Chocolate Mountain, a homebred 4-year-old Panther Mountain gelding racing for Lewis R. Dillree, picked up his second stakes victory in the 870-yard, $50,000 Marathon Handicap at SunRay Park on Saturday.

Saddled by Wes Giles and ridden by Esgar Ramirez, Chocolate Mountain covered his trip in :44.661, earning a lifetime-best 99 speed index and defeating Mr. Golden Ruler (TB) by a neck. The $30,000 winner’s share of the purse increased his earnings to $114,920.

Chocolate Mountain was bred in Utah, and he is one of 13 stakes winners from four crops sired by Panther Mountain, a Grade 1-winning son of Meter Me Gone and Quarter Horse racing’s champion aged stallion in 2003. The 11-year-old Texas-bred stallion has sired 268 starters and the earners of more than $5.1 million, including three-time Grade 1 winner DMNV Mountable. He stands for a $4,000 fee at Lazy E Ranch at Guthrie, Oklahoma.

Chocolate Mountain’s dam, the 17-year-old Proudest Effort mare Tieshas Special, has produced two winners from four starters. The gelding’s second dam, the winning Current Concept (TB) mare Perfect Concept, ran second in the 1985 Silver Dollar 400 Futurity (R) at Wyoming Downs, and she foaled Perfect Kirk, a gelding by Charge For Kirk who ran third in the ’91 Dash For Destiny Derby at Wyoming Downs.

Chocolate Mountain has won four of 13 races, including last year’s 870-yard, $50,000 Getaway Handicap at Sunland Park. His stakes resume also includes a runner-up finish in last year’s 870-yard Sandia Handicap at The Downs at Albuquerque.

Loves Bonus (TB), La Especial Corona, Sheet Burns, Fast Devon (TB), and Chop Shop Special completed the order of finish.

Mr. Golden Ruler earned $11,000 for his owner, Ramon O. Gonzalez Jr. of Edgewood, New Mexico. Claimed by his current connections for $10,000 on January 30, the 5-year-old gelding by Tribal Rule (TB) has earned $175,126 from eight wins in 28 outs, of which $63,960 has come since the claim. Mr. Golden Ruler ran second in the 2008 Norgor Derby at Ruidoso Downs.

An 8-year-old gelding by Bonus Time Cat, Loves Bonus banked $5,000 for owners John C. McCulloch Jr. and Allen W. McCulloch. A one-time $5,000 claimer who has raced at 11 different tracks in four states, Loves Bonus has earned $273,890 from 49 starts, and his 12 wins include last year’s 870-yard, $60,180 King Rick Rack Stakes at Zia Park, and the ’08 Charlie Iles Handicap at The Downs at Albuquerque.