Sunland Park Racetrack and Casino
Saturday, January 14, 2023
Brookes Legacy posts upset win in the $100,000 Lou Wooten and Sydney Valentini Handicap
Jockey Carlos Chacon and longshot Brookes Legacy flashed late speed and posted a major upset in Saturday’s $100,000 Lou Wooten and Sydney Valentini Handicap at Sunland Park Racetrack and Casino.
A 4-year-old daughter of Big Daddy Cartel, Brookes Legacy was close throughout the 400-yard dash, getting past Fanncee and jockey Adrian Ramos in the final yards to score the win by a long neck. She stopped the timer in 19.49 seconds and earned a 101 Equibase Speed Index.
Brookes Legacy has now won three straight; her most recent victory took place on Dec. 7 when she beat allowance company at Zia Park in her first try with winners. She broke her maiden in her eighth career start at Zia Park on Oct. 22.
Owned by Oscar Diaz and trained by Armando Alamos, Brookes Legacy was sent off at odds of 15.20-to-1 and returned $32.40 to her winning backers.
Brookes Legacy has now won three times from 10 lifetime starts. The winners’ share of the purse increases her lifetime earnings to more than $115,000.
Fanncee, trained by Wes Giles, held onto second, prompting a $2 exacta return of $207.80. She was just in front of Tina Katarina at the wire, with 7-to-5 post time favorite Mi Moonflash rounding out the top four finishers.
A field of six 3-year-old fillies will go postward Sunday in the $100,000 La Senora Stakes, the featured event of a strong program that kicks off at 12:25 p.m.
Hannah’s Highlife is one of two starters for trainer Bart Hone set to go into the starting gate in the 6-furlong event and has been established as the 8-to-5 post time favorite. Hone also sends out Holottalute, who broke her maiden by 15 lengths in her career here earlier this month. Hannah’s Highlife, a daughter of Holy Lute, is looking for her third straight win, and will break from the outside post with jockey Francisco Amparan designated to ride. Post time for the La Senora, which will go as the eighth race on the card, is scheduled for 3:32 p.m. local time.
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