Hecamefromaclaim proves uncatchable

Hecamefromaclaim ($27.40) proved the speed of the speed as he jumped out to set a fast pace, withstood all kinds of pressure, and just kept going to upset Sunday's $100,000 Mt. Cristo Rey Handicap at Sunland Park.

Owned by Joe Dee and Lisa Brooks and trained by Todd Fincher, the 6-year-old Hecamefromaclaim broke like a bullet in the 4 1/2-furlong race for New Mexico-breds, sizzling the quarter in 21.80 seconds and the half in 44.29 while under pressure from 3-5 favorite Gulchrunssweet. He rebuffed those challenges in the lane, however, and edged away late under Duane Sterling to win by 1 1/2 lengths. Gulchrunssweet chased the winner all the way around, ending up second, 1 3/4 lengths ahead of Values of the Hunt.

Rocky Gulch, the richest New Mexico-bred of all-time, broke slowly but finished fastest to be fourth in the field of 10.

Hecamefromaclaim ran the distance in 50.44. The winner's share of $60,000 pushes his career earnings to $330,006 from 9 wins in 23 starts.