Lovely Josie James morning line favorite in Sunburst Stakes
SUNLAND PARK — Tungsten Racing Partnership’s Lovely Josie James (above) will be seeking her third win in a row Saturday when she loads into the gate for the $80,000 Sunburst Stakes, a Grade 3 event at 350 yards restricted to New Mexico-bred 3-year-old fillies.
Trained by Ramon Mendoza and slated to be ridden by Jose Ortiz, the daughter of Suspicious Interest broke her maiden two starts back last November at Zia Park before returning to win an allowance race over that course two weeks later.
Bred by La Feliz Montana Ranch, Lovely Josie James was a $100,000 purchase at the 2024 Ruidoso New Mexico Bred QH Yearling Sale.
Lovely Josie James has won twice from six career starts and earned more than $114,000. She will break from post eight in the Sunburst Stakes and is the 3-to-1 morning line favorite.
Ivorys Patriot, the 7-to-2 second choice in the Sunburst, hails from the barn of trainer Jorge Morales-Flores and is coming off a dominant score against allowance company in her most recent start Dec. 7 at Zia Park. Prior to that race, she was a close second behind Triple 7 in the New Mexico Classic Juvenile Stakes.
Ivorys Patriot was bred in New Mexico by Mike Abraham/Grant Farms and is owned by Orona Racing, LLC.
Ivorys Patriot has two wins from eight starts with earnings of more than $81,000. The daughter of Jet Black Patriot sold for $17,000 at the Ruidoso New Mexico Bred QH Yearling Sale in 2024.
Ivorys Patriot will break from post two in the Sunburst and will be ridden by Jesse Levario.
Trainer James J Gonzales III will send Happyour to the gate as the third choice on the morning line at odds of 9-to-2. Bred by MJ Farms, Happyour was purchased for $34,500 at the Ruidoso New Mexico Bred QH Yearling 2024 Sale by owners Triple R Racing Stables LLC, Ted Rushing and Wallace Lynn Landrum.
A daughter of Big Daddy Cartel, Happyour broke her maiden three starts back at Zia Park on Nov. 1 before finishing sixth in the New Mexico Classic Futurity (R-G2) and a second place finish behind Ivorys Patriot in her most recent start.
Happyour will be piloted by Joseph Belloc, Jr. from post five in the Sunburst Stakes.
The Sunburst Stakes will be run as the seventh race on the Saturday program, scheduled to reach the gate at 3:04 p.m. The Saturday program also features the $190,212 West Texas Derby which goes as the eighth race on the nine-race card.
The field, with morning line odds and riders, for the Sunburst Stakes:
1 BV CHINA DAWL (8-1) Jordy Muniz
2 IVORYS PATRIOT (7/2) Jesse Levario
3 MCKINLAY (12-1) Sergio Dominguez
4 RENEGADE REBA (10-1) Christian Ramos
5 HAPPYOUR (9/2) Joseph Belloc, Jr.
6 CZAR CATRINA (6-1) Noe Garcia, Jr.
7 BAMBI CARTEL (12-1) Joesan Marquez
8 LOVELY JOSIE JAMES (3-1) Jose Ortiz
9 JESS FIRE UP DOC (8-1) James Flores
10 PEACHEZZ (15-1) Oscar Andrade, Jr.
11 AE-DADDYS PASSION (20-1) Luis Martinez