Empressum will attempt to turn the tables on stablemate Flash Bak on Sunday in the Grade 1, $350,000 Championship at Sunland Park. The 440-yard race for Quarter Horses also drew $3 million earner Kj Desparado. Flash Bak was a three-quarter length winner over reigning world champion Empressum in the Grade 1 Champion of Champions on Dec. 9 at Los Alamitos. Flash Bak, sent off at 9-1, and won from the rail in the field of 10. Empressum was the favorite after dominating the 2022 Champion of Champions.   Flash Bak will break from post 5 on Sunday, and Empressum will start from post 3. Flash Bak has won 11 of 29 starts for earnings of $1.8 million. Empressum is 22 for 31 for earnings of $1.9 million. Both horses are trained by Heath Taylor. Kj Desparado enters the Championship at Sunland off a win in the Grade 1 Refrigerator on Nov. 18 at Lone Star Park. He shuttled home in front by a length and a quarter, two starts after winning the Grade 1 All American Gold Cup at Ruidoso Downs. In between those starts, Kj Desparado was second by a head to Flash Bak in the Downs at Albuquerque Fall Championship. :: Bet the races with a $200 First Deposit Match + FREE All Access PPs! Join DRF Bets. Kj Desparado is Quarter Horse racing’s all-time leading earner and was the 3-year-old champion of 2022. He will break from the rail Sunday for trainer Wes Giles. The Championship at Sunland has traditionally been held either Dec. 30 or Dec. 31, but was moved to January this season as Sunland opened its meet later than usual, on Friday. Kj Desparado and Flash Bak ran a respective second and third in the last Championship at Sunland, which was held in December 2022. Louisiana Downs opens Tuesday Louisiana Downs will move into its 50th year of operation on Tuesday with the start of its 41-date meet for Quarter Horses. The season runs through March 30. Louisiana Downs held its first meet in 1974 and became known as the home of the Super Derby, which is its premiere race for Thoroughbreds. The premiere race for Quarter Horses during the upcoming meet is the Mardi Gras Futurity, which has a $600,000-estimated purse for its renewal March 30. Trials for the 300-yard race will be held on March 8-9. Other stakes of note during the season include the $250,000-estimated Louisiana Downs Futurity, also on March 30. The trials are March 7. The Mardi Gras Derby and Oaks, which will each have an estimated purse of $100,000, are to be run March 29. Louisiana Downs received requests for more than 1,800 stalls for the upcoming meet, according to a press release from the track. The meet comes following the close of the Quarter Horse season  at Evangeline Downs.  “We are pleased with the number of horsemen and women wanting to run at Louisiana Downs,” Matt Crawford, the tracks’ racing secretary, said in a release. “Stall applications were solid and our opening week field size averaged eight runners. That is a very good start and should be well-supported by our fans.” Trainer Jose Carrizales, who owns three titles at Louisiana Downs, is expected for the new meet, as are trainers Kenneth Roberts Sr., Vann Haywood, Joel Huitron, Paul Leal, and Juan Hernandez. Among jockeys, Ubaldo Luna is expected for the meet after leading the nation’s riders in Quarter Horse wins in 2023, according to a press release. Luna has tied for the Louisiana Downs title each of the past two years. The 34-year-old is a native of Vera Cruz, Mexico. Arnulfo Gutierrez, who is coming off the title at Evangeline Downs, also will be part of the riding colony at Louisiana Downs. He is a 32-year-old native of Jalisco, Mexico, and credits Luna with helping him get established in the U.S. He arrived three years ago and last month won the Louisiana Quarter Horse Breeders Association Louisiana Million Futurity at Evangeline. “It was unbelievable to win my first title, and of course to ride that filly in the futurity,” Gutierrez said in a press release. “It is hard to put into words what that meant to me, and how grateful I am to Kenny [Roberts] and Ubaldo for their support! Every time I watch the replay, I get very emotional.” Louisiana Downs will race Tuesdays through Thursdays in January and February and Wednesdays through Saturdays in March. There will be a special Tuesday card March 26. First post daily is 1:05 p.m. Central. :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.