Preview Racing


Executive Trust Morning-Line Favorite in Special Hank, The Opening-Day Feature at The Downs
Sherree Meridyth's Executive Trust will head a field of eight in Friday’s 870-yard, $55,000 Special Hank Handicap at The Downs at Albuquerque.

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Executive Trust Morning-Line Favorite in Special Hank, The Opening-Day Feature at The Downs

ALBUQUERQUE, NM—APRIL 15, 2015—A full field of eight Quarter Horses and Thoroughbreds, headed by morning-line favorite Executive Trust, has been entered in Friday’s 870-yard, $55,000 Special Hank Handicap at The Downs at Albuquerque.

The opening-day feature, the Special Hank is one of 18 stakes worth $1.115 million being offered at The Downs this season. Post time for Friday’s first race is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. (MDT); estimated post time for the Special Hank is 5:25.

Executive Trust is a 4-year-old gray son of the Chicks Beduino stallion Executive Menace racing for Sherree Meridyth. Trained by Guadalupe Munoz Jr., Executive Trust is coming off of a second-place finish to Sensational Dash in the March 28, $59,760 Red Cell New Mexico Distance Challenge Stakes (G3) at Sunland Park.

Executive Trust’s runner-up effort in the New Mexico Distance Challenge broke his three-race win streak that included a one-length victory in the 870-yard, $55,000 King Rick Rack Stakes (G3) at Zia Park in November. The gelding drew post 7 and will be ridden by Aldo Arboleda in the Special Hank.

Other contenders include Alsono, one of two Thoroughbreds in the race. A 4-year-old Kentucky-bred colt by Limehouse racing for Tony Pennington from the barn of 2014 leading Throughbred trainer Justin Evans, Alsono won both of his starts at The Downs at Albuquerque last season, both against stakes company.

Ry Eikleberry has been named to ride Alsono from post 3.

The complete lineup, in post position order including jockey and weight assignments and morning-line odds --

  1. Flyin Fish (Brian Theriot, 122), 7-2
  2. Im Royal Quick (Jaime Leos, 121), 8-1
  3. Alsono (Ry Eikleberry, 122), 3-1
  4. Chasing The Heat (Enrique Gomez, 121), 9-2
  5. I Beat The Feet (Francisco Giles, 120), 12-1
  6. Tres Primeros (Salvador Martinez, 119), 20-1
  7. Executive Trust (Aldo Arboleda, 125), 5-2
  8. Fishin For Dough (Adrian Ramos, 120), 10-1.

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NOTES FROM THE DOWNS: The Downs will offer live racing on a Wednesday and Friday-through-Sunday schedule through closing day, June 18. First post time will be 1:30 p.m. (MDT) for weekend racing and 2:30 for weekday racing....Sunday’s featured fifth race has drawn a full field of 10 New Mexico-bred Quarter Horses and is a prep for the May 10, $60,000 Lineage Championship (RG3). Miracle Snow, a homebred 11-year-old gelding by champion Dean Miracle racing for Melvin Neugebauer of Manzanola, Colorado, drew the rail post. Miracle Snow has earned $725,571 from 59 starts, and he has competed in the last seven runnings of the Lineage Championship, dating back to 2008; the gelding won the race last year and in 2010 and ’12.

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The Downs at Albuquerque Racetrack and Casino is located in the heart of Albuquerque at Expo New Mexico. For more information, visit www.abqdowns.com and click on the “Racetrack” link at the top of the homepage.