When Are Horse Races Beginning Again
SUNLAND PARK — For the get-go time in more than than 650 days, the sights and sounds of live racing will return to New Mexico'south near prestigious racetrack when Sunland Park Racetrack and Casino opens its doors for its 62nd flavor of racing beginning Friday, Dec. 31.
The highly anticipated alive racing flavor will characteristic a mixture of quarter horse and thoroughbred racing for a 55-day meet that runs through Lord's day, Apr 3, 2022.
Live racing was close downwards at Sunland Park, located near El Paso, Texas on March xv, 2020, as the pandemic forced businesses of all kinds across the country to close. And while the casino was reopened earlier this year and patrons accept been allowed to scout and wager on races from beyond the state, the render of live racing will be a welcome alter.
"People want to encounter the races again. There'southward a hunger and an ambition for it around here," said Sunland Park publicity manager Eric Alwan. "I think that'due south the same all around, whether you're on the business end of it or equally a bettor."
The upcoming live racing season volition offer some of the richest races in the southwest. The $xv-million dollar purse structure will pay out over $250,000 to horsemen per race mean solar day.
The highlight of the upcoming season will exist the $500,000 Sunland Derby, a Form 3 consequence to be run on Sunday, Mar. 27, 2022. A major stepping stone race on the road to the Kentucky Derby, the Sunland Derby offers 50 qualifying points to the winner for entry to the 2022 Run for the Roses.
The 17th edition of the i 1/8-mile classic anchors a huge twenty-four hours worth over $1.6 meg in bag monies. The enriched $300,000 Sunland Park Oaks besides as the $250,000 New Mexico Breeders' Derby are as well office of Sunland Park's biggest mean solar day.
The 2019 Sunland Derby day program handled an all-time New Mexico State record all-sources handle of over $four.8 million.
National interest and appetite for the Sunland Park racing product is strong equally opening day approaches.
"The return of live racing is a groovy way to get that national attention going again," Alwan said. "The purse money is in that location, and that will go a long way to get the fans back once more."
In addition to some of the track'southward summit trainers in recent years like Todd Fincher, Joel Marr and Dick Cappelucci being represented this flavor, SunRay Park and Casino's leading trainer this past season Martin Valdez-Cabral, Jr., has more 35 stalls filled on the Sunland Park backstretch.
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Sometime jockey Nancy Summers, who finished second in the trainer standings final spring at SunRay, likewise will take a large presence as well at Sunland this flavor, with more than 40 horses in the stable surface area.
Kentucky Derby-winning trainer and longtime Bloomfield resident Chip Woolley will also have an impact on the upcoming Sunland season. With 24 stalls occupied on the backstretch, the trainer of 2009 Kentucky Derby winner Mine That Bird is hoping to have a winning Sunland campaign.
The 2021-22 flavor hits the ground running with an excellent opening weekend bill of fare, highlighted by the $100,000 New Mexico State Racing Committee Handicap and the $65,000 KLAQ Handicap for thoroughbred sprinters on Saturday, January. 1.
The following twenty-four hour period, the world'due south finest quarter horses converge in the Grade 1 Championship at Sunland Park worth $350,000. The 20th running of the 440-grand feature may attract leading stakes winner and qualifier Danjer, a 5-time Class 1 stakes winner and earner of more than $one.3 1000000.
Prep races to the Sunland Derby include the $100,000 Riley Allison Derby at one mile on Sunday, Jan. thirty and the $100,000 Mine That Bird Derby at 1 1/16th-miles on Sunday, Feb. 27.
Amid other cardinal races this upcoming season will be the $100,000 Sunland Park Handicap at 1 1/eight-miles on Saturday, Apr two, every bit well as the endmost day featured events, the $250,000-estimated New Mexican Jump Futurity and $250,000-estimated Westward Texas Time to come for two-yr-old quarter horses.
Steve Bortstein can be reached via electronic mail at SBortstein@Gannett.com, via Twitter @DTSBortstein or on the phone at (505) 635-2680.
Source: https://www.daily-times.com/story/sports/2021/11/24/sunland-park-live-horse-racing-season-returns/8722215002/
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