Faypien getting year started in Harry Henson Handicap

The talented Faypien will launch her 4-year-old season Sunday in the $100,000 Harry Henson Handicap, one of six undercard stakes on the Sunland Derby program in New Mexico. She is part of a nine-horse field that includes fellow Southern California shipper Shenandoah Queen, the win-streaking highweight K P Wildcat, and the capable Adore.

The Harry Henson, a one-mile race for fillies and mares, is the eighth race on a 12-race program worth $1.5 million. The card is the richest of the meet at Sunland Park.

Faypien is the class of the Harry Henson as a Grade 2 winner who last year ran second in the Grade 1 Test at Saratoga. She is making a rare two-turn appearance, but in her lone route attempt, she won last year’s Grade 2 Summertime Oaks at Santa Anita. The race Sunday will be Faypien’s first since a seventh-place finish in the Grade 1 La Brea on Dec. 26 at Santa Anita.

“She likes to run on the lead, she likes to be up close, and in the La Brea she was never in it,” said trainer Bob Baffert.

Following that start, Faypien was freshened, and she has been working at Santa Anita for her return.

“We backed off of her a little bit,” Baffert said. “She’s been training really well.”

Baffert said that with the right kind of performance Faypien could advance to the Grade 1, $300,000 Humana Distaff on May 5 at Churchill Downs.

Martin Garcia has the mount on Faypien, the co-second highweight at 123 pounds. She will break from post 6 for owner Baoma Corp.

Adore, a Grade 2-placed front-runner, is looking for her first stakes win off some close calls, including a third-place finish in the $100,000 She’s All In back in December at Remington Park.

“She’s capable of running really fast, but she’s a filly that needs it to go her way,” said trainer Steve Asmussen.

Ricardo Santana Jr. has the mount for Winchell Thoroughbreds.

K P Wildcat is chasing after her sixth straight win. The streak started a year ago in the Harry Henson and has included the Chaves County and Zia Distaff last fall at Zia Park and the El Diario in her last start Feb. 10 at Sunland.

K P Wildcat is the 124-pound highweight for owner Karl Pergola, trainer Weston Martin, and jockey Roimes Chirinos.

Counterforce back in N.M.

Counterforce is back in New Mexico for the first time since November as one of the top choices in the $100,000 Bill Thomas Memorial. He is part of an 11-horse field for the 6 1/2-furlong race, which also drew the near-millionaire Forest Mouse.

Counterforce, who was third in the Zia Sprint when last seen in New Mexico, enters off a runner-up finish in the $50,000 Sam Houston Sprint Cup. He rallied to be beaten a half-length in the six-furlong race, and the Beyer Speed Figure of 89 that he earned is one of the best last-race numbers in the Bill Thomas Memorial.

“He ran well,” said trainer Steve Asmussen. “Every jump of the race, you thought he was going to win. He just didn’t quite get up. He ran solid.

Asmussen said 6 1/2 furlongs “is almost ideal for him.”

Forest Mouse enters with career earnings of $997,307.

Others making up the field include Blameitonthelaw, an allowance winner at Del Mar two starts back for trainer John Sadler, and Trigger Warning, who was excluded from the oversubscribed Sunland Derby and will be first-time Lasix.

Perfect record on the line

Diabolical Gator, who is 3 for 3, will make his two-turn debut in the $100,000 New Mexico State University Handicap. The race at one mile and 70 yards is for 4-year-olds and up bred in New Mexico.

“He has a tremendous amount of natural speed, and we’re hoping he corrals that speed and finishes going the mile,” said trainer Joel Marr.

◗ The first stakes on the card is the $100,000 New Mexico Breeders’ Oaks, and trainer Todd Fincher has the possible favorite in Hennessy Express, a stakes winner earlier in the meet. The 1 1/16-mile race is restricted to 3-year-old fillies bred in New Mexico.

◗ The $100,000 New Mexico Breeders’ Derby is led by Blazing Navarone, who is shooting for his third straight win. His streak has been built in Sunland stakes, in the Four Rivers John Deere at six furlongs Dec. 31 and the Red Hedeman Mile in his most recent out Jan. 21.