Daily Racing Form National Digital Edition
Decision coming soon on Conquest Mo Money
Conquest Mo Money is spending some downtime at the New Mexico farm of his owners, Tom and Sandra McKenna, as they debate whether the multiple stakes winner will race again or launch a stallion career.
“It’s in limbo at this point, but we’ll make a decision soon,” Tom McKenna said Wednesday.
Conquest Mo Money was the runner-up in both the Arkansas Derby and Sunland Derby in 2017. He last raced May 6, finishing fourth in an allowance sprint at Lone Star Park. The outing was his first since the 2017 Preakness, where he finished seventh, beaten 6 1/2 lengths by Cloud Computing. After that race, Conquest Mo Money sustained a suspensory ligament injury in a workout and was rehabbed at home in New Mexico.
Conquest Mo Money is a New York-bred son of Uncle Mo and from the female family of Belmont Stakes winner Touch Gold. Conquest Mo Money’s dam, the unraced Stirring, is a half-sister to Grade 2 winner Serenading and multiple stakes winner Handpainted. Their third dam produced Touch Gold.
“We’ve got a lot of inquiries,” McKenna said. “Right now he’s in a rest stage, and we’ll decide whether we resume his racing career or go out to stud with him.”
Conquest Mo Money is trained by Miguel Hernandez.
Martin closes in on 4,000
Jockey Eddie Martin Jr. has had several memorable moments in the saddle since he won the first race of his career back on Oct. 24, 1980, at Delta Downs. Highlights include a 109-1 upset of the 2012 Louisiana Derby with Hero of Order, as well as other graded stakes wins with Real Cozzy, Precocity, Victor Cooley, Balto Star, Halory Leigh, She Says It Best, and Runway Model.
Martin is now nearing another milestone – 4,000 career Thoroughbred wins in North America. He was sitting at 3,992 through Tuesday and will have his next series of mounts at Retama Park, said agent Matt Siciliano. Martin is the leading rider at Retama, where he has formed a partnership with trainer Karl Broberg. Martin had gone 8 for 21 at Retama through Tuesday, and following the close of the meet will head full time to Remington Park, where he is to start working horses next week, said Siciliano.
Martin won the 1999 New Orleans Handicap aboard Precocity, and in 2001 took the Fair Grounds Oaks aboard Real Cozzy. Other top wins include the Falls City at Churchill with Halory Leigh in 2004.
Hence earns career-best Beyer
Hence, who won last year’s Sunland Derby over Conquest Mo Money, made a return trip to New Mexico last weekend and rolled to a 6 1/2-length win in the $200,000 Downs at Albuquerque Handicap. Hence earned one of the best Beyer Speed Figures of his career, a 95.
“He ran a very dominant race,” said Steve Asmussen, who trains Hence for breeder Calumet Farm.
Asmussen said plans are to look for a similar kind of race next for Hence, who invaded from Churchill.
Oh So Regal, who finished second in the Downs at Albuquerque Handicap, has a longrange objective of the $150,000 Zia Park Distance Championship on Nov. 21, said his co-owner Tom McKenna.
“We’ll probably have a race in there somewhere before then,” he said.
Oh So Regal won the Sunland Park Handicap in April. That race was over 1 1/8 miles, as was the Albuquerque Handicap.
Asmussen pair to Remington
Adore and Adventurous Lady, recent stakes winners in Louisiana and Texas, could see action at Remington Park in Oklahoma, according to their trainer, Steve Asmussen. The meet opens Aug. 24.
Adore won the $75,000 Spotted Horse on June 22 at Evangeline Downs. Asmussen said she could come under consideration for the $75,000 Ricks Memorial on Sept. 30 at Remington.
Adventurous Lady won her maiden July 15 in a $100,000 division of the Texas Thoroughbred Futurity at Lone Star Park. She was a 3 3/4-length winner over Silvercents, who returned in her next start to win the $50,000 Louisiana Cup Juvenile Fillies at Louisiana Downs.
Asmussen said Adventurous Lady is a candidate for the $50,000 E.L. Gaylord, also on Sept. 30 at Remington. Adventurous Lady is a daughter of Kantharos who races for Jerry Durant.
◗ The New Mexico Cup program of statebred stakes at Zia is scheduled for Nov. 4.