After six trials run at Sunland Park on Friday, the field was set for the January 28, $237,706 Shue Fly Stakes (RG2) for New Mexico-bred 3-year-old Quarter Horses.
Flash Divine, the fastest qualifier, won the fifth trial by 1 1/4 lengths from sixth-fastest qualifier Flashtoglory. Trained by Wes Giles for owners Jimmy Negrete and Jimmy Vasquez and ridden by Noe Garcia Jr., Flash Divine covered 400 yards in :19.568 while notching his third win in five starts.
Flash Divine was bred by Negrete and Vasquez. The sorrel colt is out of Girlonthego, a daughter of Man On The Move who won the 2014 Zia Futurity (RG1) at Ruidoso Downs.
Flash Divine ended his 2-year-old season with a second-place finish in the October 30, 350-yard New Mexico Cup Futurity (RG2) at Zia Park, and he was a finalist in the May 22, 350-yard New Mexico Breeders’ Futurity (RG3) at SunRay Park. The colt’s earnings total $91,449.
Second-fastest qualifier My Heart Jess Runs won the second heat by 1 3/4 lengths in :19.607. Mario Delgado rode the brown daughter of Jess A Chicks for owner Boydston Enterprises Inc. and trainer James Gonzales III.
My Heart Jess Runs was bred by Mike Abraham. The filly is out of Shes In My Heart, a winning daughter of champion Fdd Dynasty and a finalist in the 2014 West Texas Derby (G3) at Sunland Park. Her second dam, the winning Corona Cartel mare Fly Miss Corona, ran second in the ’09 Adequan New Mexico Derby Challenge Stakes (G3) at Ruidoso Downs.
Raced exclusively in New Mexico, My Heart Jess Runs has won two of six starts and has earned $14,290.
Other prominent Shue Fly finalists include First Lady On Canvas, a graded stakes winning First Moonflash filly trained by Manuel Rodriguez for owner MRB Racing LLC. First Lady On Canvas won the third trial by a head from fourth-fastest qualifier Wood Dee Queen while stopping the electronic timer in :19.615. Esgar Ramirez rode the homebred bay filly.
First Lady On Canvas was making her first start since October 30, when she scored a three-quarter length victory in the $350,730 New Mexico Cup Futurity. All told, the filly has won four of eight outs and has banked $192,783.
The Shue Fly Stakes honors the memory of Shue Fly, a three-time world champion in the early 1940s and a member of the American Quarter Horse Hall of Fame. The complete list of qualifiers appears below:
| Horse (Sex, Pedigree) | Owner | Breeder (State) | Trainer | Time |
| FLASH DIVINE C, First Moonflash-Girlonthego by Man On The Move | Jimmy Negrete and Jimmy Vasquez | Jimmy Negrete and Jimmy Vasquez (NM) | Wes Giles | :19.568 |
| MY HEART JESS RUNS F, Jess A Chicks-Shes In My Heart by Fdd Dynasty | Boydston Enterprises Inc. | Mike Abraham (NM) | James J. Gonzales III | :19.607 |
| FIRST LADY ON CANVAS F, First Moonflash-Paint On Canvas by Pyc Paint Your Wagon | MRB Racing LLC | MRB Racing LLC (NM) | Manuel Rodriguez | :19.615 |
| WOOD DEE QUEEN F, Eye Am King-Miss Woody Dee by Woodbridge | J & SM Inc., Don Reynolds and M. Lane Reynolds | MJ Farms (NM) | Fred Danley | :19.629 |
| KINGS TOUCH G, Eye Am King-Physical Touch by Heza Fast Dash | Jay Glover and Gary Stallings | William or Mary Robertson (NM) | Casey Lambert | :19.671 |
| FLASHTOGLORY F, First Moonflash-JP Glory Be by Feature Mr Jess | David Meridyth | David Meridyth (NM) | David Meridyth | :19.746 |
| CQ FEATURED FIRST C, TF Featured Effort-Lluvia Ligera First by First Moonflash | Israel Bordier | Israel Bordier (NM) | Ramon Mendoza | :19.788 |
| MIRES A LA LUNA G, First Moonflash-Dont Looke Ethel by Genuine Strawfly | Byron Woodard | Byron Woodard (NM) | Ebert Munoz | :19.827 |
| BLAZIN CHAMISA C, Jess A Chicks-A Major Chamisa by Major Rime | Gary C. Kloppenburg | Mike Abraham (NM) | Wes Giles | :19.831 |
| OWENS WEE BEASTIE F, Jumpn Chic-Fancy Easter Parade by Dean Miracle | Trey Greenwood | Trey Greenwood (NM) | Mike Joiner | :19.848 |