A dozen state-bred 3-year-old Quarter Horses, headed by morning-line favorite Champagne Room, have been entered in Saturday’s 400-yard, $100,000 New Mexico Horse Breeders’ Association Stakes (RG2) at Sunland Park.
Champagne Room is a graded stakes winning homebred daughter of Big Daddy Cartel trained by Jimmy Padgett for Mac and Janis Murray’s MJ Farms at Veguita, New Mexico. The filly has earned $117,511 from six races, and she is coming off of a neck victory at odds of 24-1 in the 400-yard, $226,000 Shue Fly Stakes (RG3) at Sunland Park on January 25.
Champagne Room drew post 8 and will be ridden by Alonso Rivera. The filly’s opponents include Jess Tequila Talkin, a bay son of Jesse James Jr trained by Jackie Riddle for owner Gary W. Hartstack of Houston, Texas. A finalist in last year’s $434,000 Zia Futurity (RG1) at Ruidoso Downs, Jess Tequila Talkin has won three of eight outs and has banked $83,619, and his resume includes at third-place finish, one length behind Champagne Room, in the Shue Fly.
Jess Tequila Talkin drew post 10 and will be ridden by Tanner Thedford.
The complete lineup, in post position order including jockey assignments and morning-line odds:
Don Chuy C (Adrian Ramos), 10-1
First Neon Moon (Raul Herrera), 8-1
Six Pack Fame (Sergio Becerra Jr.), 6-1
Meleros Dash (Jose D. Ruiz), 12-1
Finnley (Manuel Gutierrez), 15-1
Runner Chick (Juan Carlos Rivas), 12-1
Stominado (Jaime Parga Leos), 10-1
Champagne Room (Alonso Rivera),5-2
Jess Featured Girl (Paul Garcia), 9-2
Jess Tequila Talkin (Tanner Thedford), 5-2
AE-Outta Debt (Felipe Garcia-Luna), 15-1
AE-Streaks Featured TF (Alfredo Sigala), 20-1