Wagon Full of Gold upsets New Mexico Challenge Championship

Wagon Full of Gold, seventh and eighth in his two previous stakes appearances, added to a highly successful meet at Sunland Park for Quarter Horse trainer Wesley Giles when he scored an 11-1 upset in Saturday’s Grade 2, $103,650 New Mexico Challenge Championship.

While inside speedsters Jesscuzican and Trip to the Jungle were wiped out when the rail horse Jess Featureme Quick veered into them leaving the gate, Wagon Full of Gold ($25) broke cleanly under Adrian Ramos and had no traffic trouble, covering 400 yards in 21.10 seconds.

It was the meet-leading 24^th Quarter Horse victory for Giles.

Jess Featureme Quick, the co-second choice at 5-2, recovered from his awkward beginning to finish second, a neck behind the winner, but was disqualified and placed eighth.

Rocketair, a 5-1 shot, was elevated to second and the 19-1 mare Kerrys Wave Carver was moved up to third to complete a $1 trifecta worth $1,227.40.

Wagon Full of Gold, a troubled eighth in his season debut, won for the first time since taking a trial heat for the Texas Classic Derby last October. He was eighth in the $291,868 Texas Classic Derby final and seventh as a 2-year-old in the 2013 All American Futurity.