Racing


Dragons Run 1-2 In $205,974 Shue Fly Stakes-RG2
Running Dragon, under jockey Adrian Ramos, defeating fastest qualifier Magnifico Dragon in Sunday's $205,974 Shue Fly Stakes(RG2) at Sunland Park Racetrack & Casino.

© Coady Photography
Dragons Run 1-2 In $205,974 Shue Fly Stakes-RG2

SUNLAND PARK, NM—JANUARY 15, 2016—Second fastest qualifier Running Dragon put in a sharp effort from the outside post to defeat fastest qualifier Magnifico Dragon by half-a-length in Sunday's restricted Grade 2 $205,974 Shue Fly Stakes at Sunland Park. First Kool Man finished three-quarters back in the show position.

The top two finishes are sired by last year's leading first crop sire Zulu Dragon.

Jockey Adrian Ramos rode the gray filly over a sealed muddy racetrack in :19.416 seconds, a 92-speed index for the 400 yards with a 10-mph tailwind. Trainer Juan Gonzalez saddled Running Dragon to her eighth win in 10 career starts. The $96,808 Shue Fly winners' purse boosted her career earnings total to $470,641.

Owned-and-bred by By By JJ Limited Partnership, the New Mexico homebred is from the Devon Lane (TB) mare Banking Lane. Running Dragon kicked off her first season last year at Sunland Park with a win in the RG2 New Mexican Spring Futurity. She then traveled to Ruidoso to take the RG3 Mountain Top Futurity.

The winning connections of Running Dragon accept the Shue Fly Stakes(RG2) trophy Sunday afternoon at Sunland Park Racetrack and Casino. © Coady Photography
She was second in the RG2 New Mexico Classic Futurity at Zia Park prior to returning to Sunland for the Shue Fly trials last month. Her only off-the-board performance came in the RG1 Zia Futurity in Ruidoso when she was unprepared at the start.

Running Dragon remains unbeaten in four starts over Sunland Park soil. She earned a massive pay day for the By By JJ LLC led by Nahum Prieto of El Paso, Texas. The fast filly avenged a prior loss to Magnifico Dragon last fall at Zia Park.

Runner-up Magnifico Dragon dueled early under jockey Mauro Salcedo but settled for second to pick up $37,075 for owner Daniel Balderrama. Cynthia Gonzalez trains the Zulu Dragon gelding out of Cassies Mag by Magnificence.

The sorrel won the RG2 New Mexico Classic Futurity and was second in the Grade 1 Southwest Juvenile Championship at Zia Park last fall. He was also second in the New Mexico State Fair Futurity. Heriberto Moreno bred the earner of more than $291,000.

The royally-bred First Kool Man competed in open company almost his entire 2-year-old season before finishing second to Magnifico Dragon in the fastest qualifying Shue Fly time trial on December 23rd, to qualifying for his first stakes.

AQHA Racing Champion trainer Paul Jones conditions the First Moonflash gelding, out of Lily Cartel by Corona Cartel, for owner Jose Luis Ozuna. Bred by Mike Abraham, First Kool Man got a great start under jockey Manuel Gutierrez and picked up $22,657 for the third-place effort.

Running Dragon returned $6.80 to win, $3.20 to place and $2.60 to show. Magnifco Dragon, who went off as the post-time favorite, paid $2.20 and $2.10 and First Kool Man returned $3.60 to show.

Mighty B Dragon, Altitude Project, Moon River, Rockin N Scootin, A Sure First and High Noon.

Live racing resumes on Tuesday at 12:45 p.m. (MDT).