New Mexico Family Builds Quarter Horse Racing empire
A New Mexico family is rapidly becoming a force in the world of American Quarter horse racing. James Gonzales III, alongside his father J.J. Gonzales and brother Matthew Gonzales,have built a successful stable,achieving importent growth in earnings and wins in recent years.
Gonzales III’s passion for racing began early, even while attending college with classes Monday through Thursday. “Even when I was in college, I had classes Monday through Thursday, but I couldn’t wait for Thursday so I coudl get to El Paso or Hobbs or wherever just to watch races for the weekend,” he said.
The family’s operation quickly gained momentum, winning 19 races in their first year, 2021. That number increased to 32 in 2022, and they surpassed $1 million in earnings. By 2024, total earnings reached $3.4 million, and currently stand at $1.9 million for 2025.
the Gonzaleses expanded their stable to as many as 80 horses, prioritizing quantity in their approach. “Finding five or six ’Michael Jordans’ was better than two or three,” Gonzales III explained. Their initial success was fueled by a large crop of New Mexico-bred horses. In their first year, they broke in 45 horses, 28 of which were New Mexico-bred, with 24 becoming winners and 18 qualifying for juvenile or futurity races.
J.J. Gonzales oversees the training operation while granting his sons considerable autonomy, trusting their judgment.This allows him to travel to observe races, recently visiting Albuquerque and Dallas. He focuses on client relations, while his sons manage the day-to-day operations.
The family acknowledges the crucial role of horse owners’ trust, recognizing the inherent risk in horse racing. “You can spend $500,000 on a horse, and he just doesn’t have the speed,” said James Gonzales II.
The Gonzales brothers credit their attention to detail and preparation-skills honed during their football careers under coach Leroy Gonzalez-as instrumental to their success. They receive horses as yearlings,requiring them to provide complete training,starting in October with groundwork and progressing to galloping,starting gate practice,and stride progress. “But just seeing the progress from Day 1 to the time some of them make the big race, that really caught my attention and really made me love this,” Matthew Gonzales said.
The family enjoys the thrill of racing and actively bets on their own horses to win.
