • 3:42 PM (local)
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L
1 1Showmethemagic (KY)Keeneland Sales Graduate Ry Eikleberry 118 Justin R. Evans 7/2
2 2Tacocat (KY)Keeneland Sales Graduate Enrique Portillo Gomez 116 Martin Valdez-Cabral, Jr. 10/1
3 3Caribbean Sea (KY) Luis Contreras 116 Steven M. Asmussen 7/2
4 4Luck Be Mine (KY) Alfredo J. Juarez, Jr. 118 Todd W. Fincher 5/1
5 5Dynasty of Her Own (KY)Keeneland Sales Graduate Francisco Arrieta 121 Jonathan Wong 3/1
6 6Shanghai Keely (KY)Keeneland Sales Graduate Jimmy Ray Coates 116 Justin R. Evans 4/1
7 7Brave Cinderella (CA) Roimes Chirinos 116 Justin R. Evans 8/1


Entries: Albert and Henry Dominguez Memorial H.

Sunland Park, Sunday, February 23, 2020, Race 8

  • STK
  • 1 1/16m
  • Dirt
  • $100,000
  • 4 yo's & up
  • 4:09 PM (local)
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L
1 1Yano's Way (NM) Francisco Arrieta 116 Jose Silva, Jr. 8/1
2 2Thunder Dome (NM) Shane Laviolette 119 Dallas J. Barton 6/1
3 3Go for a Stroll (NM) Alfredo Sigala 118 Todd W. Fincher 7/1
4 4Shining Source (NM) Elvin Gonzalez 121 Blake Rust 5/1
5 5Jet N G (NM) Roimes Chirinos 121 Gary W. Cross 9/2
6 6Blazing Navarone (NM) Ry Eikleberry 123 Martin Valdez-Cabral, Jr. 4/1
7 7Streaks Bro (NM) Ken S. Tohill 115 Gary W. Cross 10/1
8 8Rig Time (NM) Luis Contreras 123 Weston L. Martin 3/1


Entries: Mine That Bird Derby

Sunland Park, Sunday, February 23, 2020, Race 9

  • STK
  • 1 1/16m
  • Dirt
  • $100,000
  • 3 yo
  • 4:36 PM (local)
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L
1 1Top Draw (KY)Keeneland Sales Graduate Elvin Gonzalez 121 Miguel L. Hernandez 6/1
2 2Stackin Silver (KY)Keeneland Sales Graduate Heriberto Figueroa 121 Richard Baltas 3/1
3 3Exaulted (KY)Keeneland Sales Graduate Mike E. Smith 121 Peter Eurton 7/2
4 4Sir Rick (KY) Francisco Arrieta 121 Robertino Diodoro 2/1
5 5Tappin Fora Dance (KY)Keeneland Sales Graduate Ken S. Tohill 121 Joel H. Marr 10/1
6 6Jungle Runner (KY) Luis Contreras 121 Steven M. Asmussen 4/1


Entries: Red Hedeman Mile S.

Sunland Park, Sunday, February 23, 2020, Race 10

  • STK
  • 1m
  • Dirt
  • $100,000
  • 3 yo
  • 5:03 PM (local)
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L
1 1West Dawn (NM) Luis Ramon Rodriguez 122 Juan Carlos Gonzalez 8/1
2 2Go Now Go (NM) Shane Laviolette 122 Todd W. Fincher 4/1
3 3More Action (NM) Alejandro Medellin 122 Aurelio P. Valdez 10/1
4 4Effort N Results (NM) Ken S. Tohill 122 Joel H. Marr 8/1
5 5Cerveza (NM) Roimes Chirinos 122 Todd W. Fincher 12/1
6 6Ancient Land (NM) Luis Contreras 122 Casey T. Lambert 3/1
7 7Evacuee (NM) Alfredo J. Juarez, Jr. 122 Todd W. Fincher 5/1
8 8On a Warpath (NM) Miguel T. Fuentes, Jr. 122 Joel H. Marr 8/1
9 9Shame On Powers (NM) Miguel A. Perez 122 Clifford C. Lambert, Sr. 10/1
10 10Party King (NM) Ry Eikleberry 122 Andres Gonzalez 12/1
11 11Tom T Who (NM) Ken S. Tohill 122 Clifford C. Lambert, Sr. 15/1
12 12Manoso (NM) Jimmy Ray Coates 122 Jose R. Gonzalez, Jr. 15/1