The $2 million "New Mexico Cup Day" offers the richest day of racing ever at Zia Park with the best New Mexico-bred horses chasing the record purses in 11 stakes races on Sunday afternoon.First post time is 12:15 p.m. The record purses attracted New Mexico's best Thoroughbreds and Quarter Horses bred in the state.The $200,000 New Mexico Cup Classic Championship headlines the Thoroughbred action with the dangerous Rocky Gulch riding three wins in his latest four starts.Larry Teague's Rocky Gulch, with $895,547 in career earnings, is in peak form to defend his title in the one-mile New Mexico Cup Classic Championship. In his two most recent starts he was second in the seven-furlong E.T. Springer Stakes and won the six-furlong Carlsbad Stakes for trainer Terry Walker.If Rocky Gulch or a front runner doesn't carry their speed into the final furlong, then Stan Fulton's Some Ghost should be one of the horses making a late run. The gelding has been on the board in each of his five 2006 starts and rallied to grab second in a pair of stakes races.The richest race on the program is the $332,350 New Mexico Classic Futurity for Quarter Horses at 400 yards.
$200,000 New Mexico Cup Classic Championship Stakes (Race 11, 4:35 p.m.), New Mexico Breds 3 & Up, 1 Mile
PP. Horse, Jockey, Weight, ML Odds
1. Exccessive Lover (NM), Michael G. Ziegler, 112, 10/1
2. Cattleman Prospect (NM), Duane L. Sterling, 122, 15/1
3. Spelling Bee Jones (NM), Alfredo J. Juarez, Jr., 119, 4/1
4. My Desert Lady (NM), Tony Noguez, 116, 20/1
5. Dear Bull (NM), Jimmy Ray Coates, 117, 10/1
6. Sandias Peppermint (NM), Wilson O. Dieguez, 115, 20/1
7. El Minuto (NM), Ken S. Tohill, 117, 15/1
8. Rocky Gulch (NM), Travis Cunningham, 117, 5/2
9. Some Ghost (NM), Ricardo Jaime, 122, 3/1
10. Roll On Retsina (NM), Nate Smith, 117, 8/1
11. Phantom Account (NM), Roman Chapa, 115, 20/1