In his final two starts of 2024, Shakers No Secret, the 5-year-old Quarter Horse gelding, delivered two of the best performances of his career, winning the $277,975 AQHA Challenge Championship in Albuquerque on Oct. 26, and finishing a good third in the $600,000 Champion of Champions at Los Alamitos on Dec. 14.
For his 2025 debut, Shakers No Secret is the 2-1 morning-line favorite in Sunday’s $350,000 Championship at Sunland Park at 440 yards, the first major stakes of the year for older Quarter Horses.
Shakers No Secret drew the inside post in an intriguing field of seven that includes Kj Desperado, who leads the all-time Quarter Horse earnings list with $3,270,109; Jeriko, fourth in the Champion of Champions after a troubled start; and Hes Judgeandjury, who won the $3 million All American Futurity at Ruidoso Downs in 2022, but is winless in his last 10 starts.
Shakers No Secret, trained by Marc Jungers for the Texas-based partnership of Manny Dutchover and Abel and Ethan Lopez, has won 9 of 28 starts and earned $502,414. He had his best year in 2024, winning 3 of 9 starts and earning $259,847.
Jungers said on Friday that an inside post may help Shakers No Secret stay focused.
“He likes to lug in a little bit, and it may be to his benefit,” Jungers said. “I’m hoping it will suit him.”
Jeriko recovered from a poor start to finish a half-length behind Shakers No Secret in the 440-yard Champion of Champions. Jungers rates Jeriko as the rival to beat.
Both Jeriko and Shakers No Secret have had trouble at the start at times. A clean start on Sunday could be the difference for one of them.
“He doesn’t seem to break as sharp,” Jungers said of Jeriko. “They both have their quirks about them.”
Kj Desperado, a 6-year-old gelding trained by Wes Giles, won the 2021 All American Futurity. Last year, Kj Desperado won 2 of 6 starts in a season highlighted by a win in the $118,000 Refrigerator Stakes at 440 yards at Lone Star Park in November. On Dec. 15, Kj Desperado was second at 1-2 to stablemate Kj Wildthang in the $125,000 Zia Park Championship at 440 yards. Kj Wildthang, also trained by Giles, is part of the Championship at Sunland Park field, but rated as an outsider.
Shue Fly draws field of six; eight test positive for albuterol
Sunday’s $182,755 Shue Fly Stakes for 3-year-old New Mexico-breds at 400 yards will have only six starters after eight eligible runners tested positive for albuterol in recent out-of-competition testing, according to New Mexico State Racing Commission officials.
The list of horses ineligible to run includes Pavel, the winner of two futurities at Sunland Park and SunRay Park last year who had the fastest qualifying time from four trials for the Shue Fly on Jan. 11. Trial race winner Boot Scoots and Eye Im Flashin, King Seis, Lovely Lady Mae and Row by Row, who were all second or third in trials, were omitted from the final after testing positive for albuterol.
New Mexico officials routinely conduct out-of-competition tests of the 14 fastest qualifiers from time trials.
Of the horses with the 11th through 14th fastest times for the Shue Fly, Bone Shaker and Eye Cue tested positive for albuterol and were not permitted to be entered. Myy Flashin Denali and Track Starr, who had the 11th and 14th fastest times, were late additions to the final.
For the Shue Fly, a post-race test was also taken from Harken, who was disqualified from a trial race win and did not gain a berth in the final because he was placed behind a horse that did run fast enough to gain a berth.
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“We’re as bewildered as the general public that eight out of the 14 top times came back positives for albuterol,” said Ismael Trejo, the executive director of the New Mexico State Racing Commission.
The eight horses that tested positive were placed on a stewards list for 60 days, effective Jan. 25, and cannot race during that span. They must test negative following the 60-day penalty before they are permitted to resume racing.
Of the remaining runners, trial race winner Beyond Rime, who had the fourth-fastest qualifying time on the original list, is expected to be favored. Beyond Rime is trained by Ramon Mendoza, who also trains Row by Row.
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