Gulchrunssweet going long in stakes

Gulchrunssweet must stretch his speed around two turns Sunday to have success against highweight Fullofenergy in the $50,000 Land of Enchantment at Ruidoso Downs. The 7 1/2-furlong handicap is one of 10 stakes worth close to $1 million on the Zia Festival card.

All of the races are restricted to horses bred in New Mexico, with five stakes for Thoroughbreds and five for Quarter Horses. The richest race on the program is the $321,451 Zia Futurity at 400 yards. It goes as the eighth and is led by the undefeated Grade 2 winner Sixy Chamisa.

The program closes with the Land of Enchantment. Gulchrunssweet will be stretching out off his win in the $50,000 Sierra Blanca at 5 1/2 furlongs at Ruidoso on June 27. The race will be a rare two-turn start for the gelding, who has earned more than $650,000. Quyet Bui has the mount for trainer Bart Hone.

Fullofenergy is weighted at 123 pounds off of a two-turn allowance win at SunRay Park in his last start June 19. The race was his first start since November, and he would seem to have reason to move forward in his second race of the year. Carlos Madeira has the mount for trainer Joel Marr.

Marr also has the highweight in the $50,000 Roadrunner Handicap, a 5 1/2-furlong race for 3-year-olds. Lefty Who will represent the barn, at 123 pounds. A winner of 6 of 8 starts, he will be cutting back from two turns for the Roadrunner off a 6 1/2-furlong stakes win at SunRay Park. Madeira will ride Lefty Who.

Also on the card are two $125,000 divisions of the Rio Grande Thoroughbred Futurity.