Lovely Josie James surged late to earn her first stakes victory Saturday in the $80,000 Sunburst Stakes (G3) at Sunland Park.

© Coady Media

By Emily Paulk, StallioneSearch

SUNLAND PARK, NM–FEBRUARY 28, 2026– Lovely Josie James surged late to earn her first stakes victory Saturday in the $80,000 Sunburst Stakes (G3) at Sunland Park, covering 350 yards in :17.217 seconds over a fast track, posting a 95 speed index.

Ridden by Jose Ortiz, the gray filly broke cleanly in third, tracked the early leaders, and responded in the final strides to get up by a head at the wire.

The winning connections of Lovely Josie James accept the $80,000 Sunburst Stakes (G3) trophy at Sunland Park on Saturday. © Coady Media

Owned by Tungsten Racing Partnership and trained by Ramon Mendoza, Lovely Josie James is a 3-year-old daughter of Suspicious Interest out of the winning Mr Jess Perry mare Lovely Lily Rose. She was bred in New Mexico by La Feliz Montana Ranch LLC and sold for $100,000 at the Ruidoso New Mexico Bred Yearling Sale.

The $48,000 winner’s share of the purse boosted her career earnings to $162,467. She now owns a record of 7-3-2-1.

Czar Catrina finished a game second, just a head behind the winner while also earning a 95 speed index. Ridden by Noe Garcia, Jr., the filly pressed the pace and made a late bid but was outfinished in the final jump.

Owned by Ezra Elton Lee and trained by Wesley Giles, Czar Catrina remains in search of her first stakes victory. A $10,000 Ruidoso New Mexico Bred Yearling Sale graduate, she is by Czar Cartel MV, a full brother to PYC Paint Your Wagon, and out of the A Royal Jess mare Royal Catrina. Bred by MRB Racing LLC, she now holds a record of 10-2-4-0 with earnings of $98,030. Earlier this month she was a finalist in the Shue Fly Stakes (G2) and was also a finalist in last year’s New Mexico State Fair Futurity (G2).

Third-place finisher Ivorys Patriot showed early speed before being caught late, stopping the clock in :17.270 for a  94 speed index.

The daughter of Grade 1 winner Jet Black Patriot is out of the Ivory James mare Special Dark Ivory, a winner and stakes finalist in the Kansas Jackpot Futurity. Ivorys Patriot was bred by Mike Abraham/Grant Farms and sold for $17,000 at the Ruidoso New Mexico Bred Yearling Sale.

Owned by Orona Racing LLC, trained by Jorge Morales-Flores and ridden by Jesse Levario, the filly now owns a record of 9-2-3-2 with earnings of $89,593.

Happyour was fourth and was followed by BV China Dawl, McKinlay, Peachezz, Renegade Reba, Bambi Cartel, and Jess Fire Up Doc. 

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