Weekend Preview by Mike Ahrens: June 26 - 28, 2020
This weekend's racing is highlighted by the Higheasterjet Handicap (G2), a $40,000 stakes for Quarter Horses three-year-olds and upwards going 350 yards to be run Saturday as the 10th race, as well as the First Lady Handicap, $50,000 guaranteed, for fillies and mares year olds and upward going six furlongs as Sunday's 10th race. Sunday's card consists of just Quarter Horse races and eight Thoroughbred races.
The highweight for the Higheasterjet at 127 pounds is Consigliere, trained by Mike Joiner and ridden by Noe Garcia, Jr. This four year old gelding, along with fellow entrants Putinical, Senor Frogs, and Flash for Corona, all come out of the John Andreini Memorial run here May 25th. Consigliere chased the winner, New News, but could make no headway on that one while still running strongly. Senor Frogs finished a half-length behind Consigliere but was disqualified and placed 10th for causing interference. Putinical and Flash for Corona were both bothered at the start and did not factor. The inside posts on the Quarter Horse track have generally seemed to fare not as well as the outside draws through much of the meet so far, and Consigliere will break from post six which bodes well for his chances Saturday.
Sunday's First Lady Handicap has a field of eight entered, with last year's winner and this year's highweight at 124 pounds, Flyin Falynn, from the barn of Chris Zamora, in post two. She comes in off a hard-fought nose victory last out in an allowance race at Sunland Park March 10th. There are several new faces, or ones who have been absent awhile: Beautiful Thunder's five-lifetime starts came in California, Ornamental Iron spent late spring at Fonner Park, Presley comes from Oaklawn Park, Lake Time has not started since last summer at Albuquerque, and Tap Into Beauty has made just two starts, debuting last summer at Albuquerque then last seen in mid-May trying grass at Santa Anita. With such diverse histories, this sets up to be a fascinating handicapping puzzle.