SUNLAND PARK, NM—JANUARY 25, 2020—At 25-1 odds Champagne Room got up late to defeat post-time favorite Donelli by a neck in the $226,108 restricted Grade 2 Shue Fly Stakes Saturday afternoon at Sunland Park Racetrack & Casino. Both MJ Farms' homebreds are by leading New Mexico sire Big Daddy Cartel.

Owned-and-raced by MJ Farms, Champagne Room bounced off a second-place effort to fastest qualifier Jess Tequila Talkin in the trials to completed the 400 yards in :19.374 seconds, equaling a 92 speed index with a 7 mph tailwind.

James B. Padgett, II conditions the 3-year-old out of the Mr Jess Perry mare Champagne Perry. Alonso Rivera had the riding call. It was the third win in six starts, and first stakes win, for the lightly raced filly. The $106,271 winners' purse boosted her lifetime mark to $108,051.

Wesley Giles saddled runner-up Donelli, a graded stakes winning daughter of Big Daddy Cartel, for owner-breeders MJ Farms. The gray filly entered the Shue Fly off a three-race win-streak that included the New Mexico State Fair QH Futurity(RG3) last September. Ridden by Alan Hernandez Donelli earned $40,699 to boost her lifetime mark to $255,337. She is out of the Tres Seis mare Tres Of Alice.

Jess Tequila Talkin made it a tri-fecta for MJ Farms breds by finishing three-quarters back in third. Gary Harstack owns the Jesses James Jr filly trained by Jackie Riddle. Fourth in the restricted Grade 1 Zia Futurity at Ruidoso Downs last summer, Jess Tequila Talkin has earned $83,619. Tanner Thedford was aboard the bay gelding form the Stel Corona mare Wish You Had One To.

Jess Featured Girl, Six Pack Fame, Doninwhateverittakes, Perrys Regard, Close To Crazy, Take It To The Judge and Lewandosky completed the field.

Live racing resumes tomorrow with another stakes tripleheader, headlined by the 57th edition of the $100,000 Riley Allison Derby and the 23rd running of the $65,000 Borderplex Stakes, both of which serve as stepping stone races on the road to the Sunland Derby and Sunland Oaks respectively. Also featured on the Sunday program is the 18th running of the $100,000 Johnie L. Jamison Handicap for New Mexico-bred older thoroughbreds. First post time for the Sunday program is 12:25 p.m.

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Live racing at Sunland Park takes place on a Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Tuesday basis through Tuesday, April 21, 2020. Post time to start the season is 12:25 p.m. Nine races will be carded on weekdays. Ten races will be presented on Saturdays and Sundays.