Underwood, Yo Y Me put streaks on line in Riley Allison

Underwood and Yo Y Me will both put notable winning streaks on the line when the 3-year-olds make their two-turn debuts Sunday in the $100,000 Riley Allison at Sunland Park. Underwood is undefeated in three career starts, while Yo Y Me has won his last four races, three in stakes.

The Riley Allison, run at a mile, shares a card with the $65,000 El Paso Times for 3-year-old fillies. The races are designed as local steppingstones to the meet’s biggest prizes for 3-year-olds, the Grade 3, $800,000 Sunland Park Derby and the $200,000 Sunland Park Oaks.

Underwood, who is part of a 10-horse field Sunday, became a stakes winner in his second start, taking the $50,000 Governor’s Cup on Oct. 10 at Zia Park. Following that race, he won an allowance over 6 1/2 furlongs on Jan. 10 at Sunland. Justin Evans, who trains Underwood for Harry Veruchi, is hopeful the horse will handle the new distance demands Sunday.

“He does everything so right, just anything that’s asked of him,” Evans said. “I don’t think it will be an issue. He settles in, rates real well, and he’s bred for it. He’s bred to run long.”

Underwood is a son of Old Fashioned, a graded stakes winner around two turns. Underwood’s dam, Exotic Wishes, is by stamina source A.P. Indy. Underwood was a $16,000 buy at a sale of 2-year-olds in training last May at Barretts.

Evans, who purchased the horse on behalf of Veruchi, was impressed with Underwood’s mannerisms at the auction.

“He never turned a hair about anything,” Evans said. “I loved his videos, then went and looked at him in person, and he was calm, collected.”

Underwood is named for Frank Underwood, the lead character on the Netflix series “House of Cards.” Evans began watching the show last year and suggested the name to Veruchi before learning that the program was a favorite of the owner’s.

“He was the only colt that wasn’t named,” Evans said.

Ry Eikleberry has the mount from post 8.

Yo Y Me will start from post 2. He’s been on a roll since winning his maiden in October at Turf Paradise. From there, Yo Y Me established himself as a top Arizona-bred with wins in two restricted stakes at Turf Paradise. He closed out his 2-year-old season Dec. 31 with a neck victory over open company in the track’s $30,000 Lost in the Fog Juvenile.

Yo Y Me has shown excellent speed and figures to again be prominent on the move from 6 1/2 furlongs to a mile. He is by Dixie Chatter, who was a Grade 1 winner at two turns, and is from the Bertrando mare Miss Ballard. Tracy Hebert has the mount for trainer Kevin Eikleberry.

Others making up the field include Conquest Mo Money, an Uncle Mo colt who won his debut in a maiden special weight at a mile Jan. 6 at Sunland, and Downtownbigbrown, a three-time winner who has been based at Tampa Bay Downs.

The chief players in the El Paso Times, which will be run over 6 1/2 furlongs, appear to be Christina’s Comet, who is multiple stakes-placed, and We’ve Got to Talk, who enters off back-to-back wins at Remington.