Call Me Jessiecartel (pictured), a sorrel son of the Chicks A Blazin stallion Jess A Chicks, on Saturday recorded the fastest qualifying time to the February 4, $240,000-est. Shue Fly Stakes (RG2) for New Mexico-bred 3-year-old Quarter Horses at Sunland Park.

Trained by Eric Valenzuela for owners Empire Racing and Pavon Racing LLC, Call Me Jessiecartel won the first of five trials by three-quarters of a length in :19.217. Sergio Becerra Jr. rode the sorrel gelding.

Call Me Jessiecartel was bred by Mike Abraham, and he was purchased as a yearling by his owners for $23,000 at the 2022 New Mexico-Bred Sale at Ruidoso Downs. The gelding is out of Lilly Cartel, a daughter of the Holland Ease stallion Corona Cartel, and he is a half brother to graded stakes winner First Kool Moon.

Call Me Jessiecartel’s second dam, the First Down Dash mare Corona Kool, was the AQHA champion 2-year-old filly in 1999 and champion aged mare in ’01. Raced exclusively in New Mexico, the gelding has earned $248,264 from eight starts, and his four wins include last year’s 400-yard, $388,000 Zia Futurity (RG1) at Ruidoso Downs.

Second-fastest qualifier Big Dudley Cartel finished second to Call Me Jessiecartel in the first heat. Trained by Jesus Rondan Jr. and ridden by Luis Martinez for owner CHR Racing, the gray son of Big Daddy Cartel covered 400 yards in :19.334.

Big Dudley Cartel was bred by James E. Lynn. The gelding is out of Design Tobe A Winner, a multiple stakes winning Colorado-bred daughter of the Holland Ease stallion Winners Version. He has won one of nine outs and has banked $24,859.

Nahum Prieto’s Whiskey Whiskey, the third-fastest qualifier, won the third heat by a neck from seventh-fastest qualifier Jumpn Jester. Ridden by Jose Enriquez for trainer Marco Flores, the homebred JM Specialwynn gelding stopped the timer in :19.335 while posting his first win in seven races and increasing his earnings to $21,212.

Fourth-fastest qualifier Over Da Edge won the fifth trial by a half of a length in :19.344. Sergio Becerra rode the Eye Am King filly for owners Miguel Y. Gallegos and Mauricio Gallegos, and trainer Eric Valenzuela.

Over Da Edge was purchased from breeder MJ Farms for $24,500 at the 2022 Ruidoso Select Yearling Sale. The filly is out of Da Edge, a daughter of champion Separatist who won the ’08 Lubbock Stakes (G2) at Zia Park. Her second dam, the First Down Dash mare Deelish, was the sport’s champion 2-year-old filly in 1998.

Over Da Edge has won three of eight races and has banked $63,542. Her record includes a third-place finish, 1 1/4 lengths behind winner Daddysqueenofalice, in last year’s 350-yard, $341,000 Mountain Top Futurity (RG2) at Ruidoso Downs.

The complete list of Shue Fly Stakes qualifiers appears below: