Buddha Lady primed to score at Sunland

Not only has Buddha Lady logged a lot of miles traveling the Southwest, she has had more than her share of success. The 4-year-old Buddha Lady looks to add a win at Sunland Park to her resume when she heads Saturday's $50,000 Santa Teresa Handicap.

The 6 1/2-furlong stakes lured a competitive field of 10, with Buddha Lady starting as the co-highweight at 120 pounds. She is the track's morning-line favorite at 3-1.

Trained by Chris Hartman, Buddha Lady has won 5 of 16. She really found her stride last spring at Lone Star Park, winning three straight. A second in the Fair Queen Handicap at Albuquerque on Sept. 14 was sandwiched by a couple disappointing outings on the turf at Remington Park. She then won the Chaves City at Zia Park on Nov. 24 and was second, beaten a neck, in the Dancin at the Wire at Turf Paradise on Dec. 30.

Buddha Lady came to Sunland for a mile allowance race Feb. 5. She bided her time in midpack and finished well to be second, beaten a half-length. While most of her success has come at longer trips, Buddha Lady did finish second in her only try at this distance in the Fair Queen. Casey Lambert rides.

Kin to a Kitty, who also carries 120 pounds and is trained by Mac Miller, rattled off three straight wins last season. She won a restricted claimer at Hollywood Park on May 27 and was claimed by her current connections. She next won the Zia Distaff at Zia Park on Oct. 7 and an optional claimer locally on Dec. 12. Kin to a Kitty then dueled and ran fifth as the favorite in the Bold Ego Handicap on Dec. 30. She won her only start at Saturday's distance. Ken Tohill rides.

Sweet Ambition hails from the ever-dangerous Steve Asmussen barn. She invades from Fair Grounds, where she was third and second in a couple of optional claimers in December. She then rallied to win an optional claimer there Jan. 18. Duane Sterling rides.

Run Right Thru, a Southern California transplant, took an immediate liking to Sunland Park for trainer Henry Dominguez. She made her first start locally Feb. 2 in an allowance race and went wire to wire to win easily. She's dangerous right back under Alfredo Juarez Jr.

Another Dominguez runner, Goodbye Norma Jean, merits consideration. She beat Run Right Thru at Santa Anita last October and comes off a game neck win there Jan. 13. Dominguez claimed her for $40,000 from that race.