Page 52 - NMHBA Spring 2020

SUNLAND PARK
by Michael Cusortelli
Jess Burner Memorial Handicap (RG1)
Jesse James Jr
Mr Jess Perry
Loose Lips
Dyna Mo Rime
Major Rime
Dynamic Ego
MAJOR BITES
Israel Bordier’s Major Bites opened his 7-year- old season with a nose victory in the $100,000 Jess Burner Memorial Handicap (RG1) for New Mexico-breds at Sunland Park.
Ridden by Jose Alvarez, Major Bites covered 400 yards in :19.659. Gerardo Ochoa-Pena prepped the bay Jesse James Jr gelding.
Major Bites was shortening in distance
off of his seventh-place finish, 3 1/4 lengths behind winner Rime Chimes, in the 440-yard, $175,000 Namehimastreaker New Mexico Cup Championship (RG1) at Zia Park on October 27. The gelding was bred by Carlos Paez. His sire, the Grade 1-placed Mr Jess Perry stallion Jesse James Jr, earned $167,275 from 21 races, and his five wins included a victory in the 2005 First Down Dash Handicap at Los Alamitos.
A full brother to Grade 1 winner Jesstified, Jesse James Jr has sired the earners of more than $18.5 million from nine crops, including 2015 AQHA champion 3-year-old filly Astica, and multiple graded stakes winners Osbaldo, Princess Jesse, Cinco Menudos, and Play Misty Foreme.
Major Bites is out of winner Dyna Mo Rime. He traces back to his third dam, Western Hand (TB), a daughter of the Bold Ruler (TB) stallion Master Hand (TB) who won the 1979 Riley
Allison Futurity for 2-year-old Thoroughbreds at Sunland Park.
Major Bites traces back to his fifth dam, Penny Two, an unraced Best Turn mare and a half-sister to multiple Grade 3 winner Highland Penny.
Raced exclusively in New Mexico, Major Bites has won 11 of 34 races, and the $60,000 winner’s share of the purse from his eighth career stakes score pushed his bankroll to $828,398. His graded stakes wins include the 2018 Zia Park Championship (G1), and the 2017 and
‘18 Namehimastreaker New Mexico Cup Championship (RG1), both at Zia Park.
Major Bites was sent to post at odds of 8-1 and returned a $19.60 win mutuel. Freedom Flash finished second at odds of 7-1 to complete a $2 exacta payoff of $162.
Rime Chimes, the 8-5 favorite in the full field of 10, ran third, a nose behind Freedom Flash. Jess A Satin Flash, Marcus Medallion, CD Flash And Fame, Faster Version, Magnifico Dragon, Frost Dalena, and CD Mamas Boy completed the order of finish.
Freedom Flash is a homebred bay 4-year-old First Moonflash gelding owned by Pierre and Leslie Amestoy of Albuquerque, New Mexico, and Roger K. Beasley. Freedom Flash has won
three of 11 starts, including last year’s 400-yard New Mexico Cup Derby (RG2) at Zia Park, and the $20,000 runner-up share of the Jess Burner Memorial Handicap purse increased his earnings to $175,957.
Rime Chimes was coming off of an upset
1 1/4-length victory in the October 27, 440-
yard Namehimastreaker New Mexico Cup Championship (RG1) at Zia Park. A 5-year-old son of the Real Runaway stallion Sign To Be A Runaway owned by Carlos F. Paez, Rime Chimes has won four of 11 starts, and the $10,000 third- place share of the Jess Burner purse boosted his bankroll to $182,079.
50 New Mexico Horse Breeder