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.