FDD Dreams drew the rail and has been installed as the 4-1 morning line favorite in the Championship at Sunland Park.

© William Zuazo

By Eric Alwan

SUNLAND PARK, NM–JANUARY 29, 2026–A dozen of the nation's top older quarter horses were entered for Saturday's 24th running of the $350,000 Grade 1 Championship at Sunland Park, one of three stakes races to be held on a very busy day of action.

The field, which features last year's top two finishers in the Championship at Sunland Park, as well as the all-time leading money-earner in American Quarter Horse racing history, will reach the starting gate at 3:32 p.m. and will be run as the eighth-race on a nine-race program that also features the 53rd edition of the $186,940 Shue Fly Stakes as well as the 20th running of the Lonnie and Candy Elam Memorial Stakes.

The field for the Championship at Sunland Park is one of the most impressive in the history of the race. Combined, the 12-horse field has won nearly 90 races with earnings approaching $9.5 million.

Shakers No Secret, winner of last year's Championship at Sunland Park for owners Abel Lopez, Ethan Lopez and Manny Dutchover is trying to defend his title for trainer Marc Jungers. The 6-year-old Texas-bred by Five Bar Cartel has won 10 times from 36 starts and has earned more than $775,000. Shakers No Secret enters the Championship at Sunland Park trying to end a seven-race losing streak and will break from post five in the 440-yard dash with Christian Ramos in the irons.

KJ Desparado, who lost by a neck to Shakers No Secret in last year's Championship at Sunland Park, is making his third appearance in the race. With 18 wins from 31 starts, the Wes Giles-trained son of Apollitical Jess is the richest quarter horse in the history of the sport with more than $3.36 million in lifetime earnings. Owned by John Lee, W. Kathy Lee and I. Ruben Mares, KJ Desparado will be ridden by Emilio Tapia and will break from post 10 in the Championship at Sunland Park.

FDD Dreams, recent winner of the Grade 1 Champion of Champions at Los Alamitos Race Course last time out, drew the rail and has been installed as the 4-1 morning line favorite in the Championship at Sunland Park. Owned by La Feliz Montana Ranch, LLC and trained Xavier E. Rodriguez, FDD Dreams is a 10-time winner from 17 career starts with earnings of more than $2.15 million. The son of FDD Dynasty will be ridden by Luis Martinez.

Karmalites, the lone filly in the Championship at Sunland Park, has been installed as the 9-2 second choice on the morning line. The Oklahoma-bred mare by The Marfa Lights is coming off a win in the Texas Classic Oaks at Lone Star Park last time out. Trained by Jorge Luis Sanchez, Jr. for owner Fabian Muniz Porras, Karmalites has earned more than $686,000 while winning eight times from 18 career starts. She will be ridden by Christian Cardenas and will break from post two.

The field, with morning line odds and riders, for the $350,000 Grade 1 Championship at Sunland Park:

1- Fdd Dreams (4-1) Luis Martinez
2- Karmalites (9-2) Christian Cardenas
3- Eagle Aye (12-1) Jose Ortiz
4- Toastin Heros (12-1) Jacob Enriquez
5- Shakers No Secret (10-1) Christian Ramos
6- Boot Scoots (15-1) Oscar Andrade, Jr.
7- Hooked N Gone (6-1) Jesus Ayala
8- Rc Corona King (8-1) Sergio Dominguez
9- Kj Born to Be Wild (6-1) Noe Garcia, Jr.
10- Kj Desparado (12-1) Emilio Tapia
11 AE- Apollitical Boogie J (15-1) Jorge Nieto-Saenz
12 AE- Nori (20-1) Raul Ortega

Pour Me A Drinkk, looking to extend his win streak to four straight races, has been installed as the 3-1 morning line favorite for Saturday's 53rd running of the $186,490 Shue Fly Stakes, a Grade 2 event restricted to New Mexico-bred 3-year-olds.

Owned by Fred I. Danley and Bob McClure, the son of Prospect to the Top is coming off a win in a trial for the Shue Fly earlier this month. Prior to that, Pour Me A Drinkk earned the first stakes win of his career when he won the New Mexico Classic Futurity at Zia Park on Nov. 23. Bred and trained by Danley, Pour Me A Drinkk has won four times from seven lifetime starts and has earned more than $191,000.

Pour Me A Drinkk will be ridden by his regular pilot James Flores. The pair will break from post four in the Shue Fly, which will be run at a distance of 400 yards and will go as the final race on the Saturday program with a post time of 4 p.m.

Sure Hit, who comes into the Shue Fly as the fastest qualifier when he won his trial heat in a time of 19.653 seconds, enters the race as the 4-1 second choice. The son of Jet Black Patriot is trained by Clinton Crawford for owners Chris Lykins, Conda Maze and Downtime Enterprises, LLC. Sure Hit has won four times from eight starts and will be in search of his first career stakles win when he loads into post eight under jockey Jacob Enriquez.

The field, with morning line odds and riders for the Shue Fly Stakes:

1- Daddys Bullet (12-1) Jesse Levario
2- Jess a Moon Girl (12-1) Jorge Nieto-Saenz
3- Bv China Dawl (8-1) Jordy Muniz
4- Pour Me a Drinkk (3-1) James Flores
5- Chamacuz (10-1) Gabriel Medrano
6- The Ghan (8-1) Jesus Ayala
7- McKinlay (10-1) Emilio Tapia
8- Sure Hit (4-1) Jacob Enriquez
9- Czar Catrina (8-1) Noe Garcia, Jr.
10- Jet Black Eagles (5-1) Christian Ramos
11 AE- Jamacan Me Famous (15-1) Oscar Andrade, Jr.

The first of the three stakes races on the Saturday program is the 20th running of the $60,000 Lonnie and Candy Elam Memorial Stakes, for New Mexico-bred older horses running a distance of 870 yards.

Wes Giles-trained Mucho Zmoke, in search of his fourth straight win, has been installed as the 3-to-1 morning line favorite with Francisco Amparan in the irons. The 4-year-old son of KJ Mucho Macho Man is unbeaten in three straight races since being stretched out to 870 yards. His most recent win was against allowance company over this course earlier this month.

Owned by Curtis Crenwelge, Jim Laird and Jose R. Espinosa, Mucho Zmoke will break from post eight in the Lonnie and Candy Elam Memorial Stakes, which will be run as the seventh race on the card with a scheduled post time of 3:04 p.m.

El Vital, a seven-time winner from 32 starts with earnings of more than $302,000, is the 4-1 second choice on the morning line. Owned and trained by Hermenegildo G. Aldavaz, El Vital has won five times from 16 starts at the distance. He will break from post six and will be ridden once again by Oscar Andrade, Jr.

Jess A Outlaw, trained by Larry Chavez, won the Lonnie and Candy Elam Memorial Stakes last year and will be looking for his sixth career victory when he loads into the starting gate under Alfredo Sigala. The son of Jess a Chicks has earned more than $154,000 and has three career wins over the Sunland Park course. First post time is 12:25 p.m.

The field, with morning line odds and riders for the $60,000 Lonnie and Candy Elam Memorial Stakes:

1- Big Moon Dawg (12-1) Jose Vazquez
2- Stinky Feet (8-1) Omar Iturralde
3- Daddys Tea (12-1) Daniel Torres
4- Why Buy the Cow (10-1) Kelci Purcell
5- Jess a Outlaw (8-1) Alfredo Sigala
6- El Vital (4-1) Oscar Andrade, Jr.
7- Little Moon Dawg (5-1) Christian Ramos
8- Mucho Zmoke (3-1) Francisco Amparan
9 AE- Mendel (8-1) Eugenio Navarrete, Jr.
10 AE- Kobe D Man (10-1) Oscar Andrade, Jr.

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