Holliday is one of seven horses entered in the $80,000 NMHBA Quarter Horse Stakes at Sunland Park on Saturday

© Coady Media

By Eric Alwan

SUNLAND PARK–APRIL 3, 2026–Earlier in the day, an evenly matched field of seven statebred 3-year-olds will reach the starting gate in Saturday's 33rd edition of the $80,000 New Mexico Horse Breeders Association Quarter Horse Stakes, one of five stakes races on the second to final day of the live season at Sunland Park Racetrack and Casino.

Trainer Wes Giles will saddle CQ Coyame Jessy, the 5-to-2 morning line favorite with Noe Garcia, Jr. slated to ride. The son of Big Daddy Cartel will be making his first start since a third place finish in the New Mexico Classic Futurity last November at Zia Park.

A two-time winner from eight career starts, CQ Coyame Jessy has earned more than $124,000 in his career. Owned by Israel Bordier and bred by Bordier and Carlos Paez, CQ Coyame Jessy was fourth in his only other stakes race, the New Mexico State Fair Futurity last October at Albuquerque Downs. He will break from post two in the NMHBA QH Stakes, which will go as the eighth race on the Saturday program.

Trainer James J. Gonzales III will have as many as three starters in the NMHBA Stakes, including stakes winner Triple 7, listed as the 7-to-2 third choice on the morning line.

Owned by Nove Racing, LLC. and bred in New Mexico by MJ Farms, Triple 7 won the New Mexico Classic Juvenile Stakes last November and has two wins from seven starts. The son of Big Daddy Cartel finished off the board in his most recent start. He will be ridden by Christain Ramos in the NMHBA Stakes and will break from post five.

Gonzales is also scheduled to saddle Icy Cartel and Prime Time Eagle in the 400-yard dash.

Trainer Salvador Soto will be represented by a pair of starters in the NMHBA Quarter Horse Stakes, including three-time winner Holliday, the 3-to-1 morning line second choice.

Owned by Alepony, LLC and bred in New Mexico by MJ Farms, the son of Big Daddy Cartel broke his maiden in his debut over this course last year before finishing third in the New Mexican Spring Futurity.

With earnings of more than $137,000, Holliday will be looking to snap a two-race losing streak when he loads into post position four under jockey Gabriel Medrano.

Soto will also send out recent maiden winner Dads On A Roll in the NMHBA QH Stakes.

The field, with morning line odds and riders for the $80,000 NMHBA Quarter Horse Stakes:
1 DADS ON A ROLL (9/2) Jesse Levario
2 CQ COYAME JESSY (5/2) Noe Garcia, Jr.
3 ICY CARTEL (6-1) Joseph Belloc, Jr.
4 HOLLIDAY (3-1) Gabriel Medrano
5 TRIPLE 7 (7/2) Christian Ramos
6 PRIME TIME EAGLE (8-1) Emilio Tapia
7 SPENZOR (15-1) Eugenio Navarrete, Jr.

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