Sphene’s determined effort in the $70,000 Charles Taylor Derby at Albuquerque Downs earned the 3-year-old Bodemeister colt his first stakes victory.
The one-length win came at the expense of Secular Nation, the stakes-winning son of Distorted Humor, who had the lead the majority of the 1 1/16-mile race. It was 14 lengths back to the rest of the field (VIDEO).
Sphene, who is owned by Judge Lanier Racing, didn’t start until February 3rd this year, when he won his debut. He also was a good second in the $150,000 Sunland Park H. against older horses in April. With Saturday’s win, he upped his record to 3-1-0 in seven starts and his earnings to $107,050.
The winner was bred by WinStar Farm and is out of two-time stakes winner Cherokee Jewel. Sphene is a half-brother to three-time stakes winner Bayerd.
Bodemeister is the leading Third-Crop Sire of stakes winners (5) and winners (68), while Sphene’s win pushed his progeny earnings past $3 million this year.
