Preview Racing

Home > Preview Racing>Thirty Aged Runners Entered in Sunday's West Texas Maturity Trials

Thirty Aged Runners Entered in Sunday's West Texas Maturity Trials
All American Derby winner Whiskey Creek is entered in Sunday's 400-yard West Texas Maturity (G3) trials at Sunland Park.

© Ernesto Salinas, Jr. / StallioneSearch
Thirty Aged Runners Entered in Sunday's West Texas Maturity Trials

BY MICHAEL CUSORTELLI

SUNLAND PARK, NM–MARCH 5, 2024–Whiskey Creek, a Grade 1-winning son of world champion Apollitical Jess owned by Rancho AA LLC, is one of 30 aged sprinters entered in Sunday's 400-yard West Texas Maturity (G3) trials at Sunland Park.

A $300,000 purchase at the 2021 Ruidoso Select Yearling Sale, Whiskey Creek will be making his first start since December 9, when he ran 10th, three lengths behind winner Flash Bak, in the sport's richest and most prestigious race for older runners, the 440-yard, $750,000 Champion of Champions (G1) at Los Alamitos.

The sorrel gelding is coming off of a sophomore campaign during which he earned $530,478 from seven races and scored an upset victory in the sport's richest race for 3-year-olds, the 440-yard, $1.2-million All American Derby (G1) at Ruidoso Downs.

Whiskey Creek drew post 8 and will be ridden by Kevin Enriquez-Arenivas for trainer Lonnie Vaughn in the first of three trials.

Our Secret Habit will be making his 4-year-old season debut in the third heat. A gelded son of Hez Our Secret trained by Jorge Morales-Flores for owner Rancho Garambuyo, Our Secret Habit will be shortening in distance off of his upset victory in the December 17, 440-yard Zia Park Championship (G1) at Zia Park.

Our Secret Habit drew post 5 and will be ridden by Jose L. Enriquez.

The 10 fastest qualifiers will meet in the March 31, $65,000-added West Texas Maturity final.

All Sunland Park races can be seen at Q-Racing Video.com.