Albuquerque

That's Who should benefit from turnback in O.D. McDonald Stakes

Nick Fortuna|Apr 16, 2015

That's Who wins the Rocky Gulch New Mexico Classic Championship

Coady Photography That's Who will cut back to seven furlongs for the O.D. McDonald Stakes on Saturday at the Downs at Albuquerque.

When That’s Who made his 2015 debut last month, he led almost every step of the way in the New Mexico State University Handicap at Sunland Park before grudgingly yielding in the final strides to finish third, three-quarters of a length behind the winner.

That March 14 race covered one mile and 70 yards and followed a layoff of 2 1/2 months, so with less ground to cover Saturday, a fitter That’s Who could be tough to handle in the $60,000 O.D. McDonald Stakes at the Downs at Albuquerque. The seven-furlong race for New Mexico-breds drew a field of nine horses ages 3 and up. It’s the highlight of a 10-race program, the second card of the mixed Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse meet.

That’s Who, a 6-year-old gelding by Quinton’s Gold, has had an extremely productive career for trainer Joel Marr, winning 14 of 29 starts for $695,542 while racing mostly in statebred stakes. His loss to Proceed in that March 14 stakes was flattered last Sunday, when Proceed dominated the $75,000 Sunland Park Handicap. Proceed broke the track record for 1 1/8 miles set in last month’s Sunland Derby by Firing Line, who is scheduled to run in the Kentucky Derby on May 2.

That’s Who will start from post 7 under Alfredo Juarez Jr., who has guided the gelding to seven wins.

Also exiting the New Mexico State University Handicap is second-place finisher Hush’s Storm, who finished a neck ahead of That’s Who and a half-length behind Proceed in that race. Trained by Todd Fincher, Hush’s Storm is a 5-year-old Attila’s Storm gelding with five wins in 27 starts for $282,521.

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KEY CONTENDERS

That’s Who (Last 3 Beyers: 75-72-65)

◗ He won his only start at the seven-furlong distance.

Hush’s Storm (Last 3 Beyers: 75-75-66)

◗ Since winning a statebred stakes in December 2013, he has one win in 11 starts.

Beau Wizer (Last 3 Beyers: 77-64-70)

◗ He won the 2014 edition of this race last September.

◗ He enters off a front-running, 4 1/4-length win March 15 in a starter/optional-claiming race at 6 1/2 furlongs.

Thunder Agard (Last 3 Beyers: 84-58-80)

◗ He owns the highest last-race Beyer Speed Figure in the field, earned for a second-place finish behind Proceed on Dec. 28 in the 1 1/16-mile Albert Dominguez Memorial Handicap at Sunland. He finished 6 3/4 lengths clear of third-place finisher That’s Who, who prompted the pace and faded late.

◗ He won his only start at seven furlongs.