Sunland Park: A Long Goodbye after three-peat

A Long Goodbye will try to end a six-race losing streak when he goes for his third straight victory in the Grade 1, $110,000 Bank of America New Mexico Challenge on Sunday afternoon at Sunland Park.

The previous two runnings of the 440-yard stakes were sponsored by MBNA America, which was purchased by Bank of America. The names of the stakes in the Racing Challenge program were changed for their 2007 runnings to reflect that purchase.

When only 10 horses entered the trials to the New Mexico Challenge, the trials were scrapped, and those 10 horses are the only horses eligible to run in Sunday's finals.

The 7-year-old A Long Goodbye has won of 22 of 53 career starts, and his best performances came in this stakes. Two years ago, he set the 440-yard world record of 20.68 seconds with his win, and last year he raced to a length win in 20.84 seconds.

A Long Goodbye's best effort during his losing streak was a close second-place effort behind Desirio in the $200,000 Zia Park Championship last fall.