Sunland Park Racetrack and Casino
Sunday, January 14, 2024
White Lightenin cruises to victory in $100,000 Red Or Green Stakes
Breaking alertly from his outside post under jockey Noe Garcia, Jr., White Lightenin made short work of his nine rivals in Sunday’s $100,000 Red Or Green Stakes at Sunland Park Racetrack and Casino.
Owned by C. Denis and Julie A. Schoenhofer and trained by James J. Gonzales, White Lightenin broke cleanly from his outside post position, battled briefly with Jesses Wish and jockey James Flores before lengthening his stride in deep stretch to win by 1 1/4 lengths. The New Mexico-bred son of Eye Am King rolled to his third straight win, most recently scoring a victory in the New Mexico Classic Derby at Zia Park on Nov. 26.
White Lightenin raced the 400 yards in a fast final time of 19.13 seconds, earning an Equibase Speed Index of 105.
Sunday’s win is the fifth from 13 career starts for White Lightenin and his second stakes win. The newly-turned 4-year-old earned $60,000 for his effort in the Red Or Green Stakes, padding his career bankroll to more than $346,000.
Sent off as the 4-to-5 post time favorite, White Lightenin returned $3.60 to his winning backers. The $2 exacta with runnerup Jesses Wish paid $54.40. FS Power Maxx was third with Mr Perry Moon rounding out the top four finishers.
Racing resumes Thursday at Sunland Park Racetrack and Casino with a pair of New Mexico-bred thoroughbred stakes races headlining the card. The $100,000 Corralito Steak House Stakes, featuring multiple stakes winner Community Leader, will be run as the eighth race on the card, followed by $100,000 La Senora Stakes for state-bred 3-year-old fillies. First post time on Thursday is scheduled for 12:25 p.m.
