The field is set for the April 3, $313,030 New Mexican Spring Futurity (RG2) for state-bred 2-year-old Quarter Horses at Sunland Park.
Jesses Wish (pictured), a son of Jesse James Jr racing for Javier M. Chavez and Heysol Howlet, set the fastest qualifying time with his 1 3/4-length victory in the sixth of eight trials on Saturday. Ridden by Mario Delgado for trainer James Gonzales III, Jesses Wish covered 300 yards in :15.292 and posted a 95 speed index.
Jesses Wish was bred by Mac and Janis Murray’s MJ Farms at Veguita, New Mexico, and he was purchased as a yearling for $50,000 at last year’s New Mexico-Bred Sale at Ruidoso Downs. The bay gelding is out of Wish You Had One To, a winning and multiple graded stakes placed Stel Corona mare, and he is a half brother to Wish Bigg, a Big Daddy Cartel gelding who won Saturday’s $100,000 New Mexico Horse Breeders’ Association Stakes (RG2) for state-bred 3-year-olds at Sunland Park.
Second-fastest qualifier Mr Tres Effort won the seventh heat by 1 1/2 lengths in :15.473. Luis Flores-Garcia rode the homebred son of the Feature Mr Jess stallion TF Featured Effort for owner Carlos F. Paez and trainer Eric Valenzuela.
Mr Tres Effort is out of Beyond 15, a winning daughter of the Strawfly Special stallion Desirio and a finalist in the 2015 Four Corners Futurity at SunRay Park.
Major Game, the third-fastest qualifier, made his debut with a two-length victory in the eighth trial. Trained by Eric Valenzuela for owners Jamie Perez, Andres Estrada, and J. Santos Espinoza, the chestnut son of the Walk Thru Fire stallion Gronkowski stopped the timer in :15.503 under jockey Sergio Becerra Jr.
Major Game was bred by Mike Abraham. The colt is out of A Major Chamisa, an unraced homebred daughter of the Rime stallion Major Rime. His second dam, the winning Chicks A Blazin mare Chicks Chamisa, foaled two full graded stakes winning sisters to A Major Chamisa — Rime Has A Chick and Me Chickie — and Sixy Chamisa, a half sister to A Major Chamisa who won the ’09 New Mexico Cup Futurity (RG2) at Zia Park and New Mexico Breeders’ Futurity (RG2) at SunRay Park.
All 69 of the 2-year-olds entered in Friday’s trials were making their first career starts. The complete list of finalists appears below:
| Horse (Sex, Pedigree) | Owner | Breeder (State) | Trainer | Time |
| JESSES WISH G, Jesse James Jr-Wish You Had One To by Stel Corona | Javier M. Chavez and Heysol Howlet | MJ Farms (NM) | James Gonzales III | :15.292 |
| MR TRES EFFORT C, TF Featured Effort-Beyond 15 by Desirio | Carlos F. Paez | Carlos Paez (NM) | Eric Valenzuela | :15.473 |
| MAJOR GAME C, Gronkowski-A Major Chamisa by Major Rime | Jamie Perez, Andres Estrada and J. Santos Espinoza | Mike Abraham (NM) | Eric Valenzuela | :15.503 |
| SHEZA AHOTMESS F, First Moonflash-Jazzsnspots by Double Feature Jess | Sherree Meridyth | Sherree Meridyth (NM) | Guadalupe Munoz Jr. | :15.534 |
| CRUZIN FOR CHICKZ G, Jess A Chicks-Zoobie Cartel by Corona Cartel | Curtis Crenwelge, Jim Laird, and Jose R. Espinosa | Crenwelge/Laird/Espinosa (NM) | Wes Giles | :15.555 |
| DOIN SOMETHING RIGHT G, Eye Am King-Start Somethin Bad by Pappasito | Empire Racing and Pavon Racing LLC | MJ Farms (NM) | Eric Valenzuela | :15.563 |
| SAUVIGNON SMOOTH F, Big Daddy Cartel-Tangled Vines by Dash Ta Fame | Denis & Julie Schoenhofer | MJ Farms (NM) | Mike Joiner | :15.577 |
| DADDYS FIRST FIRE F, Big Daddy Cartel-First Moon Fire by First Moonflash | Salvador M. Delgado | Salvador Mendoza Delgado (NM) | Jaime Aldavaz Sr. | :15.614 |
| DOING SOMETHING GOOD G, Big Daddy Cartel-Start Somethin Bad by Pappasito | J & SM Inc. | MJ Farms (NM) | Fred Danley | :15.619 |
| FANCYINALLOFUS F, Maxximuss-Track Fancy (TB) by Laugh Track (TB) | Rafael Orozco | Darrell Shortes (NM) | Wes Giles | :15.664 |