Jacky Martin rode AQHA champion Noconi to a three-quarter length victory in Sunday’s 440-yard, $150,000 Zia Park Quarter Horse Championship (G1) at Zia Park.

Trained by Paul Jones for owners R.D. Hubbard and John T.L. Jones Jr., Noconi covered his quarter-mile trip in :21.060, earning a season-best 104 speed index. The $86,400 winner’s share of the purse increased his bankroll to $1,073,563, making him Quarter Horse racing’s newest millionaire.

Noconi’s victory was also his sixth in 12 starts at the 440 distance.

“He is best at 440 yards,” said Martin, who has ridden Noconi in his last three outs, all victories. “He was bumped pretty hard by the horse outside of him (Double Out), and it took him a couple of hundred yards to get going. After 350 yards, he was on the lead.”

A homebred 5-year-old gelding bred in Oklahoma, Noconi is one of 97 stakes winners from 12 crops sired by Mr Jess Perry, a Grade 1 winner and the AQHA champion 2-year-old in 1994. Now 18, Mr Jess Perry has sired the earners of more than $34.4 million from 832 starters, including his top earner, 2008 champion 3-year-old colt One Famous Eagle. He stands at 6666 Ranch at Guthrie, Texas.

Noconi’s dam, My Dashing Lady, was the sport’s champion broodmare in 2008. Now 14, the Grade 1-winning daughter of two-time world champion Dash For Cash has produced five winners from six starters, including Brenda Beautiful, a half sister to Noconi who won the ’08 Southwest Juvenile Championship (G1) at Zia Park and was that season’s champion 2-year-old filly

Noconi’s second dam, Lady Signature, is an unraced 24-year-old mare by The Signature who has produced 13 winners from 16 starters, including two graded stakes winners in addition to My Dashing Lady – Western Heart, a First Down Dash gelding who won the 1996 Southern California Derby (G1) at Los Alamitos, and Sixy Lady, a filly by Streakin Six and winner of the 1991 Sunland Park Fall Futurity (G2)

Noconi traces back to his third dam, Lady Juno, a 1976 foal by the Bold Ruler (TB) stallion Master Hand (TB) who was the AQHA champion aged mare in 1980 and won that season’s Champion of Champions at Los Alamitos. Lady Juno foaled 10 winners from 15 starters, and she was a half sister to Life Styles, the winner of the $159,622 West Texas Futurity (G2) at Sunland Park.

Currently sporting a three-race win streak that includes the November 7, 400-yard Lovington Stakes (G2) at Zia Park, and the September 5, $40,000 All American Gold Cup (G2) at Ruidoso Downs, Noconi has won 10 of 25 races, and the Zia Championship represented his eighth career stakes score. The gelding was the AQHA champion 3-year-old gelding two years ago.

“Noconi and Jacky fit each other,” said Lisa Saumell, who manages the New Mexico division of Jones’ training operation. “They’re two talents who are professional.”

Noconi was sent to post as the 7-5 favorite, and he teamed with runner-up Special Highnoon, a 54-1 longshot, for a $120.60 ($2) exacta. Dash Back Perry finished third, a nose behind Special Highnoon, to complete a ($1) trifecta payoff of $1,671.80.
King Brimmerton, Special Celebrate, Strike It Quick, Fishin CR, Honor Me Good, Double Chiseled, and Double Out completed the order of finish.

A $15,000 claimer in his previous start on November 21, Special Highnoon is a 5-year-old bay Special Leader gelding racing for Raymundo Medrano. The $31,680 runner-up’s share of the purse increased his earnings to $132,454 from five wins in 26 outs.

Dash Back Perry was just three weeks removed from a third-place finish in the November 13, $367,649 Texas Classic Derby (G1) at Lone Star Park. Bred and owned by Johnny Trotter of Hereford, Texas, the 3-year-old filly was also a finalist in last year’s $1,272,250 Golden State Million Futurity (G1) at Los Alamitos. Dash Back Perry has earned $132,313 from two wins in 13 races.