Runaway Ghost invades for Riley Allison

Runaway Ghost invades Sunland Park from Southern California for the $100,000 Riley Allison on Sunday, but he’s no newcomer to New Mexico.

“He’s coming home to where he started,” trainer Todd Fincher said. “We broke him and got him ready to run and sent him to California.”

Runaway Ghost made his first four starts in California for trainer Mike Machowsky and returned to the region last month to target the 3-year-old series at Sunland. It begins with the Riley Allison, which is one of two local preps for the Grade 3, $800,000 Sunland Derby.

“That’s what we’re pointing for, the series,” said Fincher, who trains Runaway Ghost for breeder Joe Peacock.

The Riley Allison, at a mile, shares a card with the $65,000 El Paso Times, a 6 1/2-furlong race for 3-year-old fillies designed to produce starters for the $200,000 Sunland Park Oaks.

Runaway Ghost arrived in town not long after he finished fifth in the Grade 1 Los Alamitos Futurity on Dec. 9, a race in which McKinzie was placed first following the disqualification of Solomini. Instilled Regard, who was placed second, returned in his next start to win the Grade 3 Lecomte at Fair Grounds.

“He came a week after the race,” Fincher said. “He’s in good health and happy and strong. My only concern is if he’ll relax this time.”

Runaway Ghost set some quick fractions in the Los Alamitos Futurity, which was his first start at two turns. He came into the race off a wire-to-wire win in the $55,000 Golden Nugget at six furlongs at Golden Gate.

“He just absolutely grabbed the bit and ran off,” Fincher said of the Los Alamitos Futurity. “We’re taking the blinkers off hoping to get him to relax a little more.”

Tracy Hebert has the mount from the rail. Runaway Ghost is a Kentucky-bred son of Ghostzapper and the mare Rose’s Desert, the latter a seven-time stakes winner who earned $626,035. Rose’s Desert raced for Peacock and was trained by Fincher. As a result, it’s personally meaningful for Fincher to have Runaway Ghost at Sunland.

“It’s pretty sentimental to me being I had his mother and everything,” said Fincher, who has a 2-year-old Curlin colt from the same mare in training in New Mexico.

Runaway Ghost is part of a 10-horse field that also includes Fortified Effort, who is making his two-turn debut off two restricted stakes wins at Turf Paradise; Just Call Me Ken, winner of the $50,000 Governor’s Cup in October at Zia; and Beautiful Game, winner of a first-level allowance at two turns Jan. 5 at Delta Downs.

Iona Star has invaded from Fair Grounds for the El Paso Times, having won a division of the track’s $95,000 Louisiana Futurity in her last start Dec. 31. Her nine rivals include Kram, dominant winner of the $50,000 Permian Basin in October at Zia, and Laudation, who captured the $50,000 E.L. Gaylord in October at Remington.

Weast Hill returns at Oaklawn

Weast Hill, the 2016 Arkansas-bred of the Year, will launch his 6-year-old season in Sunday’s sixth race at Oaklawn Park. He boasts a 7-for-9 record at the track, with the 2016 $100,000 Arkansas Breeders among his wins.

The race is an allowance sprint for Arkansas-breds and the purse is $77,000.

Weast Hill will be making his first start since September, when he finished sixth in an optional $20,000 claiming race at five furlongs on turf at Monmouth. He was claimed out of the race and will be making his first start for Full House Stable and trainer Shea Stuart.