Sunday, March 28, 2026
Sunland Park Racetrack and Casino
RC Corona King proves best late in $98,598 West Texas Maturity
RC Corona King needed nearly every bit of the 400 yard distance to prove best in Saturday’s 37th edition of the $98,598 Grade 3 West Texas Maturity at Sunland Park Racetrack and Casino, but at the end, jockey Sergio Dominguez muscled him to the finish line to prove narrowly best.
A New Mexico-bred gelded son of Eye Am King, RC Corona King rallied in the final 100 yards to get to the finish line a neck in front of Bigg Picture and jockey Noe Garcia, Jr. The winner reached the finish line in a quick time of 19.29 seconds.
Owned by Jose R. Riojas and trained by Gerardo Quinonez, RC Corona King earned his 10th win from 30 career starts. His most recent stakes victory took place in the Grade 1 Albuquerque Fall Championship last October at Albuquerque Downs. This is the second win in the West Texas Maturity for RC Corona King, who won the race in 2024. He ran fourth in last year’s edition.
Bred by Baldemar L Parra, RC Corona King has now won six times from 12 starts at Sunland Park, including the 2025 edition of the Red or Green Stakes. He qualified for the West Texas Maturity and became the fastest qualifier when winning his trial heat here earlier this month. Sunday’s win pads his lifetime earnings to more than $757,000.
Sent off as the prohibitive 3-to-5 post time favorite, RC Corona King paid back $3.40. The $2 exacta with Bigg Picture returned $7.20. Paradise Pete finished third with KJ Born To Be Wild rounding out the top four finishers.
Sunday, a pair of stakes races featuring some of the state’s top thoroughbreds will be on tap. The $175,000 New Mexico Breeders’ Oaks will be run as the sixth race on the card, followed by the $175,000 New Mexico Breeders Derby. First post time is set for 12:25 p.m.
Photo Credit: Coady Media
