Jesses Wish (pictured), a son of Jesse James Jr and the fastest qualifier, heads a field of 10 state-bred 2-year-olds entered back in Sunday’s 300-yard, $313,030 New Mexican Spring Futurity (RG2) at Sunland Park.
A $50,000 yearling purchase at last year’s New Mexico-Bred Sale at Ruidoso Downs, Jesses Wish made his career debut with a clear 1 3/4-length victory in the sixth of eight trials on March 12. The bay gelding is out of Wish You Had One To, a winning and multiple graded stakes placed daughter of Stel Corona, and he is a full brother to the graded stakes placed Jess Tequila Talkin.
Jesses Wish drew post 7 and will be ridden by Mario Delgado for owners Javier M. Chavez and Heysol Howlet, and trainer James Gonzales III.
Trainer Eric Valenzuela will send out three finalists, including second-fastest qualifier Mr Tres Effort. A homebred son of the Feature Mr Jess stallion TF Featured Effort owned by Carlos F. Paez, Mr Tres Effort is coming off of a 1 1/2-length win in the seventh New Mexican Spring Futurity trial.
Mr Tres Effort is out of Beyond 15, a winning Desirio mare and a finalist in the 2015 Four Corners Futurity at SunRay Park. The gelding drew post 6 and will be ridden by Luis Flores-Garcia.
The complete lineup, in post position order including jockey assignments:
Major Game (Sergio Dominguez)
Doing Something Good (Noe Garcia Jr.)
Cruzin For Chickz (Cordarelton Benn)
Daddys First Fire (Esgar Ramirez)
Doin Something Right (Sergio Becerra Jr.)
Mr Tres Effort (Luis Flores-Garcia)
Jesses Wish (Mario Delgado)
Fancyinallofus (Adrian Ramos)
Sauvignon Smooth (Jose Enrique Ortiz)
Sheza Ahotmess (Gerardo Vera)
Also on Sunday, 11 state-bred juveniles are entered back in the 300-yard, $50,000 New Mexican Spring Fling Stakes (R).
J. Patricia Gonzalez’s JP D Bandida Regard, a homebred Chicks Regard filly trained by Juan Carlos Gonzalez, is the lone previous winner in the field. JP D Bandida Regard is coming off of a nose win at odds of 24-1 in a March 12 New Mexican Spring Futurity trial.
JP D Bandida Regard drew post 10 and will be ridden by Kevin Enriquez-Arenivas.