Sarge stretches out in Monday's Steve Prather Stakes, takes on five from Fincher barn

Sarge will be taking on a pack of five Todd Fincher trainees when he makes his two-turn debut as the probable favorite in the $50,000 Steve Prather on Monday at Zia Park.

The race, which will be run at one mile and 70 yards, is for 2-year-olds bred in New Mexico.

Sarge is part of a field of seven for the final stakes race of the meet that continues through Dec. 23. He was a maiden special weight winner in his second career start Oct. 5 at Zia, then came back and ran second in the track’s New Mexico Cup Juvenile in his most recent start Nov. 11.

Sarge will be making his first start beyond six furlongs Monday.

:: Want to get your Past Performances for free? Click to learn more.

“I think he’ll like two turns,” trainer Joel Marr said. “Breeding for one thing, and the way he trains and how he works. He just acts like he wants to stretch out.”

Sarge is a son of Abstraction, a two-turn stakes winner in the Federico Tesio. Sarge’s dam, E Bar Prospect, has produced the two-turn stakes winners E Bar Way and Movin On.

“Physically, he was late-maturing,” Marr said of Sarge. “He’s starting to come into himself. Mentally, he’s done everything we’ve asked of him. He’s intelligent, and good to be around.”

Sarge, who races for his breeder, Donnell Echols, will break from the rail under Miguel Fuentes.

“I think we’ll be off the pace, just off the front-runners, and see how fast they go as to how close we are to them,” Marr said. “We’ve got to stay fairly close. That has been the way to run at Zia Park. You can’t get too far behind.”

Fincher’s trainees, who will race as separate interests, all will be making their two-turn debuts. Benjamin Who might get the most support, as he comes off a sharp maiden special weight win Oct. 28 at Zia. He is from the multiple stakes-winning mare Blue Eyed Bella, who earned $263,409. Shane Laviolette has the mount on Benjamin Who from post 6.

Stormin’ Texason, also from the Fincher barn, gets good pedigree support for the route test. The maiden is a half-brother to Hennessy Express, a multiple stakes winner at two turns who ran out $392,102. Enrique Gomez has the mount from post 5.

Benjamin Who and Stormin’ Texason both have shown tactical speed in their races and figure to be prominent Monday. So does their stablemate, the filly The Pacesetter.

The Fincher five is rounded out by the closer Coming Abstraction and Dan Who, a debut winner over 4 1/2 furlongs in June at Ruidoso Downs. Dan Who gets pedigree support for the two turns as a son of Abstraction and the Grand Slam mare Grand Lely Drive.

The field is completed by Pub, a maiden special weight winner in October at Zia. Rudy Guerra has the mount for trainer Casey Lambert.