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Champion KJ Desparado, Jess The Leader Headline $100,000 Refrigerator Championship
All-time leading money earner KJ Desparado is entered in Saturday's 400-yard, $100,000 Refrigerator Championship Stakes (G1) at Lone Star Park.

© Ernesto Salinas, Jr. / StallioneSearch
Champion KJ Desparado, Jess The Leader Headline $100,000 Refrigerator Championship

BY MICHAEL CUSORTELLI

GRAND PRAIRIE, TX–NOVEMBER 15, 2023–Champion KJ Desparado and the streaking Jess The Leader are two of the dozen aged runners entered in Saturday's 400-yard, $100,000 Refrigerator Championship Stakes (G1) at Lone Star Park.

American Quarter Horse racing's champion 3-year-old in 2022, KJ Desparado is the sport's all-time leading money earner at $2,976,599. The homebred 4-year-old son of world champion Apollitical Jess is coming off of a second-place finish, a head behind winner Flash Bak, in the 440-yard, $350,000 Albuquerque Fall Championship (G1) on October 15, but he has won seven of his 10 starts at the classic quarter-mile trip, and his four wins in as many outs at Lone Star Park include last year's 440-yard, $413,000 Texas Classic Derby (G1).

Wes Giles trains KJ Desparado for owners John Lee, Kathy Lee, and Ruben Mares. The Arizona-bred gelding drew post 10 and will be ridden by Adrian Ramos.

Jess The Leader is a homebred 4-year-old son of champion Jess Louisiana Blue trained by John Stinebaugh for owner Pete Scarmardo of Caldwell, Texas. The gelding sports a four-race win streak that includes state-bred stakes victories at Sam Houston Race Park, Retama Park, and Lone Star Park. Jess The Leader is winless in two outs at the 440-yard distance, but he's won four of his eight starts at Lone Star Park.

Jess The Leader drew post 7 and will be ridden by Ali Rivera.

The complete lineup, in post position order including  jockey assignments and morning-line odds:
Lil Pete El Soruyo (Agustin Silva), 30-1
Shakers No Secret (Christian Ramos), 15-1
Jet Black Grace (Victor Urieta Jr.), 10-1
One Fabulous Boy (Ricky Ramirez), 12-1
Tic It To The Dance (Froylan Ramirez), 20-1
Getthere Fast (Bryan Candanosa), 10-1
Jess The Leader (Ali Rivera), 8-1
Uncle Eds Idea (Jose Vega), 30-1
Hesa Party Wagon (Noe Garcia Jr.), 6-1
KJ Desparado (Adrian Ramos), 4-5
AE-A Famous Ribbon (Jose Herbert), 30-1
AE-One Famous Dash (Ricardo Garza-Cruz), 15-1

The Refrigerator Championship, and all Lone Star Park races, can be seen at Q-Racing Video.com.