Da Edge Of Gray (#5), under Joseph Belloc, Jr., won the $50,000 Jess Burners Stakes at Ruidoso Downs on Sunday.

© Coady Media

By H. David Smith, StallioneSearch

RUIDOSO DOWNS, NM–JUNE 1, 2025–In a thrilling blanket finish, Da Edge Of Gray captured the $50,000 Jess Burner Stakes on Sunday at Ruidoso Downs, holding off a fast-closing field to win by a neck in the 400-yard dash for New Mexico-breds aged four and up.

Racing over a fast track, the 4-year-old gray gelding surged late under jockey Joseph Belloc Jr. to narrowly edge out Jesses Wish, with Just En King another neck back in third. The final time was a sharp 19.616 seconds, a 92 speed indes over the fast racing surface.

Da Edge Of Gray, a son of multiple stakes sire Big Daddy Cartel out of the Separatist mare Da Edge, was bred by MJ Farms (NM). He races for owner Rex Wells and is trained by Jose Gonzales III.

The winning connections of Da Edge Of Gray accept the Jess Burner Stakes trophy on at Ruidoso Downs Sunday afternoon. © Coady Media

The gelding was a $59,000 purchase at the 2022 Ruidoso New Mexico-Bred Yearling Sale. Sunday's victory added $30,000 to increase his career earnings to $123,802. Today was his third consecutive win this season.

Runner-up Jesses Wish, a 5-year-old bay gelding by Jesse James Jr out of Wish You Had One To, by Stel Corona, also hails from MJ Farms breeding program. He is campaigned by owners Javier M. Chavez and Heysol Howlet, trained by Jose DeHerrera, and was ridden by Jorge Nieto-Saenz.

Jesses Wish was a $50,000 graduate of the 2021 Ruidoso New Mexico Bred Sale and earned $10,000 for the second-place finish. A multiple graded stakes winner, he has earned $305,007 in 22 career starts.

Finishing third was multiple graded stakes winner Just En King, a 5-year-old sorrel gelding by leading New Mexico sire Eye Am King out of U R a Fury Lady, by Furyofthewind.

Ronald N. Ulibarri bred and owned Just En King, trained by Omar Vargas and piloted by Christian Ramos. He collected $5,000 for his third-place effort, increasing his earnings to $432,873.

Big Posies Cartel, Dash Flash, Rc Corona King and Bad King completed the field. Ez On My Mind was a steward's scratch.

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