How to bet the La Coneja Stakes

A total of eight fillies and mares bred in New Mexico will jaunt six panels on the Sunland Park strip in Friday’s $90,000 La Coneja S. Defending champ #5 Lemon Drop Gold (3-1) will make her first run since taking this race a year ago and I will make her the top choice on her return to the races. 

La Coneja Wagers

• $25 win #5 Lemon Drop Gold ($25)
• $1 trifecta 5 with 1,2 with all ($12)

Trained by Todd Fincher, the chestnut took a huge leap forward when joining this outfit in December 2023, posting a pair of wins and a second from a trio of tries for her new connections. The chestnut is a relatively lightly raced eight-year-old who has performed well at Sunland, and she has trained forwardly in advance of this run for a very good layoff conditioner, as well. 

I expect the mare to receive an ideal voyage in the heat as the only other pace player in the field is drawn to her inside. The daughter of Mr. Gold Mover will force the tempo from the break and take command in early stretch in hopes of going back-to-back in the contest. Aldo Arboleda inherits the mount atop the leading selection. 

Multiple stakes heroine #1 First Again (4-1) was not a factor when fourth in the race in 2024 but is a better horse right now, and she is rounding up to a peak showing while making her third run off the layoff. The dark bay mare didn’t have a quick tempo to rally into while traveling wide in her latest showing, but the five-year-old is well drawn on the rail today and the pace should be more to her benefit, as well. The daughter of Axiomatic has enough tactical speed to stay in range prior to unleashing her closing kick in the lane with Miguel Fuentes, Jr. taking the reins. 

Morning-line favorite #2 Corrina Corrina (8-5) didn’t run after a bad break as the 2-5 choice on the oval in her latest endeavor, and while it’s a good sign that she wheels right back for this heat, I’m still a bit pessimistic about backing her at an expected short number. The dark bay daughter of Mr. Trieste has been first or second in 29 of her 34 career tries to date, which includes a nifty 11-6-4-0 mark at Sunland Park. This six-year-old mare possesses the best turn of foot in the field, and if she runs her best race, then the dark bay will be difficult to fend off late. Regular pilot Tracy Hebert will be in the silks once again.