Page 68 - NMHBA Spring 2022

SUNLAND PARK
Red or Green Stakes (RG2)
Photos by Coady Photography
Jesse James Jr
Mr Jess Perry
Loose Lips
Sandy June Bug
Blushing Bug
Sandys Fame
COLBY JAMES
Rex Wells’ Colby James sprinted to a half- length win in the January 8, $100,000 Red or Green Stakes (RG2) for New Mexico-bred quarter horses at Sunland Park.
Prepped by James Gonzales III and ridden by Ricky Ramirez, Colby James went 400 yards in :19.357 and earned a 102 speed index while aided by a reported 12-mph tail wind. The sorrel 5-year- old son of Jesse James Jr banked $60,000 from his third career stakes victory.
Colby James was bred by Mac and Janis Murray’s MJ Farms at Veguita, New Mexico,
and he was purchased as a yearling by Wells for $15,000 at the 2018 New Mexico-Bred Sale at Ruidoso Downs. The gelding’s sire, Jesse James Jr, was a stakes-winning and Grade 1-placed son of 1994 AQHA champion 2-year-old Mr Jess Perry.
Racing in California and New Mexico from 2003-06, Jesse James Jr earned $167,275 from 21 starts, and his five wins included the 2005 First Down Dash Handicap at Los Alamitos. The stallion has sired the earners of more than $20.7 million from 12 crops, including 2015 champion 3-year-old filly Astica, multiple graded stakes winner and AQHA Supreme Racehorse Major Bites, and multiple graded stakes winners Osbaldo, Princess Jesse and Cinco Menudos.
Jesse James Jr died on August 24, 2017, following a battle with laminitis.
Colby James is out of Sandy June Bug, an unraced homebred daughter of the Bugs Alive In 75 stallion Blushing Bug. A 2001 foal, Sandy June
Bug produced Junior June Bug, a full brother to Colby James who won the 2012 Mountain Top Futurity (R) and 2013 Zia Derby (RG2), both at Ruidoso Downs.
Colby James’ second dam, the winning homebred Dash Ta Fame mare Sandys Fame, ran second in the 1997 Diamond Classic Futurity (RG1) at the Central Wyoming Fair in Casper. The gelding traces back to his third dam, Dashin Sandy, a homebred daughter of the Streakin
Six stallion Streakin Dash who won the 1992 Diamond Classic Futurity (RG2) and was a finalist in that season’s Golden State Futurity (G1) at Los Alamitos.
Colby James was shortening in distance off of his ninth-place finish, three lengths behind eventual AQHA world champion Danjer,
in the November 27, 440-yard Refrigerator Invitational Championship (G1) at Lone Star Park. Campaigned in three states, including Oklahoma and Texas, the gelding has won seven of 19 starts and he has earned $490,168, of which $328,955 was banked from six races during his 2-year-old season.
Colby James’ resume includes victories in the 2019 Mountain Top Futurity (RG2) at Ruidoso Downs and last year’s Jimmy Drake Stakes (RG3) at SunRay Park. He also ran second, a neck behind winner Don Chuy C, in last year’s 440-yard, $100,000 Namehimastreaker New Mexico Cup Championship (RG1) at Zia Park, and the 2019 Zia (RG1) and New Mexican Spring (RG2) futurities.
Perrys Regard ran second and was followed officially by Bigg Dee, Fly On Down, Spiritonthemountain, Cartel Drunk Playboy, No Mires A La Luna, Marcus Medallion, Hatchi Zulu and Your Easy Jess.
Perrys Regard is a 5-year-old son of the Chicks Beduino stallion Chicks Regard racing for Casey T. Lambert. The gray gelding
has won four of 24 starts, and the 20,000 runner-up share of the Red or Green Stakes purse pushed his bankroll to $109,144.
A $30,000 yearling purchase at the
2018 New Mexico-Bred Sale, Bigg Dee
has earned $357,154 from 16 outs for his owner, Rex Wells. The 4-year-old Big Daddy Cartel has won eight races, and his three stakes victories include last year’s 400-yard, $238,000 New Mexico State Fair Derby (R) at Albuquerque Downs.
66 New Mexico Horse Breeder