Jess Move You, under jockey Jose Eriquez, was unchallenged in his 1 ¼ length win in the $25,000 Animas Stakes on Sunday afternoon at SunRay Park.

© Coady Photography

FARMINGTON, NM—APRIL 22, 2018 — The first stakes race of the 2018 SunRay Park season went to Jess Move You ($8.40) in the $25,000 Animas Stakes, the feature race of the Sunday afternoon card. Jess Move You covered the 400-yard race in 19.458 to earn a 97 speed index, winning by daylight over a full field.

This was the first stakes win for Jess Move You; the Apollitical Jess gelding broke his maiden at Zia in October before qualifying for the $187,950 West Texas Derby (G3) at Sunland last month.

Jess Move You was bred in Oklahoma by Debbie Strebig, out of the Royal Shake Em mare Gonna Move You. He is trained by Jesus Carrete and owned by Ricardo Bernal and Reymundo Resendez. The leading Quarter Horse rider from the 2017 SunRay Park meet, Jose Enriquez, was aboard for the Animas.

The Animas Stakes win is the second win in Jess Move You’s eight lifetime starts and he has earned $38,688 to date.

Director of Racing at SunRay Park Lonnie Barber presents the Animas Stakes trophy to the winning connections of Jess Move You. © Coady Photography

The rest of the field was no match for the winner today but leading the charge for second was the longest price in the field, Woodacoodadid and Alejandro Medellin, at nearly 40-1.

Woodacoodadid made up ground in the race to gain second place by a neck over Masons Moon. Lee Gutierrez trains for owner Anthony Chavez. The 3-year-old filly was bred on New Mexico by William and Debra Walker, by Woodbridge and out of Posies First Thought by First Thoughts.

The second-place finish was Woodacoodadid’s first stakes appearance; she has one win in seven starts but has only finished out of the money twice.

Third place finisher Masons Moon is trained by Jorge Morales-Flores and owned by Kenia Pinela Mariono. Alonso Rivera had the call for the filly’s third career stakes start. Masons Moon finished second by a head in the $16,870 South Valley Futurity at Laurel Brown last in June and placed sixth in the $85,000 Sunburst Stakes (RG3) at Sunland in March.

Mike Abraham bred the First Moonflash filly in New Mexico, out of Ms Perry Mason by Mr Jess Perry.

Completing the field were Ramble It On, Dominate This, Brujito Nueve, Nicos Favoritecartel, Moneys a Maker and Lethal Folly. Centers Ivorys Hart stumbled at the break and unseated the rider.