Buy Local edges clear late and Holy Miss scores mild upset in pair of Sunday stakes races

New Mexico Breeders Derby

Buy Local earned his second stakes win of the season in an impressive score Sunday in the 21st running of the $175,000 New Mexico Breeders Derby under jockey Guillermo Rodriguez. 

Photos: Courtesy Coady Media

Trained by Todd Fincher, Buy Local was midpack early in the 1 1/16 mile affair then quickly advanced to contest the pace rounding the far turn. Rodriguez ran up alongside pacesetting American Century at the head of the lane and kicked clear in the final furlong to win by 1 3/4 lengths. The son of Sporting Chance stopped the clock in 1 minute, 44.27 seconds.

Owned by J. Kirk and Judy Robison and bred by the Robison family and Downstream Racing, LLC, Buy Local came into the NM Breeders Derby off a convincing win in his most recent start, the Red Hedeman Mile over this course last month. Now a three-time winner from nine career starts, Buy Local has amassed earnings of more than $246,000.

Fincher also trained runner-up Ghosted Again as well as third place finisher Cash Waterfall. Fincher heads into the final days of the current season in a tight race atop the thoroughbred trainer standings. Justin Evans and Dick Cappellucci entered the day tied atop the standings with 24 winners apiece, with Fincher just two back with 22 winners.

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New Mexico Breeders Oaks

Holy Miss earned not only her first career stakes victory Sunday, rambling from off the pace to win the 16th edition of the $175,000 New Mexico Breeders Oaks, but she also broke her maiden in the process.

Photos: Courtesy Coady Media

Trained by Bart Hone for the Masino Racing Stable, Holy Miss was several lengths behind a moderate pace down the backstretch of the 1 1/16 mile event. Jockey Francisco Amparan rallied the 3-year-old daughter of Holy Lute to a contesting position approaching the furlong pole before wearing down post time favorite Marka in the shadow of the finish line, winning by a half-length and stopping the clock in 1:44.13. 

Holy Miss had been no better than third in her four previous starts but finished third last time out in the Peppers Pride Stakes over this course last time out. Bred in New Mexico by Joe Masino, Holy Miss increased now has one win from five starts with earnings of more than $116,000. 

Bonus: 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.

Photos: Courtesy Coady Media

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.