Sunland Park Racetrack and Casino
Saturday, January 17, 2026
Speed Merchant seeks third stakes win in $80,000 Corralito Steak House Stakes
Trainer Todd Fincher will saddle as many as five runners in Monday’s 25th running of the $80,000 Corralito Steak House Stakes for New Mexico-bred 3-year-olds at Sunland Park Racetrack and Casino.
Speed Merchant, listed as the 6-5 morning-line favorite, is in search of his second straight win and third career stakes triumph. The son of Marking is coming off a 9-length win last month in the Hobbs Fall Classic. Prior to that, Speed Merchant won the New Mexico State Fair Thoroughbred Futurity last October at Albuquerque Downs.
Owned by Dale F. Taylor Racing LLC and bred in New Mexico by Brad King and Chris Coleman, Speed Merchant has earned more than $267,000 with four wins from five career starts. He will break from post 6 in the 8-horse field and will be ridden by his regular jockey, Luis Valenzuela.
Fincher will also be represented by J. Kirk and Judy Robison’s Cash Waterfall, who was the runner-up behind Speed Merchant in the Hobbs Fall Classic.
The son of Sporting Chance, bred in New Mexico by the Robison’s and Downstream Racing LLC, Cash Waterfall has one win from four starts with earnings of more than $69,000.
Listed as the 4-1 second choice, Cash Waterfall and jockey Oscar Andrade Jr. will break from post 5. The stakes race is the eighth on Monday’s program and has a scheduled post time of 3:32 p.m.
Fincher will also send out 9-2 third choice Buy Local, as well as longshots Risk Capital and Country Club Sport.
$80,000 Corralito Steak House Stakes (Post position, horse, odds, jockey)
1 – Reads Artful Run (20-1), Enrique Gomez
2 – Risk Capital (12-1), Olaf Hernandez
3 – Buy Local (9-2), Guillermo Rodriguez
4 – Cowboy Campfire (6-1), Miguel Perez
5 – Cash Waterfall (4-1), Oscar Andrade Jr.
6 – Speed Merchant (6-5), Luis Valenzuela
7 – Fort Sumner (5-1), Luis Negron
8 – Country Club Sport (20-1), Ken Tohill
Caprock Cutie morning line favorite in $80,000 La Senora Stakes
Prior to the running of the Corralito Steak House Stakes, Glen Robertson and Bobby McQueen’s Caprock Cutie has been installed as the 2-1 morning-line favorite for Monday’s 25th running of the $80,000 La Senora Stakes for 3-year-old New Mexico-bred fillies.
Trained by Dick Cappellucci, Caprock Cutie is looking for back-to-back stakes victories after a 4 1-2-length win in the Lea County Stakes on Dec. 16 at Zia Park. Bred in New Mexico by Robertson, the Marking filly has earned two wins and two third-place finishes in five career starts. She will break from the outside post with Alfredo Juarez Jr. in the field of seven runners.
Caprock Cutie, with career earnings of more than $112,000, was a close third in her stakes debut last November in the New Mexico Classic Lassie Stakes at Zia Park. In that race, she finished a half-length behind Country Club Crush and Mark’s Sassy Girl, both of which will line up against her in the La Senora Stakes, a six-furlong sprint.
Trainer Todd Fincher is expected to have as many as four starters in the gate for the La Senora, the seventh race on Monday’s program. Mark’s Sassy Girl, the heavy favorite in the Lea County Stakes last month, broke awkwardly and dropped jockey Floyd Wethey Jr. moments after the start.
Prior to that, Mark’s Sassy Girl was second in the New Mexico Classic Lassie and third in the New Mexico State Fair Thoroughbred Futurity at Albuquerque Downs on Oct. 12. Bred in New Mexico by Wesley and Glenda Gray, Mark’s Sassy Girl has earned more than $87,000 with one win in five career starts.
Mark’s Sassy Girl will be ridden Monday by Guillermo Rodriguez and will break from post 3. The La Senora has a scheduled post time of 3:04 p.m.
Fincher will also send out recent maiden winner I Am Paula Revere, a daughter of American Anthem coming off a 5-length win Dec. 15. Bred in New Mexico by owners Reliance Ranches LLC, I Am Paula Revere will break from the rail as the 3-1 third choice with Olaf Hernandez aboard.
Trainer Dallas Barton will send out Country Club Crush in search of her second stakes win. The daughter of Marking won the New Mexico Classic Lassie Stakes and was second in the Lea County Stakes. With earnings of more than $137,000 for owners Barbara and Jay H. Barton, Country Club Crush will be ridden by Miguel J. Fuentes Jr. and will break from post 2.
$80,000 La Senora Stakes (Post position, horse, odds, jockey)
1 – I Am Paula Revere (3-1), Olaf Hernandez
2 – Country Club Crush (7-2), Miguel Fuentes Jr.
3 – Mark’s Sassy Girl (5-2), Guillermo Rodriguez
4 – Who Said It’s Easy (20-1), Oscar Andrade Jr.
5 – American Prada (8-1), Luis Valenzuela
6 – Trump Dance (20-1), Luis Negron
7 – Caprock Cutie (2-1), Alfredo Juarez Jr.
