Multiple Grade 1 winner Empressum will face off with Grade 1 winner Instygator in the $350,000 Championship at Sunland Park (G1) on Sunday, January 2.

© Dustin Orona Photography

SUNLAND PARK, NM—DECEMBER 28, 2021—Grade 1 winners Empressum and Instygator are among the seven aged runners entered in Sunday’s 440-yard, $350,000 Championship at Sunland Park (G1).

The 8-5 morning-line favorite, Empressum is a homebred 4-year-old son of world champion Apollitical Jess trained by Heath Taylor for owners Jeff D. Jones and Steve A. Holt. The Oklahoma-bred gelding is coming off of a sophomore campaign during which he earned $969,755 from 10 races and won the Grade 1 Ruidoso, Rainbow, and Texas Classic derbies.

Empressum drew post 7 and will be ridden by Rodrigo Vallejo.

Instygator will be making his first official start since September 5, when he scored a 1 1/4-length victory in the 440-yard, $929,000 All American Derby (G1) at Ruidoso Downs. The 4-year-old Ivory James gelding races for Barboza Racing Corp. from the barn of Santos Carrizales Jr.

Instygator drew post 4 and will be ridden by Juan Pulido.

Other contenders include Apollitical Papa, a homebred 5-year-old Apollitical Jess gelding trained by Fred Danley for owners Bob and Sissie McClure. Apollitical Papa is coming off of a wire-to-wire, one-length victory in the December 5, 440-yard Zia Park Championship (G1).

Apollitical Papa drew post 3 and will be ridden by Noe Garcia Jr.

The complete lineup, in post position order including jockey assignments and morning-line odds:

1. Relentlessly (Sergio Becerra Jr.) 12-1
2. KJ Frankie B (Adrian Ramos), 8-1
3. Apollitical Papa (Noe Garcia Jr.), 3-1
4. Instygator (Juan Pulido), 5-2
5. A Dangerous Flash (Mario Delgado), 10-1
6. Don Chuy C (Jose Enrique Ortiz), 15-1
7. Empressum (Rodrigo Vallejo), 8-5

All Sunland Park races can be seen at Q-RacingVideo.com.