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KJ Desparado stamped his mark as quarter horse racing’s all-time leading money earner after winning a 400-yard allowance race on Saturday at Ruidoso Downs Race Track and Casino.
The 4-year-old gelding earned $23,760 after winning the $39,600 race and now has earned $2,796,363, which shot him past the previous mark of $2,781,365. Ochoa was the owner of the previous mark, which he set in 2013.
KJ Desparado was bred by John and Wanda Lee’s L&L Land & Cattle, and he is co-owned by the Lee’s in partnership with Ruben Mares.
KJ Desparado has won 13 of 19 career starts. He opened his career in Arizona, and then moved to Ruidoso Downs, where he qualified to both the Grade 1 Ruidoso and Rainbow futurities before capturing the All American Futurity as a 2-year-old.
He then won the Texas Classic Futurity (G1) and returned as a 3-year-old to win the Ruidoso Derby and finish second in the Rainbow Derby. He’d closed his sophomore year by winning the Texas Classic Derby and finishing second in The Championship at Sunland Park Racetrack & Casino. He was named the sport’s champion 3-year-old and champion 3-year-old gelding in 2022. The gelding is sired by Apollitical Jess and out of the Tres Seis mare Tres Veses.
He is trained by Wes Giles and his regular rider is Adrian Ramos. Next up for KJ Desparado could be the All American Gold Cup at Ruidoso Downs on Labor Day weekend.
Felix F. Chavez can be reached at fchavez@elpasotimes.com; @Fchavezeptimes on Twitter
This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: KJ Desparado becomes all-time best quarter horse in money earned