Teller Perry Mrl enters the $45,000 John Andreini Memorial Quarter Horse Stakes at Downs of Albuquerque as the 3-1 morning-line favorite.

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By Louanne Wainscott, StallioneSearch

ALBUQUERQUE, NM–MAY 23, 2026–Memorial Day racing action continues at Downs of Albuquerque, where the afternoon card will feature ten races to wrap up the opening weekend of the 2026 Ruidoso Meet. First post is set for 1:30 PM, with the spotlight on the ninth race, the $45,000 John Andreini Memorial Quarter Horse Stakes, where ten talented older runners will contest 350 yards at approximately 4:50 PM.

Leading the competitive field is Teller Perry Mrl, who enters as the 3-1 morning-line favorite after a strong start to his 2026 campaign. The five-year-old gelding opened the season with a victory over allowance company before returning to finish second in the $75,000 La Plata Stakes, missing by only a half-length.

The consistent gelding has quietly built a solid résumé with four victories, five second-place finishes, and three thirds in eighteen starts, earning $121,118 for owner Javier M. Chavez. The son of Teller Cartel out of the Mr Jess Perry mare Jess Jets was bred in Oklahoma by Haras Portofino and continues to show the toughness and consistency that make him dangerous in any stakes field.

Trainer Jose Ignacio DeHerrera will saddle the gelding from post seven, with Flavio Lozano returning to ride the veteran runner in the featured event.

Standing right beside him in the Chavez barn is another dangerous contender, Apollitical Crown, who will break from the outside post ten at 4-1 morning-line odds. The four-year-old has been flawless this season, winning all three of his starts in 2026 and rapidly establishing himself as one of the rising stars in the older-horse division.

The talented runner has now won four career races and earned $65,218 for owner Javier M. Chavez, who made a major investment by purchasing him for $540,000 at the Ruidoso Select Yearling Sale. The son of champion sire Apollitical Jess, out of the Tres Seis mare Adolph Tres Knockout, was bred in Oklahoma by Rancho El Cobresto, Inc.

Jose Ignacio DeHerrera also trains the speedy colt, while accomplished jockey James A. Flores takes the mount for the first time as the pair attempts to keep the gelding’s undefeated 2026 season alive.

With proven stakes runners, red-hot form, and stablemates set to square off under the Memorial Day spotlight, the $45,000 John Andreini Memorial Quarter Horse Stakes promises an exciting finale to the opening weekend of racing at Downs of Albuquerque. Fans and bettors can expect a fast, competitive showdown as ten talented older runners battle to close out the holiday weekend in style.

The races at Downs at Albuquerque can be watched on Q-Racing Video.

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