ALBUQUERQUE, NM—APRIL 17, 2015— Making his first start at the 870-yard distance, Alsono rallied to win Friday’s $55,000 Special Hank Handicap for Quarter Horses and Thoroughbreds, the opening-day feature race at The Downs at Albuquerque.

Alsono covered his 870-yard trip in :44.333, missing by just 26/1000ths of a second the track record set by Kama Shootin in an allowance race in 2001. Ry Eikleberry rode the 4-year-old Kentucky-bred son of Limehouse for owner Tony Pennington and trainer Justin Evans.

Alsono was one of only two Thoroughbreds in the eight-horse field. The colt was coming off of a sixth-place finish in the 6 1/2-furlong, $100,000 Bill Thomas Memorial Handicap at Sunland Park on March 22.v The $33,000 winner’s share of the Special Hank purse pushed Alsono’s earnings to $293,825. The colt has won nine of 19 races, including seven stakes, and he is undefeated in three starts at The Downs at Albuquerque, all against stakes company.

Alsono’s margin of victory was 2¾ lengths from 17-10 favorite Executive Trust, who was disqualified from second and placed seventh following a stewards’ inquiry. Flyin Fish was placed second and was followed officially by Chasing The Heat.

Justin Evans conditions the Kentucky-bred son of Limehouse or owner Tony Pennington. Ann Marie Farm bred Alsono from the St. Jovite mare Miss Blue Grass.

Flyin Fish, a 7-year-old son of Fishers Dash, races for owner Tommy Galvez and Tony Sedillo. Also trained by Sedillo, Flyin Fish was ridden by Brian Theriot. Bred in California by Vessels Stallion Farm LLC and P.K. Thomas from the Jazzing Hi mare Jazzing Cheree. The $11,000 runner-up check pushed the multiple stakes winner's earnings mark to $294,022.

Enrique Gomez rode Chasing The Heat to his third place effort for owner Solitaire Stable and Lisa Dominguez. Henry Dominguez trains the Latent Heat gelding out of Chasing Lightning, by Belong To Me. Bred by Brandywine Farms, Agent, the multiple stakes-placed 6-year-old earned $5,500.

Completing the official order of finish were Fishin For Dough, Tres Primeros Im Royal Quick, Executive Trust and I Beat The Feet.

NOTES FROM THE DOWNS: A field of nine New Mexico-bred Thoroughbreds has been entered in Saturday’s 7-furlong, $60,000 O.D. McDonald Handicap (R). That’s Who, the 5-2 morning-line favorite, has won 14 of 29 races -- including seven stakes -- and has banked $695,542 for his owners, Sam and Latane Stevens of Lamesa, Texas. Joel Marr trains the homebred 6-year-old Quinton’s Gold gelding, who will be ridden by Alfredo Juarez Jr. from post 7 in the O.D. McDonald....Jockey Tanner Thedford rode the winners of two of The Downs’ three Quarter Horse races on Friday....A total of $231,546 was wagered on The Downs’ nine-race opening-day program, an increase of 32 percent over the $175,203 wagered on the track’s 2014 opening-day card. The 2014 season opened on a Saturday, August 2.