Prather Stakes ($100.000 Purse)
ZIA- For Two Year Olds Foaled in NM
One Mile and Seventy Yards on the Dirt
December 13, 2021

Exciting statebred racing does not stop this weekend, as on Monday, we will get a chance to watch some promising New Mexico bred horses. It’s the seventh running of the Prather Stakes, sending two year olds a little more than a mile on the main track. It’s good to see most of the purse get restored for the race, as it had been at the $140.000 point up until last year, where it saw a sharp drop to $50.000. Now, back at $100.000, we’ve made a lot of that back. Winning the smaller purse last year was Mendocino Gal, for T Boy Racing. The filly has had a strong three year old season, winning seven of eleven and continuing to be a regular on the NM-bred circuit. For this race, there are six going to the gate. Let’s look at them now!

#1- Peep Show (T Boy Racing, ridden by Ru Gonzalez)- This Pinkman gelding has gone through the auction ring a couple times, but has now seemed to have found a home with T Boy Racing. This is his fourth start since arriving at the stable three months ago. He’s won one of five, and struggled in his only stake try up to this point. Ran third in an allowance here just a little more than two weeks ago.

#2- Rainman (John Henry, ridden by R Sarmiento)- Still a maiden, but these are the type of stakes where you can see that happen. Rainman, however, has not really been close though so it is hard to be excited. Struggled at SAR, and would be gelded after that race. As a first time deadline, he improved to a fifth place finish but is in tough here.

#3- Cowboys Are King (T Boy Racing, ridden by F Prat)- The second of the two entries from T Boy Racing, and the one that seems most likely to get him his second straight win in the race. He’s won twice in his six starts with five in the money finishes, but has a big victory to show for it. After finishing second in the $200.000 NM Thoroughbred Futurity, and earned a win in the $100.000 NM Classic Juvenile on Halloween.

#4- Hand Cannon (Jive Inc., ridden by R Chirinos)- Broke his maiden in his second career start, coming in May and ever since he has only run in stakes. He has not won any of them, though did run second in the ELP Juvenile in August. The trainer hoped for bigger and better after that, running him in the prestigious Grade 1 Hopeful, where was never a factor; nor was he one in the Grade 2 Pilgrim after that. This is a great race for him to try and get back to some positive form.

#5- Fire Marshall Bill (Jive Inc., ridden by T J Hebert)- There are several similarities between the two entries from Jive Inc. Fire Marshall Bill also only has one win to this point, after running in six starts, and would only see stakes after that win, which was also in his second start. His last two races have been in the graded ranks, and they were each a struggle for him. Like his stablemate, this seems to be a much better spot for where he is right now.

#6- Gold Rush (Maxmillion Farm, ridden by A Arboleda)- After five starts with Jive Inc., and not winning a race, Gold Rush was sold in private sales to Maxmillion Farm for just $10.000. His new trainer would bring him here to ZIA for NM-bred competition, which he has seen for his last two starts, first his maiden win, then the NM Classic Juvenile. He was only sixth in that race, two lengths behind the winning Cowboys Are King. In that, he was on short rest, and now he has had that rest.

Prediction: 3-6-1-4

— NS

Categories: STAKES ARTICLES, Ungraded