Page 185 - December2022

KJ Desparado’s owners John and Kathy Lee and Ruben Mares join trainer Wes Giles and jockey Adrian Ramos in the Texas Classic Derby-G1 winner’s circle.
and Kathy Lee and Ruben Mares, and the win improved his record to 17-12-2-0.
“He’s a once-in-a-lifetime horse,” Adrian Ramos shared with the media following the impressive win. “He was perfect last year as a two-year-old and even stronger this year. I have to admit, I was nervous knowing that so few horses have won the Texas Classic Futurity and then the Derby. But the way he ran was just amazing.”
In addition to his latest stakes victory, KJ Desparado also won the Ruidoso Derby-G1 and was runner-up in the Rainbow Derby-G1. During his juvenile season in 2021, KJ Desparado won the All American Futurity-G1 and the Texas Classic Futurity-G1.
With his win in the Texas Classic Derby, KJ Desparado joined some elite company. Only three other horses have won both the Texas Classic Futurity and the Derby in the last 30 years—Mr Jess Perry (1994-’95), PYC Paint Your Wagon (2005-’06), and Flying Cowboy (2018-’19).
Trained by Wesley Giles, KJ Desparado was bred in Arizona by L&L Land and Cattle and he is out of the lightly raced and placed mare Tres Veses. She has produced six winners from eight starters with earnings of $3,048,804.
Graded stakes-placed Delight Us All (Corona Cartel-Our Genuine Delight) finished second under jockey Jimmy Brooks. The bay gelding races for owner Reliance Ranches and is trained by Cody Noel. Bred in Utah by McColee Land and Livestock, which sold the
horse for $58,000 in the 2020 Ruidoso Select Yearling. Delight Us All placed second in the All American Derby-G1 on Sept. 4.
Hes No Ilusion (The Louisiana Cartel-Jess An Illusion), with jockey Claudio Aguilar in the saddle, rallied late to finish third at odds of 73-1. Owned and bred by Jerry Windham and trained by Lewis Jordan, Hes No Ilusion placed second in the Silver Eagle Stakes on July 1 and the Leon Bard Memorial Stakes on June 4.
San Lorenzo Tay (Ivory James-Shes Dashin First), Lil Longmire (A Revenant- Dee Zired), Rock Solid Stones (Rock Solid Jess-Precious Serendipity), KJ Wildthang (Apollitical Jess-Wild Six), The Big Favorite (Favorite Cartel-Classic Sassy Chic), Shesa Relentless Gal (Hes Relentless-A Snowy Cartel), and Moonin My Memories (Moonin the Eagle-Good Ole Memories) completed the order of finish.
Betty Mares and Co-Owner Ruben Mares with the Texas Classic Derby trophy.
RACING NEWS
SPEEDHORSE December 2022 183
Leslie Simmons, Speedhorse
Dustin Orona Photography