Weekend Wrap-Up by Mike Ahrens: June 26 - 28, 2020

Saturday had mostly cloudy weather throughout the day, but as horses were getting ready to come on the track for the 9th race lightning strikes were nearby and then a large hail storm came down, postponing that event. After the weather died down things got back on track and the 10th race, albeit delayed, showcased stakes horses three-year-olds and upward going 350 yards. SC Money Maker stole the show leading gate to wire on a sealed surface labeled wet-fast to win by a length and a half for trainer Mike Robbins and jockey Benito Baca. A qualifier to last year's Rainbow Derby finals, "he kind of tailed off at Remington," this spring, said assistant trainer Cody Noel. "We thought he was alright and we gave him a little bit of a break. He likes Ruidoso, worked pretty good the other day and showed up like he can." The future for this four-year-old gelding is a bit uncertain right now, however. "We were kind of just playing with this to see how he did. We'll have to see how he comes back and look at the condition book and make a plan that way." Esgar Ramirez was originally scheduled to ride SC Money Maker but he had a family emergency and as Benito rode for the Robbins barn much of the Remington Park, Noel said "he was our next go-to guy."

On Sunday an interesting race occurred early on the card. A NM-bred maiden special weight for two-year-olds going five furlongs was the second, with a field of six postward. Breaking from the outside was Proofsinthepuddin trained by Todd Fincher and ridden by Luis Fuentes. The daughter of Marking, who was taking on five colts or geldings in her debut, broke alertly and set the pace from outside before edging away on the turn. She then extended the margin without being asked and continued to draw away from the field after the wire. "She super quick too," said Fincher, who joked "think we'll late pay her into the All American." Obviously this thoroughbred who is both quick enough to merit comparison to quarter horses but with enough stamina to power away from rivals handily deserves to be watched in the future. Her next goal is the Seniorita.

The feature of the day was the First Lady Handicap for fillies and mares three years old and upward going six furlongs. A field of eight lined up who had made their prior starts at tracks as varied as Santa Anita, Sunland, Ruidoso, Oaklawn, Golden Gate, Fonner Park and Albuquerque. Trainer Dallas Barton's four-year-old filly Presley, who came to him from Oaklawn recently, set the tempo while racing just off the inside. She led till deep stretch when a rallying three-year-old Shanghai Keely for trainer Justin Evans came through inside to get up by a half-length. Shanghai Keely came to the current connections by being claimed February 8 for $40,000 at Golden Gate by the current owner Stable H.M.A., principal Mark Dyer. "He picked her out looking for a horse for the Island Fashion and Sunland Oaks," said Evans, and in her first start for the current connections, she did in fact win the Island Fashion Stakes at Sunland Park. But with Covid-19 cancellation of Sunland Park, the filly had to find a new spot to race. "It worked out perfect in the Island Fashion then when the races were canceled she had to go to Oaklawn and then they moved her over to Lonestar and they moved her back to me with this race in mind." With plans working out quite well when they do work out, Evans said they'll have to see what kind of stakes schedule there is in Albuquerque before deciding where
to go next.