Red Warrior Benoit Photo
$300,000 Vinery Sprint
RED WARRIOR

ARCADIA, Calif. (Jan. 29, 2005) – Longshot Red Warrior closed strongly in the middle of the track to lead a California-bred sweep in the $300,000 Vinery Sprint on the Sunshine Millions card at Santa Anita Saturday.

Cal-bred millionaire Full Moon Madness was second and 2-1 favorite Areyoutalkintome was third in the race, which was marred by the fatal breakdown on the far turn of pacesetter Green Team. Bang bled and also was pulled up.

The winner, Red Warrior, is by Benchmark, out of the Plugged Nickle mare Sparkling Nickle, was bred by Madera Thoroughbreds and Kielstrom and is owned by Miguel Rubio. He was trained by Juan Garcia and ridden by Garrett Gomez.

“When I got him to the outside he went ahead and took off and did what he was supposed to do,” said Gomez. “He really impressed me today.”

Red Warrior ran the six furlongs in 1:08.84, paid $97 to win and won by one length.

“This is a horse of the future,” said Garcia. “If he stays sound and he goes a mile, he probably is going to be a better horse.”

It was the fourth win in Red Warrior’s 13 career starts and the $165,000 first prize more than doubled his earnings to $296,520. He was coming off a second in a Jan. 8 optional claimer and this was his first stakes win.

The runner-up purse of $60,000 brought the career earnings of Full Moon Madness to $1,157,805. Claimed in August for $40,000, he is co-owned by Florida Marlins catcher Paul Lo Duca.