SUNLAND PARK, NM—DECEMBER 29, 2019—Under Jockey James Flores 3-year-old Valiant Tiberias rallied from the outside post-position to get a neck win over Danjer in the Grade 1 $350,000 Championship At Sunland Park on Sunday. Hes Limitless was another neck back in a blanket finish to take third.

Stakes winner Apollitical Pence got the lead shortly after the start and was more than a length clear midway down the straightaway. He was quickly joined by Danjer along with longshot Hes Limitless as well as eventual winner Valiant Tiberias.

Saddled by trainer Wesley Giles, Valiant Tiberias completed the 440 yards in a quick :20.907 clocking, equaling a 107 speed index with an 18 mph tailwind. The $157,000 winner's purse boosted the son of multiple stakes sire Valiant Hero's earnings to $395,644.

Racing for owners Sergio Holguin, Cliften Nielsen and Felix Rodriguez, the brown gelding was winless last season at 2. This year he strung together five straight wins in Ruidoso that included the Ruidoso Maiden Stakes (not black type) and the Adeuqan Ruidoso Derby Challenge. Following an off-the-board appearance in the Grade 1 All American Derby, Valiant Tiberias won the Adequan Derby Challenge Championship(G3) at Albuquerque and was second in the Zia Park QH Championship Stakes(G1).

Bred in Oklahoma by Reliance Ranches, LLC, from the Feature Mr Jess mare American Feature, Valant Tiberias has compiled a (12) 6-3-1 record.

The super consistent Danjer, who has only finished off-the-board once in 13 career starts, earned $70,000 for this second-place effort. Champion jockey Cody Jensen rode the multiple stakes winning son of world champion sire FDD Dynasty for trainer-breeder and co-owner Dean Frey .

Downtown Enterprises LLC and Billy G. Smith co-own the 3-year-old gelding, out of Take Off Jess by Shez Jess Toxic, with Frey. Two races back Danjer won the First Down Dash Stakes at Ruidoso Downs He was also second in the Ruidoso QH Derby(G1) and third in the Zia Park QH Championships Stakes(G1) this year. He has compiled a (13) 6-3-3 record and banked $526,711.

Trainer John Stinebaugh saddled graded stakes winner Hes Limitless to his third-place finish for owner Jack Smith Farms. The grade 1 winning son of leading sire Corona Cartel, from the champion mare PJ Chick In Black by Desirio, was bred in Oklahoma by D. Bowen, S. Taylor and J. Smith Farms. Gilbert Ortiz had the riding call aboard the $445,223 earner.

Valiant Tiberias returned $7 to his winning backers as the 5-to-2 second choice on the toteboard. Danjer completed the exacta, which returned $37.20 for each $2 bet. Hes Limitless was just ahead of Apollitical Pence for third place.

Completing the Championship field were Apollitical Pence, Fantastic Feature Jr., Ryansmanonthemoon, Eagle Coast, This Is A Deal Too, Badhabit Jess and Eye N Capo.

For Jensen, the second place finish aboard Danjer marked the final ride of his career. Jensen announced his retirement earlier this month and will walk away from the sport with more than 1600 quarter horse wins, more than 50 Grade 1 wins including two All American Futurities (2005 aboard Teller Cartel and 2006 aboard No Secrets Here) and last year’s Champion of Champions at Los Alamitos aboard Bodacious Eagle.

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Live racing at Sunland Park resumes Tuesday with an all-thoroughbred card that begins at 12:25 p.m. Racing highlights next weekend include Friday’s trials for the Shue Fly Futurity, followed by a pair of stakes races on Saturday, including the Jess Burner Memorial Handicap for New Mexico-bred older quarter horses racing 400 yards for a purse of $100,000 and the $65,000 Bold Ego Handicap, for older filly and mare thoroughbreds racing 5 ½ furlongs.