Sunland Park Racetrack and Casino
Sunday, February 5, 2023
Quatro speeds away to upset win in the $100,000 La Coneja Stakes
Jockey Luis Fuentes continues to impress
Quatro sped away to an upset win at 8-1 odds in the $100,000 La Coneja Stakes at Sunland Park Racetrack and Casino on Sunday.
Following the early scratch of $750,000 stakes winning Nex Mexico-bred queen Bella Dona, most punters thought Corrina Corrina was a safe
bet to win the rich stakes race at 6 furlongs fashioned for New Mexico-bred females. But Bella Dona’s trainer Simon Buechler had something up
the sleeve with the rapidly improving Quatro.
Teaming up with the meet’s leading Thoroughbred rider Luis Fuentes, Quatro exploded in kind with a career best performance while facing
topflight company. The runner-up from last month’s $100,000 New Mexico State Racing Commission continued her ascension with a
sparkling performance. The five-year-old daughter of Marking fought her way to the front at the half mile marker and was even more
emboldened in deep stretch pulling away from bold moves from both Corrina Corrina and Bikini Time.
The first-time stakes winner won by a length in a fast time of 1:09.30, and earned a $60,000 payday for her owners Robert Driggers and
Ben Lee Ivey. The 5-time winner did it the hard way while pushing the pace. She paid $18.20 to win. Quatro has career earnings in excess
of $172,000.
2022 Leading Sunland Park rider Luis Fuentes continues a torrid pace in 2023. The young rider won three stakes races in a row last Sunday
including the Borderplex, Ft. Bliss and Jamison Memorial Stakes. His winning ride aboard Quatro vaults him to the top spot in the standings.
Even money favorite Corrina Corrina had utterly no excuses finishing second. Under Ken Tohill, the multiple stakes winner made an early
advance up the backstretch and then dove to the rail for racing room in upper stretch. She simply could not overtake the winner.
New Mexico State Racing Commission Handicap winner Bikini Time really looked like a winner passing the quarter mile mark and took
the lead for a brief second while on a 7-wide advance. She finished third for trainer Bart Hone, beaten only 1 and 1/2 lengths.
Live racing resumes on Tuesday at 12:25 for an all-Thoroughbred 9-race card.
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