Preview Racing


Jessies First Down Heads Sunday's $350,000 Championship at Sunland Park
Jesses First Down will be hoping to repeat as the AQHA Racing World Champion if he can win his second straight Championship at Sunland Park on Sunday.

© Coady Photography
Jessies First Down Heads Sunday's $350,000 Championship at Sunland Park

SUNLAND PARK, NM—DECEMBER 26, 2017—The 17th running of the Championship at Sunland Park anchors the mega New Year’s Eve weekend as Sunday’s 11th race going 440 yards.

Jessies First Down has been virtually unstoppable all year and is a chief threat to repeat as the 2017 World Champion running Quarter Horse.

The roaring son of FDD Dynasty has reeled off three straight wins in the $150,000 Zia Park Quarter Horse Championship(G1), the $250,000 Downs at Albuquerque Fall Championship and the $200,000 All American Gold Cup(G1) where he defeated Zoomin Effortlessly.

His only defeat this year was a photo finish loss to Zoomin Effortlessly in the Remington Park Invitational Championship(G1) last June. He has won 5 of 6 races in 2017. His immaculate career record stands at 15 wins, 11 seconds and 1 third from 33 starts with earnings topping $1 million.

Jessies First Down beat Zoomin Effortlessly by a thrilling nose in last year’s Championship at Sunland Park. He is the pride of owner Ted Abrams and could go down in history as one of the all-time great Quarter Horses. Rodrigo Vallejo is his regular pilot for trainer Jimmy Padgett, II.

Sunday’s 10th race is the $200,000 Sunland Park Winter Juvenile Championship at 400 yards. The razor-sharp filly Apollitical Brooke leads the group of freshmen coming off a win in the $200,000 Southwest Juvenile Championship at Zia Park.

Trainer Ruben Leyba, Jr. will saddle the daughter of 2017 leading sire of money earners Apollitical Jess for owners Samantha and Lilly Leyba. The filly has compiled an (8) 4-0-1 record this season and banked $132,461.

The 2017 West Texas Futurity winner Suenos Dineros is also in the field. The son of Grade 1 winner Bodacious Dash races for owner Victor Lozano and trainer Jose Luis Muela. Esgar Ramirez will ride the three-time winner of $135,623.

Believe Me Irene, a Valiant Hero filly who just missed in the Southwest Juvenile Championship(G1) in her last start will be ridden by jockey Jose Enriquez. Also trained by Muela and owned by Diamond Racing Stables, Believe Me Irene was a finalist in the $3 million All American Futurity(G1) and has banked $97,800.

Live racing starts at 12:30 p.m. on Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Tuesday.