Six official stakes restricted to registered state-bred Quarter Horses — led by the 350-yard, $298,910 New Mexico Classics Futurity (RG2) for 2-year-olds — will be contested as part of New Mexico Classics weekend at Zia Park.
Following is a preview of all six stakes, listed in the order they will be run.
NEW MEXICO CLASSIC 870 CHAMPIONSHIP (RG3)
Purse, $150,000 — 870 yards
3-year-olds & older
Bob McClure’s Classy Moon drew post 7 for Sunday’s 870-yard, $150,000 New Mexico Classic 870 Championship (RG3).
A homebred 4-year-old son of champion First Moonflash trained by Fred Danley, Classy Moon was successful in his first start at the 870-yard distance, as the bay gelding scored a 1 3/4-length win in a $77,000 open-condition allowance race for state-breds on November 3. Classy Moon has won seven of 20 outs and has earned $279,744, and his four wins in six races at Zia Park include last year’s 400-yard, $216,000 New Mexico Classic Derby (RG2) for state-bred 3-year-olds.
Classy Moon will be ridden by Ricky Ramirez. Other contenders inlcude Sonny Surfer, a 5-year-old son of Corona Surfer owned by Maria G. Ortiz. Trained by Filiberto Quiroz, the brown gelding brings in a two-race win streak that includes a neck victory at odds of 25-1 in the July 23, $50,000 Zia 870 Championship (R) at Ruidoso Downs.
Sonny Surfer drew post 3 and will be ridden by Jose Enrique Ortiz.
The complete lineup, in post position order including jockey assignments and morning-line odds:
El Vital (Francisco Giles), 8-1
Freedom Flash (Alfredo Sigala), 5-2
Sonny Surfer (Jose Enrique Ortiz), 9-2
Dan The Flashman (Christian Ramos), 12-1
Big Moon Dawg (Jose Luis Enriquez), 20-1
First Apollo Moon (Gerardo Vera), 8-1
Classy Moon (Ricky Ramirez), 3-2
Miss Tizy (Noe Garcia Jr.), 15-1
AE-Next Star (Gerardo Vera), 30-1
NEW MEXICO CLASSIC JUVENILE STAKES (R)
Purse, $50,000 — 350 yards
2-year-olds
Over Da Edge is one of nine state-bred juveniles entered in Sunday’s 350-yard, $50,000 New Mexico Classics Juvenile Stakes (R).
Trained by Eric Valenzuela for owners Miguel Y. Gallegos and Mauricio Gallegos, Over Da Edge was a $24,500 purchase at last year’s Ruidoso Select Yearling Sale. The sorrel Eye Am King filly has earned $52,002 from six outs, and her resume includes a third-place finish, 1 1/4 lengths behind winner Daddysqueenofalice, in the 350-yard, $341,000 Mountain Top Futurity (RG2) at Ruidoso Downs on June 18.
Over Da Edge drew post 2 and will be ridden by Sergio Becerra Jr. Other contenders include Jetting Thru Clouds, a homebred graded stakes winning Jet Black Patriot filly owned and trained by Joel Gutierrez. Jetting Thru Clouds has banked $123,934 from seven starts, and her two wins include a half-length victory in the May 20, $254,000 New Mexico Breeders’ Futurity (RG3) at SunRay Park.
Jetting Thru Clouds drew post 9 and will be ridden by Brian Barraza.
The complete lineup, in post position order including jockey assignments and morning-line odds:
Merlene (Emilio Tapia), 20-1
Over Da Edge (Sergio Becerra Jr.), 5-2
JM Special Ryon (Manuel Gutierrez), 7-2
M Eye Six (Ricky Ramirez), 8-1
Royal Post Jorge Nieto-Saenz, 8-1
Whiskey Whiskey (Jose Luis Enriquez), 10-1
Jess Have One More (Luis Martinez), 3-1
Ima Rare Patriot (Luis A. Flores-Garcia), 15-1
Jetting Thru Clouds (Brian C. Barraza), 10-1
NEW MEXICO FILLIES & MARES CHAMPIONSHIP (RG1)
Purse, $200,000 — 400 yards
Fillies & mares, 3-year-olds & older
Jose Meraz’s Warm Red Wine will put her three-race win streak on the line in Sunday’s 400-yard, $200,000 New Mexico Fillies & Mares Championship (RG1) for state-bred distaffers.
Warm Red Wine will be stretching out in distance off of her wire-to-wire, three-quarter length victory in the October 28, 350-yard Champagne Lane Stakes (R) at Albuquerque Downs. The 4-year-old Big Daddy Cartel is trained by Juan Meraz.
Warm Red Wine drew post 9 and will be ridden by Daniel Amaya.
The complete lineup, in post position order including jockey assignments and morning-line odds:
BF Jessrageous (Porfirio Cano), 12-1
EBW Dancnthemoonlite (Emilio Tapia), 4-1
Maka Roon (Alonso Rivera), 8-1
Brookes Legacy (Jacob Enriquez), 6-1
Milagro Lady (Manuel Gutierrez), 15-1
Woodys Storm (Luis Martinez), 6-1
KJ Daddys Money (Adrian Ramos), 8-1
Cat Got A Diamond (Elliot Bachicha Jr.), 30-1
Warm Red Wine (Daniel Amaya), 5-2
My Heart Jess Runs (Francisco Calderon), 8-1
AE-Tickle The Nickel (Noe Garcia Jr.), 10-1
AE-Get Down Dragon (Jose Luis Enriquez), 20-1
NAMEHIMASTREAKER NEW MEXICO CLASSIC CHAMPIONSHIP (RG1)
Purse, $200,000 — 440 yards
3-year-olds & older
Defending champion No Mires A La Luna drew the rail post for Sunday’s 440-yard, $200,000 Namehimastreaker New Mexico Classic Championship (RG1).
A homebred 7-year-old son of champion First Moonflash racing for Byron Woodard, No Mires A La Luna is coming off of a neck victory in the 440-yard, $100,000 First Moonflash Maturity (RG2) at Albuquerque Downs on October 8. The gelding has won four of 12 races at the classic 440-yard distance, including last year’s $125,000 Namehimastreaker New Mexico Classic Championship (RG1).
Namehimastreaker will be ridden by Noe Garcia Jr. for trainer Fred Danley.
The 6-5 morning-line favorite, Javier M. Chavez’s Big Crush BB drew post 6 and will be ridden by Emilio Tapia for trainer Jose DeHerrera. A 4-year-old Big Daddy Cartel stallion, Big Crush BB earlier this season put together a four-race win streak that included a three-quarter length victory in a division of the 400-yard, $100,000 Jimmy Drake Stakes RG3) at SunRay Park, and a one-length win in the 400-yard, $50,000 Zia Stakes (RG2) at Ruidoso Downs.
The complete lineup, in post position order including jockey assignments and morning-line odds:
No Mires A La Luna (Noe Garcia Jr.), 4-1
Just En King (Alfredo Sigala), 6-1
River Flash (Adrian Ramos), 6-1
Jesses Dinero (Francisco Calderon), 10-1
Papi Grande Cartel (Gabriel Arredondo), 30-1
Big Crush BB (Emilio Tapia), 6-5
HS Paul Walker (Jacob Enriquez), 12-1
Sampson Says (Alonso Rivera), 20-1
RC Corona King (Damian Corral), 30-1
Dean Miracles Vike (Christian Ramos), 15-1
AE-Reef Ridge (Ricky Ramirez), 12-1
AE-Mr Perry Moon (Mario Delgado), 30-1
NEW MEXICO CLASSICS DERBY (RG2)
Purse, $228,550 — 400 yards
3-year-olds
Fastest qualifier White Lightenin is one of 10 state-bred sophomores entered back in Sunday’s 400-yard, $228,550 New Mexico Classics Derby (RG2).
A gelded son of Eye Am King trained by James Gonzales II for owners Denis and Julie Schoenhofer, White Lightenin made his first career start at Zia Park with a three-quarter length win in the first of four trials on November 5. White Lightenin has earned $174,033 from 11 races.
White Lightenin drew the rail post and will be ridden by Noe Garcia Jr. Other contenders include the Tungsten Racing Partnership’s Vintage Bourdeaux, a graded stakes winning son of Eye Am King trained by Marco A. Flores. Vintage Bourdeaux has banked $281,183 from nine starts this season, and the sorrel gelding’s five wins include a nose victory in the October 15, $435,000 New Mexico State Fair Derby (RG3) at Albuquerque Downs.
Vintage Bourdeaux drew post 3 and will be ridden by Luis Flores-Garcia.
The complete lineup, in post position order including jockey assignments and morning-line odds:
White Lightenin (Noe Garcia Jr.), 7-2
Dash Flash (Luis Martinez), 20-1
Vintage Bourdeaux (Luis A. Flores Garcia), 5-2
White Knight (Daniel Torres), 5-1
RC Jessa Flashn (Francisco Giles), 20-1
Pick Your Pour (Ricky Ramirez), 4-1
Jenavi (Agustin Silva), 15-1
Flashtoglory (Gerardo Vera), 12-1
Codex (Adrian Ramos), 10-1
Flash Divine (Manuel Gutierrez), 12-1
NEW MEXICO CLASSIC FUTURITY (RG2)
Purse, $298,910 — 350 yards
2-year-olds
Martin Ybarra’s Young Emperor is the morning-line favorite for Sunday’s 350-yard, $298,910 New Mexico Classic Futurity (RG2) for state-bred juveniles.
A son of Eye Am King and a $30,000 yearling purchase at last year’s New Mexico-Bred Sale at Ruidoso Downs, Young Emperor has won three of seven races and has earned $108,956, and his summer record included a third-place finish, a head behind winner Call Me Jessiecartel, in the July 23, $388,000 Zia Futurity (RG1) at Ruidoso Downs.
Young Emperor drew post 6 and will be ridden by Sergio Becerra Jr. for trainer Eric Valenzuela.
The complete lineup, in post position order including jockey assignments and morning-line odds:
Drest For Success (Noe Garcia Jr.), 3-1
Jess Paid (Emilio Tapia), 10-1
Big Posies Cartel (Jacob Enriquez), 15-1
Chicka Boom Babe (Adrian Ramos), 15-1
Miss Baby Cartel (Jorge Nieto-Saenz), 20-1
Young Emperor (Sergio Becerra Jr.), 5-2
Jumpn Runn (Luis Martinez), 8-1
Lil Newt (Gerardo Vera), 20-1
Mr Jess Effort (Luis A. Flores-Garcia), 7-2
KJ Hardtookiss Too (Ricky Ramirez), 10-1
AE-Jet Black Dome (Alan Hernandez), 30-1
AE-Royal Post (Jorge Nieto-Sanez), 15-1