Strong field lined up for 23rd running of $80,000 Pepsi Cola Handicap

SUNLAND PARK — Flashtoglory has been installed as the 3-to-1 morning line choice in Saturday’s 23rd edition of the $80,000 Pepsi Cola Stakes, a Grade 2 event restricted to New Mexico-bred older quarter horses racing 400 yards.

Owned, trained and bred by David Meridyth, the 6-year-old First Moonflash mare had her 2-race win streak snapped when finishing second last time out as the post time favorite in the Lou Wooten and Sydney Valentini Stakes here on Jan. 17. An eight-time winner from 27 starts with earnings topping $569,000, Flashtoglory scored back-to-back stakes wins at Zia Park to close out her 2025 campaign in the New Mexico Classic Distaff as well as the New Mexico Classic Filly & Mare Stakes.

Flashtoglory will be piloted by her regular rider Christian Ramos and the pair will break from post two in the 10-horse field. The Pepsi Cola Stakes will be run as the eighth race of nine-race program on Saturday.

Last year’s winner of the Pepsi Cola Stakes Bad King will be looking to defend his title when he loads into the starting gate under jockey Christian Cardenas. Owned by Nove Racing, LLC., Triple R Racing Stables LLC, Antoinette Gonzales and Patricio Venzor, Bad King is trained by James J. Gonzales III and is listed at 12-to-1 on the morning line and will break from post eight in the Pepsi Cola Stakes.

Bad King, bred in New Mexico by MJ Farms, was off the board in the New Mexico Classic Championship Stakes at Zia Park last time out. Prior to that, the son of Eye Am King won the First Moonflash Maturity at Albuquerque Downs last summer. He has five wins from 17 starts with earnings of more than $383,000.

Bad King was a $65,000 purchase from the 2022 Ruidoso New Mexico Bred QH Yearling Sale.

Pick Your Pour, the second choice on the morning line for the Pepsi-Cola Stakes, is coming off a fourth-place finish in the Red or Green Stakes here last time out. Also bred by MJ Farms and purchased for $25,000 at the 2021 Ruidoso Select Yearling Sale, Pick Your Pour is owned by Orlando Granillo, Asucena Mendoza and Rene Mendoza, Pick Your Pour will be piloted by Jacob Enriquez. The team will break from the nine slot in the contest.

The field for the $80,000 Pepsi Cola Stakes, with morning line odds and riders:
1- THE CALLING (12-1) Jorge Nieto-Saenz
2- FLASHTOGLORY (3-1) Christian Ramos
3- BIG DADDY FARR (12-1) Jose Enriquez
4- DA EDGE OF GRAY (8-1) Joseph Belloc, Jr.
5- JESSES WISH (8-1) James Flores
6- JM FAMOUSBERRY (10-1) Noe Garcia, Jr.
7- BIG CRUSH BB (8-1) Adrian Ramos
8- BAD KING (12-1) Christian Cardenas
9- PICK YOUR POUR (4-1) Jacob Enriquez
10- PAVEL (10-1) Luis Martinez
11 AE-ALAMOS (5-1) Christian Ramos