Maka Roon, ridden by Jacob Enriquez, wins the Champagne Lane Stakes at Albuquerque Downs on Sunday.

© Coady Media

By Leann Noguera, StallioneSearch

ALBUQUERQUE, NM–OCTOBER 26, 2025–After finishing third in last year’s edition, Maka Roon returned to Albuquerque Downs with something to prove, and the 5-year-old gray mare delivered. Rallying strong under Jacob Enriquez, she surged in the final yards to win Sunday’s $50,000 Champagne Lane Stakes by a length, stopping the clock in :17.149 for 350 yards.

The daughter of Eye Am King earned her first stakes win of the season and second career stakes victory for owner Christian Olivas and trainer Julian Honesto. Bred in New Mexico by Dirk Jones, Maka Roon is out of C Roon, by Brookstone Bay.

The winning connections of Maka Roon accept the $50,000 Champagne Lane Stakes trophy at Albuquerque Downs on Sunday. © Coady Media

A $10,000 purchase from the 2023 Heritage Place Winter Mixed Sale, Maka Roon has now compiled a record of 24 starts, six wins, three seconds, and three thirds, with earnings of $208,474.

Maka Roon’s success in the Champagne Lane Stakes marks another consistent year for the mare, who earlier finished second in the Vista Distaff Stakes and was a finalist in the Balloon City Stakes (G2) and the Lou Wooten and Sydney Valentini Stakes (G2). Her previous stakes win came in last year’s New Mexico Classic Distaff Stakes.

Jess Paid, a 4-year-old daughter of Jess a Chicks out of Jesstifiable Debt, by Mr Jess Perry, fought gamely throughout to finish second a length back under Alfredo Sigala. The filly is bred in New Mexico by Mike Abraham, owned by Jose Salinas, and trained by Humberto Tena Jr.

Jess Paid has made 17 career starts, winning three, with three seconds and three thirds, and earnings of $128,529. A multiple graded-stakes finalist, Sunday’s performance gave her the first black-type finish of her career.

Copy Of Jess, another 4-year-old filly, completed the trifecta under Christian Cardenas for trainer James J. Gonzales III and owners Denis and Julie Schoenhofer. The Jesse James Jr daughter, out of Fast Copy Miss by Heza Fast Man, was bred in New Mexico by MJ Farms and sold for $77,000 at the 2022 Ruidoso Yearling Sale.

Copy Of Jess has a record of 4-1-3 from 16 starts with $114,987 in earnings and was previously a finalist in both the Balloon City Stakes (G2) and Vista Distaff Stakes earlier this season.

Rounding out the field were First Flashin, Ebw Dancnthemoonlite, Chicka Boom Babe, Tina Katarina, Jess Daddys Girl, Queenofthanile, and Jess Emotions.

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