Rocky Gulch Highlights New Mexico Cup Day

New Mexico-bred hero Rocky Gulch will highlight Sunday's first-ever $1.4 million New Mexico Cup day at Zia Park. The state-bred festival will offer seven stakes races for Thoroughbreds and four for Quarter Horses.

The seven Thoroughbred races offer total purses of $790,000, the richest of which is the $140,000 New Mexico Cup Classic Stakes, where Rocky Gulch will take on seven rivals. The 4-year-old son of Dry Gulch has a career record of 12-2-2, including 10 stakes wins, from 18 career starts. He has earned $684,038.

Trainer Terry Walker will give a leg up to jockey Jorge Martin Bourdieu with the pair breaking from post six as the 4/5 morning-line favorite.

The New Mexico Cup Classic is the first start at Zia Park for Rocky Gulch, who races as a homebred for Hobbs, N.M. resident Larry Teague. The multiple stakes winner enters the race off a third-place finish in the restricted E.T. Springer Stakes at the Downs of Albuquerque Sept. 10.

Zia Park opened its inaugural racing season Sept. 23, with racing continuing through Dec. 4.

Also on the New Mexico Cup card:$105,000 New Mexico Cup Colt & Gelding Stakes (for 2-year-olds); $105,000 New Mexico Cup Juvenile Fillies Stakes; $115,000 New Mexico Cup Fillies & Mares Stakes; $105,000 New Mexico Cup Colts & Geldings Stakes; $115,000 New Mexico Sprint Stakes; and $105,000 New Mexico Cup Filly Stakes

Post time for New Mexico Cup day is noon (MDT).

The field for Sunday's $140,000 New Mexico Cup Classic Stakes includes:
1 -- Off Shore Prospect (Ricardo Jamie, 12/1)
2 -- Dear Bull (Salvador Martinez, 12/1)
3 -- Run Looker Run (Kate Repp, 15/1)
4 -- Cattleman Prospect (Alfredo Juarez, 5/1)
5 -- Tietjen (Quyet Biu, 9/2)
6 -- Rocky Gulch (Bourdieu, 4/5)
7 -- C.R. Cavalier (Tony Nugez, 15/1)
8 -- Net Threat (Ken Tohill, 6/1)