Jacob Enriquez captures quarter horse riding title at Sunland Park
SUNLAND PARK — Jockey Jacob Enriquez captured his first riding title at the 2026 Sunland Park, narrowly edging a crowded leaderboard, winning 19 times at the most recent season.
Enriquez, who rode Toastin Heros (pictured above) to victory in the $350,000 Championship At Sunland Park on Feb. 7, finished ahead of Jose Luis Enriquez, who rode 17 winners, as well as Jesse Levario, Oscar Andrade, Jr. and Joseph Belloc, Jr., who each recorded 16 winners.
Enriquez has more than 260 winners in his career with earnings of more than $7.5 million, has also achieved stakes victories aboard Brookes Legacy, winner of the 2024 Lou Wooten and Sydney Valentini Stakes.
In the thoroughbred jockey division, Luis Negron also captured his first Sunland Park title, winning 35 races last season, edging Alfredo Juarez, Jr. with 32 winners.
Negron, who rode Clovisconnection to victory in the Bill Thomas Memorial Stakes at the most recent season, has been one of the top journeyman riders in recent years. He was the leading rider in 2025 at Mountaineer Park and has ridden more than 1,250 winners in his career.
Prior to winning the 2026 title, Negron was second in the standings during the 2021-22 season at Sunland Park.
The top of the standings in the thoroughbred trainer division came down to a tiebreaker, with Justin Evans topping Dick Cappellucci. The pair each finished the season with 28 winners, with Evans finishing ahead of Cappellucci 17-12 with second place finishers.
Evans, who also finished atop the standings at Sunland Park seven times between 2013 and 2020, has reached the winners circle more than 2,700 times with earnings of more than $36.8 million. He has also captured five consecutive training titles at Turf Paradise between 2021 and 2025.
The quarter horse training title went to Eric Valenzuela, who reached the winners circle 16 times, edging Clinton Crawford and James J Gonzales (13 each) and Jose Ignacio DeHerrera (11).
Valenzuela saddled Baby Daddy Cartel to victory in the New Mexican Spring Fling Stakes, and has more than 200 winners in his career, including Ruidoso Futurity winner Lets Leave and Zia Futurity winner Call Me Jessiecartel.