History Sunland Park was formed when the unincorporated communities of Anapra, Sunland Park and Meadow Vista voted to incorporate as Sunland Park on July 13, 1983. 2012 corruption scandal In February 2012, then Mayor-Pro Tem Daniel Salinas and City Manager Jaime Aguilera were arrested and charged with extorting mayoral candidate Gerardo Hernandez.
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Sunland Park Racetrack & Casino shutdown its meet a month early back in March and in the process lost its signature race, the Sunland Derby, because of the COVID-19.
Ruidoso Downs managed a summer full of racing and all of its biggest races took place, including the All American Futurity and Derby, where fans got to see the nation's most talented crop of 2-year-old and 3-year-old quarter horses.
But coronavirus restrictions on attendance to the Labor Day races muted the roar of the crowd during the All American Futurity as the country dealt with the deadly pandemic.
Horse racing in El Paso and New Mexico has certainly suffered. At Albuquerque and Hobbs race tracks, meets have been shortened and purses reduced compared to previous years.
The Kentucky Derby and other Triple Crown races were disrupted, too. The Run for the Roses was moved from the first Saturday in May to Sept. 5.
But there is a shining light in the sadness of 2020 on the horse racing front with the emergence of thoroughbred Jackie's Warrior, a 2-year-old colt owned by El Paso's Kirk and Judy Robison.
Robison is a longtime businessman and El Paso resident for nearly 40 years.
The Robisons are at Keeneland in Lexington, Kentucky Thursday to watch their colt race as the morning-line favorite in the prestigious 2020 Breeders' Cup Juvenile. Jackie's Warrior will race 13 of the world's top 2-year-olds.
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Jockey Joel Rosario talks about El Paso owned Jackie's Warrior ahead of Friday's Breeders' Cup Juvenile in Kentucky https://t.co/Eg0TYch4i9
— Felix Chavez (@Fchavezeptimes) November 5, 2020Robison has had plenty of good horses during his life, but none as talented as Jackie's Warrior.
The star colt has won all four career starts, two Grade 1 wins and has won at some of the nation's most historic tracks, including Churchill Downs, Saratoga and Belmont Park.
More: Breeders' Cup 2020: Post positions, odds, entries for Sprint
Robison isn't part of a big conglomerate, which invests in the sport. He simply loves the so-called Sport of Kings and has spent much of his life helping invest in horse racing.
Jackie's Warrior is without a doubt a classy horse and has a tremendous opportunity in front of him today. Breeders' Cup races are the sport's top prizes. A win or strong finish will place Jackie's Warrior on the 2021 Kentucky Derby watch list.
Jackie's Warrior has shown speed, endurance and a willingness to finish strong in his four starts. He's answered those challenges with impressive performances. Jackie's Warrior will go two turns for the first time today in the 1 1/16 mile race, which is a new challenge for most young horses.
In a sport where the best horses often cost well into the six or seven-figure range, the Kentucky-bred Jackie's Warrior was purchased for $95,000, which proves that sometimes even the best horses are underrated when being sold at auction.
From all accounts, Jackie's Warrior is a mature, hard-working horse that is focused on his assignment to be the best in the country's biggest races. Winning two Grade 1 races as a 2-year-old is no small feat. It doesn't hurt that he has trainer Steven Asmussen and jockey Joel Rosario on his team, two of the best at what they do in the horse racing industry.
Robison has repeatedly expressed his confidence in Asmussen's work developing Jackie's Warrior as the young colt navigated the summer and fall circuit. With each start, the colt has faced better competition.
Jackie's Warrior's connection to El Paso is the latest in great moments in area horse racing.
El Paso, Sunland Park, Ruidoso Downs have given the area many of its greatest sports moments from horses such as Bold Ego and Mind That Bird, to jockeys such as Mike Smith and Jacky Martin, families such as the Lamberts and trainers like the late Henry Dominguez, Joel Marr, Jack Brooks, Todd Fincher and Justin Evans.
In a year when many are struggling with the effects of COVID-19 and nearly 235,000 lives were lost nationwide, Jackie's Warrior, in a small way, is giving us hope in 2020 and positive notoriety to El Paso.
A win Friday will elevate Jackie's Warrior to the top of the field for next year's 3-year-old thoroughbred crop and give sports fans in the area someone to root for in the 2021 Triple Crown races.
For the Robison's, Jackie's Warrior is a dream horse in this feel good story.
More:Jackie's Warrior is favorite in Breeders' Cup Juvenile
More:Whistle Stop Cafe wins All American Futurity
Felix F. Chavez may be reached at 915-546-6167; fchavez@elpasotimes.com; @Fchavezeptimes on Twitter.
2020 Breeders' Cup
When: Friday and Saturday
Where: Kenneland race track in Lexington, Kentucky
TV: Noon to 3:30 p.m. Friday on NBCSN and Saturday 10 a.m.-12:30 p.m. on NBCSN and 12:30-3:30 p.m. on NBC
Breeders' Cup Juvenile
Conditions: 1 1/16 miles for 2-year-old colts and geldings. Purse: $2 million. Grade: 1. Post time: 5:15 p.m. Friday at Keeneland.
Post position, horse, trainer, jockey, morning-line odds
1. Camp Hope, Kenny McPeek, Robby Albarado, 30-1
2. King Fury, Kenny McPeek, Brian Hernandez Jr., 15-1
3. Reinvestment Risk, Chad Brown, Irad Ortiz Jr., 9-2
4. Likeable, Todd Pletcher, John Velazquez, 15-1
5. Essential Quality, Brad Cox, Luis Saez, 4-1
6. Keepmeinmind, Robertino Diodoro, Jose Ortiz, 30-1
7. Jackie's Warrior, Steve Asmussen, Joel Rosario, 7-5
8. Classier, Bob Baffert, Florent Geroux, 15-1
9. Sittin On Go, Dale Romans, Corey Lanerie, 12-1
10. Dreamer's Disease, Robertino Diodoro, David Cohen, 30-1
11. Next, Wesley Ward, Gerardo Corrales, 15-1
12. Hot Rod Charlie, Doug O'Neill, Tyler Gaffalione, 30-1
13. Rombauer, Michael McCarthy, Javier Castellano, 15-1
14. Calibrate, Steve Asmussen, Ricardo Santana Jr., 20-1
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This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: El Paso owned horse, Jackie's Warrior is a bright spot nationally in hard times for horse racing
