Kj Bad Moon Rising, under jockey Adrian Ramos, won the $1,160,420 New Mexico State Fair Quarter Horse Futurity(RG2) bat The Downs in Albuquerque Sunday.

© Coady Media

ALBUQUERQUE, NM–OCTOBER 13, 2024–Post-time favorite Kj Bad Moon Rising got up at the wire from the outside post on Sunday to win the $1,160,420 New Mexico State Fair Quarter Horse Futurity(RG2) by a head at The Downs in Albuquerque.

With a late surge under regular rider Adrian Ramos, Kj Bad Moon Rising made it a State Fair Trifecta for trainer Wesley Giles, who also saddled the $442,075 New Mexico State Fair QH Derby(RG3) and the $100,000 New Mexico State Fair QH Juvenile winners (see related stories) in the previous two races on Sunday's card at The Downs.

Kj Bad Moon Rising completed the 400 yards in 19.399 seconds, equaling a 95-speed index into a 5 mph headwind, to take home the winner's purse valued at $580,210.  The son of leading first-crop sire Kj Mucho Macho Man is now the #2 leading money-earning Quarter Horse in the nation for 2024 with a total of $1,087,703.

Winning owner John and Kathy Lee with jockey Adrian Ramos accept the New Mexico State Fair Futurity stakes trophy on Sunday. © Coady Media

Giles conditions the bay gelding for owner-breeders John and Kathy Lee.  Bred from the First Moonflash mare, Kj Kiss Me Goodbye, Kj Bad Moon Rising has won four of seven career starts. He was second in the Grade 1 All American Futurity on Labor Day and third in the restricted Grade 1 Zia Futurity last July.

John and Kathy Lee are also co-owners and breeders of KJ Desparado, the all-time leading money-earning Quarter Horse. The son of leading sire Apollitical Jess has won 16 of 26 career starts to 4, 2024, $3,178,099, including the 2021 Grade 1 All American Futurity.

Winning jockey Adrian Ramos and trainer Wesley Giles with New Mexico State Fair Futurity winner Kj Bad Moon Rising. © Coady Media

Runner-up Jlb Eye The Tiger is a lightly raced son of multiple stakes sire Eye Am King, racing for owner Rene Salgado, trained by James J. Gonzales, III. Christian Gardenas has the riding call on the gray gelding out of Gw Tiny Tiger by Royal Shake Em. Also a finalist in the New Mexico Breeders Futurity(RG3) earlier this year, he has earned $246,599 in only five starts. Annette A Benavidez bred the $7,500 Ruidoso New Mexico Bred Yearling Sale graduate.

Making only her fourth career start, third-place finisher Layer Cake was a neck off the leaders to earn $139,251 for owners Triple R Racing Stables LLC, Denis and Julie Schoenhofer. Also from the Gonzales barn, the Eye Am King filly was bred by MJ Farms from the Dash Ta Fame mare Tangled Vines. The $135,000 Ruidoso Select Yearling Sale graduate has won two of five starts and banked $153,051.

Completing the field with amount earned are Bone Shaker ($69,625), Bv Bridgette Cartel ($46,417), Big Allstar ($34,813), Harken ($23,208), Easily Bella Csj ($11,604), Benton Lane ($11,604), and Jm Famous Wynn ($11,604).

Live racing at Albuquerque returns Wednesday with a nine-race card. The first post is at 6:05 p.m. (MDT).