Easily Bella Csj Gets First Stakes Victory In The $90,000 Sunburst Stakes [RG3] With A Slight Upset

SUNLAND PARK, NM–MARCH 2, 2025–The $90,000 Sunburst Stakes [RG3] ended in a photo finish at Sunland Park on Sunday, with Easily Bella Csj and My First Luv both making their season debut. Easily Bella Csj got the nod, achieving her first stakes victory in a slight upset, paying $12.80 to win at 5-1 odds.

Jacob Enriquez piloted Easily Bella Csj to a spirited gate-to-wire finish in 17.097 seconds with the assistance of a 16 mph tailwind. She really had to dig in to hold off My First Luv, ridden by Brian Barraza, at the wire, clocking a 101-speed index for the finish. One Oh Too and jockey Noe Garcia Jr followed in for third by a 1 1/4-lengths.

The $54,000 winner's share of the purse increased Easily Bella Csj's total earnings to $145,502. The three-year-old filly has lit the board six of eight starts with three career wins. She placed third in the New Mexico Breeders' Futurity [G3] and was a finalist in the New Mexico State Fair Futurity [G2] last year.

Up-and-coming trainer Julian Honesto saddled the daughter of Bella Faccia for owner Christian Dominguez Olivas. Mario Dominguez bred Easily Bella Csj in New Mexico out of the Bono Jazz mare Easily Bono.

Joel Gutierrez owns and trains runner-up My First Luv, who has two wins and $93,620 in the bank from ten starts. The daughter of champion sire First Moonflash was bred in New Mexico by Mark and Fay Aneett McCloy. She is out of Desperate Love by Walk Thru Fire.

Third-place finisher One Oh Too is conditioned by Wes Giles and bred by Jill Giles. Jay Glover, Gary Stallings, and Dwain Grissom own the daughter of current leading sire Eye Am King. The three-year-old filly out of Penny Snatchin by Gone To The Mountain has yet to break her maiden from six starts. She placed second last month in the Shue Fly Stakes [G2] and has $57,463 in lifetime earnings.

Boot Scootin Mama, Macho Daddys Girl, Merrmaid, Bv Bridgette Cartel, Barbie Gray and Track Starr complete the order of finish.

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