FARMINGTON – Corrina Corrina added another line to her already impressive list of stakes wins when she rallied from last under jockey Tracy Hebert to win the $75,000 Jack Cole Stakes Saturday at SunRay Park and Casino.
The all-time leading winner and money earning thoroughbred bred in the state of New Mexico has now won twice this season, having won the Russell and Helen Foutz Distaff Stakes here just 13 days prior.
In winning both the Cole Stakes and the Foutz Distaff, Corrina Corrina has now reached the winners circle in 18 stakes races, including the Dine Stakes and the San Juan County Commissioners Stakes over this course.
Trailing Probate and six other rivals by as much as seven lengths as the field raced down the backstretch, Corrina Corrina quickly advanced on the outside and swept up alongside the leader as the field approached the head of the lane.
Hebert roused the 7-year-old mare to the lead at the furlong pole and won by nearly two lengths, racing 6 1/2 furlongs in a time of 1 minute, 17.87 seconds.
Trained by Gary Cross and owned by Derrick Jenkins, Corrina Corrina earned $45,000 for her winning efforts in the Cole Stakes. With 24 wins from 47 lifetime starts, she has now earned more than $1.65 million. Her win in the Cole Stakes gives her four wins from eight starts at SunRay Park.
Sent off at odds of 2.60-to-1, Corrina Corrina returned $7.20 to her winning backers. The $2 exacta with runnerup Marking Canyon paid back $28.40.
Mojica, sent off as the prohibitive post time favorite, finished last in the eight-horse field. Leave Them Behind was scratched from the Cole earlier in the day.
Tungsten Racing Partnership’s Big Ted will enter the starting gate for the $120,000-added New Mexico Breeders’ Futurity as the fastest qualifier following trials held Friday at SunRay Park and Casino.
Trained by Eric Valenzuela and ridden by Jordy Muniz, Big Ted won his trial heat in 17.219 seconds over 350 yards, winning by 1 1/4 lengths as the post-time favorite.
Big Ted entered Friday’s trials having already raced twice, including a third-place finish in the New Mexican Spring Futurity earlier this month at Sunland Park. He has now won twice in three starts.
Big Ted was one of two qualifiers for the N.M. Breeders’ Futurity trained by Valenzuela, who will also be represented by Super Patriot, the 10th-fastest qualifier. The finals will be held Saturday, May 16, for an estimated purse of more than $176,000.
There were six trials held for the futurity, with finalists coming from all but one of the heats.
Big Ted’s trial, the second of the day, produced two finalists. The third trial heat produced three qualifiers, led by King of the Jingle, one of two runners from the barn of trainer Wes Giles.
King of the Jingle, ridden by Noe Garcia Jr., narrowly won his trial heat in 17.484 seconds, making the son of Eye Am King the third-fastest qualifier.
Giles will also be represented by Thats Amoree, winner of the fifth trial, who clocked in at 17.549 seconds to become the sixth-fastest qualifier.
Royal Dynasty MRB, who finished second behind Big Ted, earned the spot of second-fastest qualifier for owner and trainer Jorge Luis Sanchez Jr. The daughter of Running Buddy, bred in New Mexico by MRB Racing LLC, also entered the day with two starts. She was most recently seventh in the New Mexican Spring Futurity.
Trainer Tony Sedillo is also scheduled to send a pair of runners into the starting gate. Eye Am Super, runner-up to King of the Jingle, will be joined by stablemate Dahlias Destiny, who finished third behind Splitting Aces and Perrys Alibi in the first trial heat.
Sedillo, who won the N.M. Breeders’ Futurity last year with S Super King, finished the most recent season at Sunland Park as one of the meet’s top trainers with nine wins from 61 starters and earnings topping $365,000.
For a complete list of qualifiers for the New Mexico Breeders’ Futurity, visit stallionesearch.com.