Horse Racing

The local horse racing betting community hopes when the excitement evaporates they'll discover a tangible long-term benefit: a graded-stakes race at Sunland Park.

The park has petitioned the American Graded Stakes Committee to consider the Sunland Derby for years to no avail. Mine That Bird finished fourth in this year's version, placing better at all three Triple Crown races. Now, Sunland Park publicity director Eric Alwan said the race could become graded within a year.

"There's been a tremendous infusion of emotion and excitement and a lot more interest in racing in New Mexico." Alwan said Sunday. "We're going to be on the radar of the national racing scene from here on out, I would think."

Alwan said Mine That Bird and Bloomfield trainer Bennie "Chip" Woolley Jr. injected financial vigor into an already-burgeoning decade for New Mexico horse tracks, packing out two of the state's prominent locales, including SunRay Park in Farmington, for simulcasts of all three Triple Crown races.