In 2025, Jess Good Candy reinforced his position as one of the most influential sires in Quarter Horse racing by producing two AQHA Running Champions in a single season.
_“It’s important to know that this is the fifth champion he’s had in the last five years… Twice in the last five years, he’s had two champions in one year. That is extremely significant. A championship validates in everyone’s mind that these are the best horses of their age category, without a doubt.” _
— Veteran Horseman Butch Wise
From Dulce Sin Tacha in 2020, to Jess Savin Candy, who narrowly missed the Triple Crown in 2021, to Volcoms Favorite in 2024, and now Just Dulce and Handin Out Candy in 2025.
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Photo by Dustin Orona Photography
Just Dulce exemplifies everything breeders hope for when selecting a sire.
Lifetime Earnings: $239,736
Major Wins:
Champion at the Texas Classic Derby (G1)
Champion at the Dash For Cash Derby (G2)
Bred by Bob and Jerry Gaston and trained by Marc Jungers, Just Dulce distinguished himself against elite company throughout his career. His championship title places him among the very best of his generation and reinforces Jess Good Candy’s ability to sire top-level classic-distance runners with both speed and durability.
Photo by Coady Media
On the distance side, Handin Out Candy delivered a season that was nothing short of dominant.
Lifetime Earnings: $299,581
Major Wins:
AQHA Distance Challenge Championship (G1)
King Rick Rack Stakes (G2)
Downs at Albuquerque Distance Challenge (G2)
Winning six of seven starts in 2025, Handin Out Candy showcased grit, stamina, and competitive heart across the demanding 870-yard distance. His championship season earned him recognition as one of the most accomplished distance runners in the country, further demonstrating the versatility Jess Good Candy passes on to his offspring.
His accomplishments were widely recognized by industry media including Track Magazine, reinforcing the national significance of his campaign.
Jess Good Candy’s Top 5 earners in their respective divisions:
Jess A Good Angel
4th highest-earning two-year-old colt of 2025
Earnings: $194,220
Britts Special Candy
3rd highest-earning two-year-old filly of 2025
Earnings: $309,262
What does an AQHA Running Championship truly mean?
AQHA Running Champions are selected by committees of industry professionals who evaluate the top five earners in each age and sex division nationwide, using official records from American Quarter Horse Association, Equibase, Equineline, and Daily Racing Form.
Only nine champions are named annually across all divisions. These horses represent the absolute pinnacle of their age group for the year. Being selected is not about a single race or moment, but rather the recognition of superiority across an entire season.
As Wise explains:
“When you are voted champion by the racing committee, it signifies that you are the best of your age group. And when a stallion continues to strike that level year after year, it proves his worth.”
In 2025 alone, Jess Good Candy had four offspring in championship contention, with two emerging as divisional champions.
Now officially recognized as the sire of five champions with offspring earnings surpassing $13 MILLION, Jess Good Candy’s résumé speaks to rare genetic potency. He is not only shaping the present landscape of Quarter Horse racing, but also influencing its future, with a son currently standing as the leading freshman sire of 2025.
As Butch Wise summarized:
“It appears that his contributions to the AQHA gene pool continue to be recognized as extremely significant.”
