Page 210 - April2022

RACING NEWS
NMHBA Stakes-RG2
WISH BIGG
by John Moorehouse
JJ Gonzales III posted his third graded
stakes triumph of the year on March 12, prepping Wish Bigg for the $100,000 NMHBA Stakes-RG2 at Sunland Park.
“He’s like any other good horse,” Gonzales said. “He’s super professional. His demeanor is very calm and laid back. If you don’t go look at him and make sure he’s there, you’d never know. He’s real quiet.”
Wish Bigg started 2022 under Gonzales with a third in a Shue Fly Stakes trial, then finished fourth in the final.
“In his previous races, the first two times we ran him, he didn’t break very hard. He gave us a big run at the end,” Gonzales said.
After the Shue Fly, the gelding ran in a maiden where he won by daylight.
“I ran him in the maiden race for two reasons: to get
Sunburst Stakes-RG3
DADDYS MONY
enough money to run in the stakes race and sharpen him up away from the gates for the stakes race if we did get in,” Gonzales said.
Wish Bigg made another strong break in the NMHBA stakes, getting out of the gates promptly in second. Then the gelding made his big move, seizing the lead to win by 1 1/4-lengths.
“He usually gives a big, big, powerful run at the end of the race so when he was that close, I
good, so I think we’re going to go to Farmington to run the 3-year-old stakes races. Then we’re going to go to the Zia Derby, New Mexico State Fair Derby and New Mexico Classic Derby.”
Trained by Edgar Moreno, JC New Dawn (Woodbridge-Fly Stolis Chick) was second under Albert Moreno for owners Telma Meraz & Federico Gonzalez. Jesses Dinero (First Moonflash-Chicks Chamisa) placed third under Sergio Dominguez for owner LOS, LLC and trainer Eric Valenzuela.
Classy Moon (First Moonflash-Shez Classy Now), Wente (Big Daddy Cartel-Astica), River Flash (Chicks Regard-Riverside Flash), Holland Rock (Rock Solid Jess-Holland Fire), Illegal Review (Big Daddy Cartel-Famous Poet), Liarliarlegsonfire (Ice On Fire V-Fishers Fib) and Cowboy Zulu (Zulu Dragon-First Cowgirl Flash) completed the order of finish.
was pretty confident midway through the race we’d be able to run him down and he did. He gave us the big run he usually does,” Gonzales III said.
Jockey Mario Delgado completed the 400-yard trip in :19.589 for a 96 speed index.
MJ Farms bred Wish Bigg out of stakes placed Wish You Had One To.
Gonzales has an ambitious schedule planned for Wish Bigg. “He came back really
Sunland Park
$100,000 • 400 yards :19.589 • si 96
Corona Cartel
Big Daddy Cartel
Miss Racy Eyes
WISH BIGG, ‘19-g.
Stel Corona
Wish You Had One To
Devons Wish
by Michael Cusortelli
Asharp break from the 9-post helped Daddys Mony score a wire-to-wire victory in the 350- yard Sunburst Stakes-RG3 for New Mexico-bred sophomore fillies at Sunland Park on March 5.
Trained by Eric Valenzuela for owners Julie A. Schoenhofer and Maricela Vasquez and sent to post as the 4-1 second choice, Daddys Mony defeated 2-1 favorite Daddies Wish by a neck in :17.295. Luis Flores-Garcia rode the sorrel daughter of the Corona Cartel stallion Big Daddy Cartel.
Daddys Mony posted a lifetime-best 103 speed index while earning her first career stakes win and the $60,000 winner’s share of a $100,000 purse. The filly was bred
by Mac and Janis Murray’s MJ Farms at Veguita,
New Mexico, and she was purchased as a yearling by her owners for $34,500 at the 2020 Ruidoso New Mexico- Bred Sale.
Raced exclusively in New Mexico, Daddys Mony has won three of 10 starts and has earned $131,354, of which $79,227 has been banked this season. The filly’s resume in 2021 includes second-place finishes in the $50,000 Mountain Top Juvenile and $30,000 New Mexico Classic Juvenile, as well as a third in the $311,809 Zia Futurity-RG1.
Daddys Mony is out of Jenna James, an unplaced 12-year-old daughter of the Mr Jess Perry stallion Jesse James Jr. Daddys Mony is a full sister
to 2019 New Mexican Spring Futurity-RG2 winner Honky Tonk Daddy and Jenna Cartel, a Big Daddy Cartel mare who ran third in the
’19 Jack Robinson Handicap at the Alameda County Fair in Pleasanton, California. Daddys Mony’s second dam, winner Wild Vines produced Wild Six, a 1/2-sister to Jenna James who won the 2007
Rainbow-G1 and West Texas-G1 futurities and was a finalist in that season’s All American Futurity-G1.
Daddies Wish (Big Daddy Cartel-Wish You Had One To) was second for the winning owners Julie Schoenhofer and Maricela Vasquez. Jose Enrique Ortiz rode for trainer Eric Valenzuela. Jess Take Babe (Jess A Chicks-Take Off Babe) finished third for her owner Bob McClure. Noe Garcia Jr. rode the Fred Danley trainee.
Rock Solid Pebbles (Rock Solid Jess-Sweet Deeds), Run Time (Big Daddy Cartel-First Prize Amanda), Regal Isabella (Reagal Eagle- Catch This Scooter), Renika (Big Daddy Cartel-Woodys Allstar), EBW Shesthatgirl (Jess A Chicks-Shesabancheewoman), Antinori (Big Daddy Cartel-Miss Totts), and Long Pour (Big Daddy Cartel-White Wine Glass) completed the order of finish.
Sunland Park
$100,000 • 350 yards :17.295 • si 103
Corona Cartel
Big Daddy Cartel
Miss Racy Eyes
DADDYS MONY, ‘19-f. Jesse James Jr
Jenna James
Wild Vines
208 SPEEDHORSE April 2022
Coady Photography Coady Photography