Coffee Connection pounced from just off the pace to win the $65,000 Borderplex Stakes by a half-length at Sunland Park on Sunday, Jan. 18.
The win in the six-and-a-half-furlong sprint contest marked the first Stakes win for the three-year-old Nyquist filly, who remains perfect in two career starts.
A field of five sophomore fillies went to the post in the Borderplex, with Coffee Connection sent off as the second choice, despite her having the least experience in the field. The Nyquist filly broke alertly and pressed the pace between horses up the backstretch as favored Ready to Dial led the way.
Coffee Connection came four-wide around the far turn and moved up to battle In the Aggregate and Not a Lady for the lead in the stretch as Ready to Dial began to fade. Coffee Connection took a slight lead in deep stretch, eventually edging clear by a half-length over Not a Lady at the wire for the victory.
Coffee Connection was bred in Kentucky by Sandra Sexton and Silver Fern Farm and is out of Hot Coffee, a winning daughter of Burning Roma. In addition to the Borderplex winner, Hot Coffee is also the dam of Stakes winner Abrogate (Outwork) and Stakes-placed Coffee Caliente (Good Samaritan). The immediate family is also represented by Champion sprinter and G1 Breeders’ Cup Sprint winner, Big Drama, and multiple G1 winner, Sheer Drama.
Nyquist is coming off one of his strongest seasons in 2025, when he was represented by four G1 winners – Nysos, winner of the G1 Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile, Cavalieri (G1 Beholder Mile), Velocity (G1 Del Mar Oaks), and Argos (G1 Summer Stakes).
Nyquist will stand the 2026 season at Jonabell Farm for $175,000, stands and nurses.
