SUN Stakes 1 1/8 on Dirt

Purse $200.000 For Three Year Olds And Upward

Sunland Park Racetrack and Casino

Sunland Park, NM

Hurricane Ridge from The Sidley Stud looks to have found the perfect spot on Easter Sunday, as numbers wise, a repeat effort of his last two starts probably wins this. The now five-year-old was competitive at four, but only had one win early in the year, so he probably can’t be looked at as having had the four-year-old jinx. Nonetheless, his five-year-old season has seen two solid efforts in good company, either of which most likely win this race. Frenchman from Threshold ran in last year’s BC Classic but made no impact. The following race to end his 2025 campaign is a toss out as in was run on an off track that he obviously didn’t care for. He then started off this year with an allowance race over this track that was much better than the purse would initially have you think. With a small field the top choice looks like he will be in control from the half mile pole home, so “Man” will need to move early and get some help up front. Merky One from Night Rider Stables has found a good spot to try a stakes. Claimed for only $20.000 by a barn that has had its fair share of ladder climbers the past few years, this guy is yet another one. He is sharp and also changed tactics in his last two starts by showing speed. Letting him run and gun is probably the right thing to do here. Only drawback is the fact that his numbers just are not good enough to win this without improvement. Freaky Obra Party also from The Sidley Stud is another storybook here for the barn. “Party” was bought at auction for lunch money and has run two solid races since, both way up the ladder from where he had been running. It’s also no small fact that he has only seen dirt twice, one of which was his last run. Food for thought and numbers that fit.

Of the rest:

Licit from DJC Racing Stables went off form last year after a big run in a grade one at Churchill Downs in May. He was given the brunt of the entire fourth quarter off and then came back in 2026 to run two sub-par races. Hard to make a case for him in here without a major form reversal.

Tuff Gong from Winning Link Stables won back-to-back optional claiming races last year after being gelded. He then started out his four-year-old campaign by getting smacked around by four-year-old and up types in two stakes races. It might not be accurate to say that he has the four-year-old jinx, given the step up in class, but it sure likes like it, and he would be a pass here regardless.

-Trackman

Categories: STAKES ARTICLES, Ungraded