NM Breeders Derby ($120.000 Purse)
SUN- For Three Year Olds Foaled In NM
One Mile and One Sixteenth on the Dirt
March 22, 2020

The eighth running of the NM Breeders Derby takes places at SUN on Sunday, and it will have a field of nine going to post. The $120.000 purse offering is the highest in the stake’s history, up $20.000 from last year. The most successful trainer in the race is Drabfantasy, who has won it three previous times, much like he had in the fillies race as well. He will not have an entry last year. John Henry was the winner here last year with the late Twisted Aggravation, but he will also not have a runner here. Let’s meet those that do now!

#1- Red Star Murphy (Greeko Holdem, ridden by J R Velazquez)- This trainer has done a good amount of breeding in NM, and will have three horses he bred in the race, two of which that will be in his silks for the race. Red Star Murphy makes his third start, and actually debuted in an allowance. That didn’t go well, but he did conventionally break his maiden last month. Good six furlong works, but inexperienced at this distance.

#2- Raleigh In Doubt (Ekli Stable, ridden by S X Bridgmohan)- Broke his maiden here against open company just after the New Year, then went to TP for a $100.000 stake, where he finished in the middle of the field. It should help that he’s been a regular at this distance, and his mile works say that he should be a strong threat in this race. Other then that win, though, I am not sure if he is translating the works to the track, and this will be a great chance to get a clear picture of the type of horse he is.

#3- Fonzo (Greeko Holdem, ridden by R Bejarano)- If you want to bet on a Greeko Holdem horse, this is the one to pick. Fonzo ran on the turf for a while and had decent results there, but didn’t win until he returned to the main track. He’s now pulled off two in a row, each coming here with the NM-bred condition, but each were a sprint. Unlike his stablemate, he does have some history running long as well but it came in slop at GG.

#4- Start The Engine (Axeman, ridden by L Contreras)- After wearing a shadow roll for the first time, Start The Engine won here in the $100.000 Hedeman Mile, also for NM breds, last month. The effort earned him a 90 SRF, and may only get better running a little longer. He was also a first time gelding for that race. Prior to this, he had been reliable, but that was not good enough for Axeman, and a win here could go a long way in seeing if he ends up in graded company soon.

#5- Ideal Lion (Spankys Barn, ridden by D Van Dyke)- In a state bred stake, especially NM, I can understand running a maiden, especially when they ran as well as Ideal Lion did in their last start. The Greeko Holdem bred horse has been sold as many times as he has raced, but hopefully now he has found someone who wants him.

#6- Inoubliable (T Boy Racing, ridden by R Chirinos)- The trainer’s commitment to NM-bred racing was apparent in the Breeders Oaks, and now we see it again here. He only has one entry, but it is again a horse who has exclusively run in NM. He has two wins in five starts, including the $100.000 Rivers, a six furlong race. Was third to Start The Engine at the Hedeman Mile last month.

#7- Sport Mad (Night Rider Stables, ridden by V Espinoza)- Could become an excellent auction purchase, as he was picked up for just $7.530 last week from Aml Racing. Prior to the sale, he ran three times against NM breds, with an allowance win being the highlight. Ran in the Rivers, and placed fourth behind Inoubliable in that race. The plan to run him in races like this seems wise, and he has experience going longer.

#8- Desecrator (Jive Inc, ridden by A Beschizza)- A winner of one out of six starts, and was gelded after breaking his maiden, instead of the usual way of doing that beforehand. He has put forth two decent races since then, but has not returned to the winners circle since. Had a couple mile races in August that are intriguing and they will suggest that he should be contender here, but I am looking elsewhere.

#9- Useless Debate (Gdp Inc, ridden by D Davis)- October 24th was an interesting day for this gelding, winning a claiming race, and being claimed for $16.000. There were multiple claims in for Useless Debate, and chances are Gdp Inc was one of them who didn’t get him, and he just was not going to let it end there, and bought him for $50.000. He would debut for Gdp in the RP Springboard Mile, and finished in the middle of the back. So far, the trainer has not really been rewarded for his insistence on adding him to the stable, but if he ever starts running to his works, he will be in bigger and better, soon.

Prediction: 4-9-6-8

— NS

Categories: STAKES ARTICLES, Ungraded