Championship Contenders Set For Showdown In $17,200 José Merced Gómez Orozco Stakes At Hipódromo De Las Américas

A talented field of five accomplished Quarter Horses will take center stage Sunday afternoon, October 11, at Hipódromo de las Américas for the 14th running of the José Merced Gómez Orozco Stakes.

The featured event carries an estimated purse of $17,200 and brings together an impressive group of runners aged three and older competing at 400 yards.

The championship showdown is scheduled as the second race in the ten-race program, with the field expected to load into the starting gate at approximately 3:30 p.m. local time.

Crispyn enters as the 7-5 morning-line favorite, bringing an accomplished racing résumé and proven stakes experience to the highly anticipated contest. The 5-year-old gelding returns after a narrow runner-up finish to Talk Of The Bar in a 350-yard allowance race on August 30, where he battled throughout before finishing a nose behind the winner.

Earlier this season, Crispyn delivered an impressive two-length victory over Phenomenal Queen in a 550-yard allowance race on May 24. The win demonstrated his ability to compete successfully against top-level competition and provides an intriguing storyline as the two rivals prepare to meet again.

The son of A Royal Jess is out of the Corona Cartel mare First Place Cartel. Bred in the United States by MRB Racing LLC, Crispyn has earned seven victories, four seconds, and two thirds in 18 career starts. He races for Cuadra Alpuyeca under trainer Antonio Garcia Carranza and will break from post two with jockey Angel Santillan aboard.

DK Crystal Favorite is a strong contender with 8-5 morning-line odds, boasting an impressive record of eight wins, one second, and two thirds across 11 starts. The 4-year-old mare has proven to be one of the most reliable in the field and aims to secure another notable stakes win for her record.

DK Crystal Favorite captured the AQHA Distaff Challenge at Hipódromo de las Américas on March 15, winning by a commanding four lengths over Shes a Luna Tach. She followed that performance with another impressive win in the Chirina Glorys Classic on April 12, defeating La Feature This Bell by 1 1/4 lengths.

In her most recent appearance, the mare finished third in the AQHA Racing Challenge Championship on August 9, a 440-yard event won by Last Eagle V. She returns to the 400-yard distance, where she has already shown her championship ability.

DK Crystal Favorite is the daughter of Favorite Cartel and the Corona Cartel mare, Corona Crystal. Bred in the United States by La Presita LLC and LJM Ranch Inc., DK Crystal Favorite races for Cuadra La Presita and is trained by Luis Enrique Cruz Solis. Jockey Miguel Angel Rodriguez will guide the accomplished mare from post five.

Phenomenal Queen, entering the stakes on a two-race winning streak, adds another strong contender to the field at 3-1 morning-line odds. The 4-year-old colt most recently captured the Salvador Oñate Classic on August 23, drawing clear by 1 3/4 lengths over KC Shes Cartel in a 350-yard contest.

Prior to that victory, Phenomenal Queen won a 250-yard allowance race on July 5 by 1 1/4 lengths. He has three wins and a second-place finish in four starts this season, continuing an impressive campaign that has brought his career record to six wins, four seconds, and one third in 17 starts.

Phenomenal Queen, the son of Phenomenal Jess, is out of the Mr Queens Mystery mare Cathys Queen. Bred in Mexico by Alejandro Arenas Badillo, Phenomenal Queen races for Rancho Arenas and is trained by Luis Daniel Sosa Olvera. Jockey Mario Alberto Lopez Marmolejo will ride from post one as the colt seeks his third consecutive victory.

Adding depth to the field are Apollitical Spanish, a 7-1 contender with three wins in four career starts, and Dankeshayne, who enters at 11-1 after a narrow allowance victory on September 20. Both will look to challenge the more established favorites in the competitive 400-yard event.

With proven champions, rising contenders, and familiar rivals at the starting gate, the $17,200 José Merced Gómez Orozco Stakes promises an exciting test of speed and determination. The featured race will offer another chance for some of the sport's accomplished Quarter Horses to pursue stakes honors at Hipódromo de las Américas.

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