First Moonflash tries to stretch streak to 7
First Moonflash, who holds three world records for Quarter Horses, will be shooting for his seventh consecutive win on Sunday when he starts in the Grade 1, $110,000 Bank of America New Mexico Challenge at Sunland Park. With a win, he would earn berths into both the Grade 1 Challenge Championship at Los Alamitos on Oct. 31, and the Grade 1 Championship at Sunland Dec. 26.
First Moonflash set the world record for 440 yards in his trial for the New Mexico Challenge, when he won the Sunland race in a time of 20.68 seconds on March 28. He won by two lengths over Head Bud, who also returns in the finals. First Moonflash, who won the Championship last year at Sunland, began his win streak in October.
J.R. Gonzalez Jr. trains the 4-year-old First Moonflash, and has given the mount to Alejandro Medellin. First Moonflash has won 9 of 19 starts and $544,788. In all, a field of 10 will go in the New Mexico Challenge.
The race will share a card with the $120,000 New Mexican Spring Futurity. The 300-yard race is restricted to 2-year-olds bred in New Mexico. One Hot Mechanic and Gbh Steppin Johnny, both 2 for 2, are the top contenders.
Remington: 'Superstar' streak at 13
Snowbound Superstar, a top-ranked distance Quarter Horse, won his 13th consecutive race last Sunday at Remington Park, when he captured the $35,000 Pauls Valley in track-record time. He covered the 870 yards in 44.33 seconds, lowering the mark of 44.58 that Miami Prince had set back in 1996. Cody Jensen rode Snowbound Superstar for trainer Paul Jones.
* Remington Park increased its overnight purses for Quarter Horses by $2,000 a race, beginning Thursday. Purses during the 50-date meet are expected to eclipse the record $207,000 a day the track paid out during its corresponding meet in 2008.
Track officials said the increase was made in part because betting through the first 14 dates of the meet is up 8 percent compared with the same period a year ago, while attendance is up 14 percent. Remington also operates a slots casino on the second floor of its grandstand.