Asnowdream may be live longshot in Pepsi Cola
If Asnowdream sticks to anything close to his 10-1 morning-line odds Sunday at Sunland Park, then he surely is the most enticing value play in the $85,000 Pepsi Cola Stakes. The six-furlong sprint for 3-year-olds bred in New Mexico drew a field of 11.
Asnowdream impressed in his only start, romping by eight lengths at 11-1 odds in a maiden special weight sprint for statebreds at Zia Park on Nov. 17. The gelding earned a 65 Beyer Speed Figure for that 5 1/2-furlong test, the second-highest mark in Sunday’s field. But is Asnowdream ready to fire off the bench for trainer Jose L. Vargas and owner Armando Arreola Jr.? The horse shows no recorded workouts since Nov. 4.
That isn’t the case with 3-1 morning-line favorite Gold Boundry, who zipped four-furlongs in 47.40 seconds at Sunland Park on Jan. 2, the second-fastest of 45 works at the distance that day. Gold Boundry, trained by Todd Fincher, scored a front-running 6 1/2-length victory over statebreds in the $151,480 Eddy County Stakes in his most recent start Nov. 25. He’ll be shortening up from a mile to six furlongs in this spot.
PEPSI COLA, RACE 9
KEY CONTENDERS
Gold Boundry (Last 3 Beyers: 66-50-50)
◗ Fincher and jockey Elvin Gonzalez have teamed up to go 4 for 14 since the start of 2015, with a profitable $2.51 return on investment.
Asnowdream (Beyer: 65)
◗ Miguel T. Fuentes Jr. was aboard for the debut win and retains the mount.
King of Cool (Last 3 Beyers: 60-40-61)
◗ The runner-up in the Camino Real Futurity for statebreds at Albuquerque in September, he most recently won a maiden special weight race for statebreds by 2 1/4 lengths Dec. 7.
Back Seat Hero (Last 3 Beyers: 49-54-37)
◗ He was a well-beaten fifth in the Eddy County Stakes, his first route, but prior to that, he won the $152,100 New Mexico Classics Cup Juvenile by a half-length at Zia Park on Nov. 1. Gold Boundry was third in that six-furlong race, beaten 1 1/2 lengths.
◗ Turned in a bullet workout at Sunland Park on Dec. 20, going four furlongs in 47.60 seconds.
Ten Penny Cents (Last 3 Beyers: 55-46-43)
◗ Was the runner-up in the Eddy County but owns two wins sprinting.
Jonesey Who (Last 3 Beyers: 38-63-60)
◗ Showed little in the Eddy County, finishing eighth of 10, but prior to that, he had scored consecutive wins at six furlongs, beating statebreds in a maiden race and an allowance by a combined 9 1/4 lengths.