Tom and Sandy McKenna, the owners of Conquest Mo Money, announced their decision to race their star 3-year-old colt next in the Preakness Stakes on May 20 at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Md.
The announcement was made Tuesday in a press conference at Sunland Park Racetrack and Casino, where the $800,000 Sunland Derby (Gr. III) runner-up had raced four times, including stakes wins in both the $100,000 Riley Allison Futurity and $100,000 Mine That Bird Derby.
In his most recent start, Conquest Mo Money, purchased last November at Keeneland for just $8,500, finished second behind last year's Eclipse award-winning juvenile Classic Empire in the $1 million Arkansas Derby (Gr. I).
Prior to that, in his last start at Sunland Park, Conquest Mo Money finished second in the Sunland Derby (Gr. III) behind the Steve Asmussen-trained Hence.
Those second place finishes earned Conquest Mo Money 60 qualifying points based on the Churchill Downs system to determine the field of 20 starters for the Kentucky Derby. Based on the point system, those points would place Conquest Mo Money 12th on the list.
Because Conquest Mo Money had not been nominated for the Triple Crown, the McKennas, who race under the name Judge Lanier Racing, would have to pay $200,000 to supplement the three-time winner from five career starts.
"It was a difficult choice," Tom McKenna said on Tuesday, "But based on what is best for the horse, the choice is the Preakness Stakes."
The McKennas will supplement Conquest Mo Money to the Preakness Stakes at the cost of $150,000, which will also make him eligible for the Belmont Stakes on June 10 in New York.
Sunland Park will be represented by both Hence and Irap in the 2017 Kentucky Derby.
For the fifth consecutive season, trainer Justin Evans and jockey Ry Eikleberry will again be atop the leaderboards in their respective thoroughbred categories at the conclusion of racing at Sunland Park.
Evans, one of the nation's leading trainers, dominated the standings yet again, easily outpacing Henry Dominguez, Todd Fincher, Bart Hone and Jon Arnett.
Eikleberry, considered one of the finest journeyman riders in the country, claimed his spot at the top of the division ahead of Alfredo Juarez, Jr., Elvin Gonzalez, Tracy Hebert and Ken Tohill. Eikleberry finished the meet with a flourish winning 5 races on closing day Tuesday.
For the third consecutive year, jockey Esgar Ramirez took the quarter horse riding title this season edging out Mauro Salcedo, Adrian Ramos, Jose Luis Enriquez and Raul Herrera. Ramirez rode Imperial Eagle to victory in the $200,000 Sunland Park Juvenile Championship.