Hot combo adds to Jaycito's appeal in Sunland Handicap

Jaycito will have New Mexico’s hottest trainer-jockey team in his corner Sunday, when he takes on a competitive group of older horses in the $75,000 Sunland Park Handicap.

Jaycito’s trainer, Justin Evans, has shattered Sunland’s record for wins in a meet this season, while the horse’s rider, Ry Eikleberry, is closing in on the record for wins by a jockey in a meet. Sunland closes Tuesday.

The Sunland Park Handicap will be run at 1 1/8 miles. Others in the seven-horse field include Isn’t He Clever, the 124-pound highweight; Ol Winedrinker Who, the winner of last year’s Zia Park Distance Championship; Red Lead, a multiple stakes winner; and Dry Summer, who was second in the allowance prep March 23.

Jaycito was third in the allowance prep, 3 1/4 lengths behind winner Forest Mouse, who is not going in the Sunland Park Handicap.

“He didn’t run a bad race,” Evans said. “He hates to be down inside and, of course, he drew the 1 hole. He was unlucky there and had some traffic trouble. He was able to get [clear] the last part and just came flying.”

Evans was pleased with drawing post 4 for the Sunland Park Handicap, which has long been a goal for Jaycito. The horse, who was a Grade 1 winner at 2, was purchased at auction last year by Tony Pennington. He won the $50,000 Curribot for his new connections back in February at Sunland.

Evans had won 91 races from 301 starters at Sunland through Wednesday, shattering the track’s record of 63 wins in a meet that he established from 256 starters in the 2012-13 season. Evans, 32, who began training when he was 18, currently ranks third in wins in North America. He said that following Sunland, he will be racing at SunRay Park and Ruidoso Downs, both in New Mexico, and for the first time will be sending a division of horses to Arapahoe Park in Colorado.

Evans said he also might race some at Del Mar, while plans are in place to ship horses for select stakes, with Rebranded targeting the Derby Trial at Churchill Downs and Jaycito and African Rose candidates for stakes at Lone Star Park.

As for Eikleberry, he had gone 94 for 348 through Wednesday as he attempts to break the mark of 110 wins in a Sunland meet, which Ken Tohill set from 463 mounts in 2004-05.

◗ R.D. Hubbard, the majority owner of Ruidoso Downs, was one of 12 businessmen honored with the prestigious Horatio Alger Award in ceremonies in Washington on April 4.