My Heart Jess Run (#6), under jockey Mario Delgado, defeats Wood Dee Queen (#5) and Flashtoglory (#1) in the 50th running of the $237,763 Shue Fly Stakes(RG2) at Sunland Park Racetrack & Casino Saturday afternoon.

© Coady Photography

SUNLAND PARK, NM—JANUARY 28, 2023— My Heart Jess Runs earned the biggest stakes win of her career Saturday afternoon at Sunland Park Racetrack and Casino, rallying in the final yards to capture the 50th running of the $237,763 Shue Fly, a restricted Grade 2 event for New Mexico-bred 3-year-olds.

Under one of the current meet's leading quarter horse riders Mario Delgado, My Heart Jess Runs was always in contention after a smart getaway from the starting gate, then got going in the final yards to overtake Wood Dee Queen in the shadow of the finish line to win by a neck.

The daughter of multiple stakes sire Jess A Chicks, owned by Boydston Enterprises, Inc. and trained by Sunland Park's leading conditioner James J. Gonzales III, My Heart Jess Runs ran the 400 yards in a final time of 19.37 seconds, earning a 104 Equibase Speed Index.

My Heart Jess Runs was a winner of a trial race held here on January 7, her first victory since breaking her maiden last July at Ruidoso Downs. She has now won three times from seven lifetime starts. The winner's share of the Shue Fly purse pads her career earnings to more than $116,000.

Sent off at odds of 11.90-to-1, My Heart Jess Runs returned $25.80 to win. Wood Dee Queen, ridden by Sergio Becerra, Jr., held on for second. The $2 exacta with the top two finishers returned $192.60. Mike Abraham bred My Heart Jess Runs in New Mexico from the FDD Dynasty mare Shes In My Heart.

The winning connections of My Heart Jess Runs accept the Shue Flly Stakes trophy at Sunland Park.
© Coady Photography

Runner-up Wood Dee Queen, a daughter of last year's leading New Mexico first-crop sire Eye Am King, earned $42,797 for second. Fred Danley sent out the sorrel filly for owners J & SM, Inc., Don Reynolds and Lane Reynolds.

Third in the New Mexico State Fair Futurity(RG2) two races back, Wood Dee Queen was bred by MJ Farms from the Woodbridge mare Miss Woody Dee. She has earned $131,500 in seven starts.

Owned-trained and bred by David Meridyth, Flashtoglory finished half-a-length back to earn $26,154 for third. Alejandro Medina had the riding call aboard the First Moonflash filly out of Jp Glory Be by Feature Mr Jess. Also a finalist in the New Mexico State Fair Futurity(RG2), Flashtoglory has earned $83,513 in 10 career starts.

Wahine, sent off as the second choice in the wagering at odds of 2-to-1, lost all chance at the break when she stumbled at the start before finishing seventh under jockey Jacob Enriquez. Post time favorite Flash Divine was never a factor and finished fifth at odds of 16-10 under jockey Noe Garcia, Jr.

Morning line favorite First Lady On Canvas was scratched earlier in the day.

Mires A La Luna, Flash Divine, Blazin Chamisa, Wahine, Kings Touch (DH) and Cq Feature First (DH) completed the field.

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A nine-race, all-thoroughbred card on Sunday features four stakes races, headlined by the 59th running of the $100,000 Riley Allison Derby.

The first steppingstone race on the road to the $500,000, Grade 3 Sunland Derby on March 26, the Riley Allison Derby features a field of 10 3-year-olds set to race one mile.

Installed as the 5-to-2 morning line favorite is J. Kirk and Judy Robison's How Did He Do That, coming off a fifth-place finish in his most recent start, the Smarty Jones Stakes at Oaklawn Park. Trained by Steve Asmussen, the Kentucky-bred son of Good Magic won the Zia Juvenile Stakes last November at Zia Park and has earnings near $96,000 having won twice from seven career starts.

The Riley Allison Derby will go as the ninth and final race on the card with a post time scheduled for 4 p.m. (MST).

Also on the Sunday card are the $100,000 Jamison Memorial Handicap, as well as the 25th running of the $65,000 Borderplex Stakes and the $75,000 Ft. Bliss Stakes. First post for the Sunday card is 12:25 p.m. (MST).