Page 176 - Jan_2020

Jess Burner Memorial Handicap-RG1
MAJOR BITES
by Danny Camp
Major Bites scored his 11th win in the $100,000 Jess Burner Memorial Handicap-RG1 at Sunland Park on Jan. 4.
Under Jose Alvarez, the seven-year-old geld- ing broke with the field. He showed grit and determination as he steadily gained ground to cross the finish line first by a nose.
Racing for Israel Bordier, Major Bites completed the 400 yards in
:19.659, which was good for
an 85 speed index.
The $60,000 winner’s share of the purse boosted his total lifetime earn- ings to $840,998 and he now has a race record of 34-11(8)-8(5)-4(2).
Trained by Gerardo Ochoa-Pena, the gelding has also won the Mesilla Valley Speed Handicap Stakes-G3 in 2019. In addition to
those stakes victories, he has
Charger Bar Handicap-G1
also won the Zia Park Championship-G1, Namehimastreaker New Mexico Cup Championship-RG1, Namehimastreaker
New Mexico Classic Championship-RG1, Mesilla Valley Speed Handicap-RG2, Dona Ana County Stakes and First Moonflash Maturity. Major Bites was named New Mexico Hi-Point Aged Gelding.
Carlos Paez bred Major Bites out of winner Dyna Mo Rime. She has produced three winners from eight starters, including Dyna O Mite, who was third in the 2015 By By JJ Stakes. Major Bites is her only stakes winner and top money earner.
Freedom Flash (First Moonflash-Mi Camila TB) finished a nose behind the winner in second for owners Pierre & Leslie Amestoy and Roger Beasley. James Padgett trains the gelding, who had
Alonso Rivera in the saddle. The gelding was coming off a victory in the New Mexico Classic Derby-G2 at Zia Park.
Rime Chimes (Sign To Be A Runaway- Rime Has A Chick) finished in third under Paul Nieto for owner Carlos Paez and trainer Alvaro Hinojos. The horse was coming off a victory in the Namehimastreaker New Mexico Classic Championship at Zia Park.
Jess A Satin Flash (First Moonflash-
Jess Satin), Marcus Medallion (Jesse James Jr-Houstons Medallion), CD Flash And Fame (First Moonflash-Famous Phoebe), Faster Version (Winners Version-Fast Copy Miss), Magnifico Dragon (Zulu Dragon-Cassies Mag), Frost Dalena (Chicks Regard-Forced To Win) and CD Mamas Boy (First Moonflash-Mama Rosa B) completed the order of finish. Daddys Wine and Siximoons were scratched.
As And Js (Apollitical Jess-Adolph Tres Knockout), the 2-1 favorite, finished second under jockey Jose Nicasio for owner Leonardo Alcala and trainer Monty Arrossa. The 6-year- old mare has won four stakes, including the 2019 Junos Request Stakes-G2. The Parsons Family Limited Partnership’s homebred Thermonuclear Energy (Walk Thru Fire-Terrific Energy), the 2019 Charger Bar Handicap winner, finished third. Eduardo Nicasio rode her for trainer Christopher O’Dell. Followed by Fenian Faith (Apollitical Jess-Three Green Leaves), Madam Of Fire MV (Walk Thru Fire-Solid Connection), Matilda Czech (Fast Prize Cartel-Short Czech), Duck Dash N Go (Coronas Fast Dash-Duck Mea Running), Tough To Figure (Walk Thru Fire-Big Jan), Love To Reason BR (Good Reason SA-Strength In Numbers) and You Caught My Eye (Favorite Cartel-Hawk Kue Pie).
TEQUILA SANGRIA
by Tracy Gantz
The Exacta payoff declined a bit, but bettors who liked Tequila Sangria and As And Js to finish one-two scored in the $100,000 Charger Bar Handicap-G1 on Jan. 5, just as they did
in the Sept. 22 Mildred N. Vessels Memorial Handicap-G1, both at Los Alamitos. The $1 Exacta paid $31 in the Mildred Vessels and $17.60 in the Charger Bar.
Tequila Sangria became the seventh filly to put together wins in both events. Under the guidance of jockey Jesus
Ayala, she broke second from
the outside post, quickly took
the lead, and held off the
closing As And Js to win by
1/2-length in :19.646 for 400
yards, which was good for a
96 speed index. The $50,000
winner’s share of the purse
boosted her total lifetime
earnings to $163,160.
“She was a little nervous in the starting gate, but she had one of the best starts
of her career,” said Ayala. “At the end, she finished the race strongly.”
Michael Casselman trains Tequila Sangria for Dr. Steve Burns, who bred the 4-year-old filly in California. Winner of the 2019 Big Lew Handicap, Tequila Sangria qualified to the 2018 Golden State Million Futurity-G1 and the 2019 Champion of Champions-G1.
“Right now she’ll probably go home, and I’m guessing we’ll get an embryo out of her,”
said Casselman. “She was about due to go home and rest anyway. We’ll then point her to other mare races.”
Burns is one of the indus- try’s leading embryo transfer specialists. He bred Tequila Sangria from stakes-placed Ynot Bar. The mare has produced 11 winners in 18 starters, including Grade 1 winner Ynot Walk and winner Dont Pass Bar, the dam of Champion Quirky.
172 SPEEDHORSE, January 2020
Sunland Park $100,000 • 400 yards :19.659 • si 85
Mr Jess Perry
Jesse James Jr
Loose Lips
MAJOR BITES, ‘13-g.
Major Rime
Dyna Mo Rime
Dynamic Ego
Los Alamitos $100,000 • 400 yards :19.646 • si 96
Favorite Trick TB
Favorite Cartel
Shenoshercorona
TEQUILA SANGRIA, 16-f.
Chicks Beduino
Ynot Bar
Fames Easy
RACING NEWS
Los Alamitos Coady Photography