LOS ALAMITOS RACE COURSE, CYPRESS, CA — Promising sire Dasha Good Reason died Wednesday morning at age seven, according to David Martin, manager of Rolling A Ranch in Atascadero, California. The ranch will await the results of a necropsy to determine the cause of death.
Ed Allred, the sport’s leading owner and breeder, purchased the multiple Grade 1 finalist Dasha Good Reason in February 2025. Impeccably bred, Dasha Good Reason was a son of champion Good Reason SA and out of the AQHA Racing Dam of Distinction Dasha Freda. Dasha Freda is also the dam of 2015 AQHA World Champion Heza Dasha Fire and AQHA champion 2-year-old gelding Ima Fearless Hero.
Previously owned by Robyn Gordon, Juan Humberto Moya, and S-Quarter K LLC, Dasha Good Reason spent his first breeding season at Robicheaux Ranch in Breaux Bridge, Louisiana, in 2024; his first foals are now yearlings. Dasha Good Reason’s first season at Rolling A Ranch features approximately 40 weanlings to be born in 2026. For his second season in California, Dasha Good Reason covered over 50 mares, with 21 already determined to be in foal. Rolling A Ranch staff expects an additional 32 mares to also be in foal this year.
“Dr. Allred was very excited to have this promising, upcoming stallion at Rolling A Ranch,” Martin said. “To lose Dasha Good Reason this early in his career is devastating for all of us. We have many of his babies already being born, and we are looking to have 50 mares in foal from him this year.”
“Dasha Good Reason was a gentleman of a stallion,” Martin continued. “He was well-mannered, had no vices, and he did his job. I’ve been here a long time at Rolling A Ranch, and Dasha Good Reason is one of the best-mannered stallions I’ve ever been around. He was quiet, his concentration was always there, and he was never a problem. He was a perfect stallion. Everything was working great with him. Out of respect for everything he did for Rolling A Ranch in his short time here, we’ll wait until the necropsy to announce the reason for his passing.”
On the racetrack, Dasha Good Reason was one of the top 2-year-olds at Los Alamitos Race Course in 2021, scoring four victories that year. He qualified for the Grade 1 Los Alamitos Two Million Futurity at 400 yards, the Grade 2 PCQHRA Breeders Futurity at 350 yards, and the John Deere Los Alamitos Juvenile Challenge at 350 yards. His victories included trial wins for the Grade 1 Ed Burke Million Futurity at 350 yards, the PCQHRA Breeders Futurity, and the John Deere Los Alamitos Juvenile.
As a 3-year-old, Dasha Good Reason qualified for the Grade 1 Los Alamitos Super Derby, the Grade 2 Golden State Derby, and the Grade 2 El Primero Del Ano Derby—all held at 400 yards—before qualifying for the Grade 1 Brad McKinzie Los Alamitos Winter Championship during his 4-year-old campaign. Bred by S-Quarter K LLC, Dasha Good Reason competed in a total of nine stakes races and secured top-three finishes in nine of his 21 lifetime starts, earning $264,158 during his career.
Dasha Good Reason was sired by the outstanding two-time champion Good Reason SA, winner of the 2011 Grade 1 Champion of Champions at 440 yards and the 2009 Grade 1 Los Alamitos Two Million Futurity at 400 yards, with career earnings of $1,446,727. His dam, the Meneelys’ wonderful broodmare Dasha Freda, is a daughter of 2019 AQHA Hall of Fame inductee Mr Jess Perry. Dasha Freda’s sons include Heza Dasha Fire—winner of the 2015 Grade 1 Champion of Champions and eight other Grade 1 stakes—and Ima Fearless Hero, winner of the 2015 Grade 1 Los Alamitos Two Million Futurity. She is also the dam of Grade 2 winner Sweet Dasha Fire ($190,624) and stakes winner Dasha Dynasty ($131,807).
On Wednesday afternoon, Cathy Allred, wife of Ed Allred and president of Los Alamitos Race Course, said that the Meneelys reached out to Dr. Allred to offer their condolences and to offer to shuttle their stallion, Dasha Dynasty, from Fales Ranch in Arizona to Rolling A Ranch so the Atascadero facility could continue its 2026 breeding season. Dasha Dynasty is owned by Robyn Gordon, Juan Humberto Moya, and S-Quarter K LLC.
“We are grateful that Don and Kathy Meneely, Robin Gordon, and Juan Humberto Moya reached out so quickly with the opportunity to use their stallion,” Cathy Allred said. “Dasha Dynasty will be at Rolling A Ranch in the next few days, and we feel very fortunate to have his great bloodlines continue to be a part of our breeding program.”
“It’s been a tough day for all of us here,” Martin added. “Dr. Allred continues to do everything he can for the Quarter Horse racing industry in California, and Dasha Good Reason was an exciting new addition for our state’s breeding program. We still have the stallion Kiddy Up here, who has been a Rolling A Ranch mainstay for about 20 years. We’ll move forward, but we will miss Dasha Good Reason.”
Courtesy of Orlando Gutierrez
Shakopee, Minn. — Canterbury Park announced that Jesse Sherwood has been named head starter for the 2026 race meet that begins May 23. Sherwood’s career working on the starting gate began in 2008 at Canterbury where he spent four seasons as an assistant starter. He has been head starter at Fair Grounds in New Orleans the past two seasons. Sherwood also worked at racetracks in New Mexico becoming head starter at Energy Downs in Wyoming and at the Montana State Fair meet in Great Falls.
“Returning to Canterbury Park will feel like somewhat of a homecoming,” Sherwood said. “I know there will be many new faces but I am sure to find some familiar ones as well.”
The starter and his team of assistants are responsible for ensuring a fair start for each race as well as a safe and orderly process of loading horses into the starting gate.
“I try hard and I care and take pride in having a team of assistants that do the same,” he said. “Good starts on race day come from the hard work and patience during morning schooling.”
Sherwood, a native of Selah, Washington, grew up on the racetrack. He is a third-generation horseman. His mother was a trainer, and his father, a former jockey, was the superintendent of the jockey’s room at Washington racetracks for 40 years.
“We are pleased to have found someone with Jesse’s experience to fill the very important role of head starter,” Canterbury Park general manager John Groen said. “We are proud of the consistency and safety record of our starting gate team and feel that Jesse will uphold those high standards.”
Sherwood replaces Oscar Quiroz who took a similar position at Horseshoe Indianapolis.
Courtesy of Jeff Maday
This year’s sale, although small, drew a very diverse consignment of horses. Foals in Utero, Yearlings, Race Age, Barrel / Performance prospects and Broodmares were all included in the selection of horses offered. The average sales price on horses sold was $13,500. The high seller was Ms Dynasty, consigned by Tom Maher sold for $38,000, a stakes producing FDD Dynasty daughter in foal to Hes Relentless for a 2027 foal. Horses were sold to 5 different states from California to Minnesota and 1 going to Canada.
Heritage Place wishes everyone much success with their purchases and best of luck at the races this year. Our next sale will be the annual Quarter Horse Yearling Sale, September 24–26, 2026; the consignment deadline is June 17th, consignment forms will be available for online completion at www.heritageplace.com under the Quarter Horse Yearling Sale tab.
Courtesy of Heritage Place
Opens with Trials for $1 Million Ruidoso Futurity May 22
(Ruidoso Downs, NM) Ruidoso Downs Racetrack will open the 2026 race meet on Friday, May 22 at the Downs of Albuquerque featuring trials for the $1 million Ruidoso Futurity for two-year-old quarter horses. The 49-day race meet will feature both thoroughbred and quarter horse racing to be held Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays through Labor Day, Sept. 7.
“The Downs of Albuquerque is currently accepting stall applications,” Downs of Albuquerque President of Racing Don Cook said. “The condition book for the first two weeks of racing and the 2026 stakes schedule will be available at the end of the month at www.abqdowns.com, and www.raceruidoso.com. We invite all horsemen to make plans to participate.”
This will be the third consecutive racing season that Downs of Albuquerque has hosted the $3 million All American Futurity scheduled to be run on Labor Day. Approximately 600 quarter horses have been nominated to race in the All-American trials which are scheduled for Aug. 7-8.
Downs At Albuquerque, President of racing Don Cook plans to run a mixed meet with quarter horse and thoroughbred races conducted each Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Here is the current stakes schedule for the 2026 Ruidoso Downs horse race season pending approval by the New Mexico Racing Commission:
2026 Stakes Schedule
May 25 $45,000-added John Andreini Q.H. Stakes 350 yards
May 30 $50,000-added Jess Burner Q.H. Stakes 400 yards
June 6 $850,000 (est.) Ruidoso Q.H. Derby 400 yards
June 6 $100,000 Ruidoso Q.H. Invitational 400 yards
June 7 $1 Million Ruidoso Q.H. Futurity 350 yards
June 7 $100,000 Ruidoso Q.H. Juvenile 350 yards
June 13 $100,000 (est.) Ruidoso Maiden Stakes 350 yards
June 13 $150,000 (est.) Mountain Top Q.H. Derby 350 yards
June 14 $350,000 (est.) Mountain Top Futurity 350 yards
June 14 $50,000 Mountain Top Q.H. Juvenile 350 yards
June 20 $50,000 Vista Distaff Stakes 350 yards
June 21 $50,000 Sierra Starlet (TB) 5 ½ Furlongs
July 5 $50,000 Land of Enchantment Stakes (TB) 7 Furlongs
July 11 $1 million (est.) Rainbow Q.H. Derby 440 yards
July 11 $350,000 (est.) Rainbow Q.H. Oaks 440 yards
July 11 $100,000 (est.) Rainbow Q.H. Invitational 440 yards
July 12 $1 million (est.) Rainbow Q.H. Futurity 400 yards
July 12 $100,000 (est.) Rainbow Q.H. Juvenile 400 yards
July 18 $175,000 (est.) Zia Quarter Horse Derby 400 yards
July 18 $50,000 Zia Quarter Horse Stakes 400 yards
July 19 $375,000 (est) Zia Quarter Horse Futurity 400 yards
July 19 $50,000 Zia Quarter Horse Juvenile 400 yards
July 19 $50,000 Zia 870 Championship 870 yards
July 25 $45,000 Mr. Jet Moore Q.H. Stakes 400 yards
July 26 $50,000 Road Runner Stakes (TB) 5 and ½ Furlongs
Aug 2 $50,000 Rio Grande Senorita (TB) 5 and ½ Furlongs
Aug 2 $50,000 Rio Grande Senor (TB) 5 and ½ Furlongs
Aug 16 $50,000 Lincoln Stakes (TB) 6 Furlongs
Aug 29 $50,000 Bill Reed Memorial 870 yards
Sept 6 $1 mIllion (est.) All American Q.H. Derby 440 yards
Sept 6 $700,000 (est.) All American Q.H. Oaks 440 yards
Sept 6 $100,000 All American Q.H. Invitational 440 yards
Sept 7 $3 million (est.) All American Q.H. Futurity 440 yards
Sept 7 $200,000 All American Q.H. Juvenile 440 yards
Sept 7 $250,000 All American Q.H. Gold Cup 440 yards
According to the Downs of Albuquerque website, the barn area is scheduled to open for horses and trainers on April 22.
Both annual horse sales will be held at Ruidoso Downs Horse Sales Pavilion. The annual New Mexico-bred Quarter Horse and Thoroughbred Yearling Sale will be Saturday, August 15. The annual All American Select Sale will also be held at Ruidoso Downs on Friday and Saturday, Sept. 4-5.
Billy the Kid Casino at Ruidoso Downs Racetrack remains open Thursdays through Sundays from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. The casino will remain open while the horse race meet is being conducted at Downs of Albuquerque.
Courtesy of Tim Keithley, Ruidoso Downs
Suzanne Hunger May of Fort Stockton passed away Friday, March 6, 2026, at the age of 95. She passed away at the home where she and her late husband, John, had lived since 1956. Sue was born on October 16, 1930, in Rochester, New York to Felix and Helen Hunger. Sue graduated from the University of Arizona, where she met and later married John May on September 22, 1953.
She was devoted to her family and friends, active in the community and church and deeply involved in the family’s horse business. She spent summers in Ruidoso, New Mexico, where she and John maintained a successful racing stable. In 2019, racing in the family’s Quarter Horse racing name J&SM Inc., they won the $1.5 Million All American Derby-G1 with Rustys Miracle.
Sue is survived by son Doug May of Fort Stockton, Judy May Wiest and husband Rocco of Fort Stockton, grandchildren, Chase Wiest and wife Jacinda and Kellie Wiest Young and great-grandchildren, Rylee Wiest, Cody Young and Parker Young.
On Tuesday, March 10, 2026, at 11:00 A. M. a Memorial Service celebrating Sue’s life will take place at the First Presbyterian Church in Fort Stockton under the direction of Reverend Dr. Jim Miles. In lieu of flowers the family requests you make donation to the First Presbyterian Church of Fort Stockton, the Racetrack Chapel at Ruidoso Downs, the West Texas Boys Ranch, or a charity of your choice. Funeral Arrangements are being made under the direction of the Heritage Funeral Home of the Big Bend.
by Speedhorse
OKLAHOMA CITY – Trainer Jason Olmstead was never sure how Cardiac Cowboy was going to run in 2025, but he had a good feeling about him in his first stakes race of 2026 at Remington Park.
Olmstead was not wrong as Cardiac Cowboy powered his way to the front and won the $75,000 Mighty Deck Three Stakes on Sunday night. The race is a restricted Grade 2 event for Oklahoma-breds, 3-years-old and older.
“He came in here last year, sick, and never really came out of it,” Olmstead said. “But today, he was being real pushy and I just had a feeling he was going to run big.”
Cardiac Cowboy might have won only one race in nine tries last year, but he has started 2026 in fine fashion – winning his first start. The 5-year-old Oklahoma-bred gelding by Flying Cowboy 123, from the Carters Cartel mare Southard Cartel. He was sent off at lukewarm 5-1 odds, but outlasted a hard-charging 4-5 odds-on favorite, Hard to Politic, at the wire for the victory by a head. Jockey Armando Alvidrez drove Cardiac Cowboy hard to the finish line for the win for owners Tom and Lou Ann Smith, and Amber Olmstead of Pryor, Okla.
“He has run all the big races,” Olmstead said. “It was a lackluster 2025 and this was the starting point for our plan to bring him back. He was either going to go up after this race or down. Looks like it’s going to be up. There is a good Oklahoma-bred program (of stakes) for him, so that will be next.”
Alvidrez said he couldn’t ask for anything more from Cardiac Cowboy in this spot.
“He broke fast and did it on his own,” the jockey said. “He is a true professional; very nice.”
Cardiac Cowboy beat two past champions of this race – last year’s winner, Ima Fancy Eye Opener (9-2 odds, who ran fifth) and 2024 winner Ls Jacks Back (19-1, who dead-heated for seventh with Like That Corona in the field of nine).
Cardiac Cowboy covered the 250 yards over a fast track in :13.162 seconds, earning a speed index of 94. The runner-up, Hard to Politic, was a head back and another head in front of third-place finisher Mystic Paint (10-1), who also hails from Olmstead’s barn.
Cardiac Cowboy paid $12.40 to win, $4.40 to place and $3.20 to show. He earned $43,200 from the purse and improved his lifetime record to 28 starts, 11 wins, three seconds and four thirds for a bankroll of $412,556. He was bred by Jo Rice and was never sold at auction.
It was the second win in this series for Olmstead, who also trained the 2023 winner of the Mighty Deck Three Stakes – Apollitical Payoff.
Remington Park racing continues March 12-15, Thursday through Sunday. The first post time is 6 p.m. nightly with the exception of Sundays when the first race goes off at 4 p.m. All times are Central.
Remington Park has provided more than $408 Million to the State of Oklahoma general education fund since the opening of the casino in 2005. Located at the junction of Interstates 35 & 44, in the heart of the Oklahoma City Adventure District. The 2026 Remington Park American Quarter Horse, Paint and Appaloosa Season is underway. The 85th Oklahoma Futurity will be contested on Saturday, March 21. Remington Park presents year-round simulcast racing and casino gaming. Guests must be 18 or older to wager on horse racing or to enter the casino gaming floor. Visit remingtonpark.com for more information.
Courtesy of Dale Day
OKLAHOMA CITY – The best was saved for last as AJ Remember Me burst to the lead under jockey Juan Pulido in the final trial of the night for the $259,655 Oklahoma Derby, putting up a blazingly fast and best time of the night in :17.430 seconds at 350 yards over a fast track. The colt earned a 94 speed index for his efforts.
The Grade 3 Oklahoma Derby will run as a part of a multiple stakes card on Saturday, March 21. The night is headlined by the 85th-running of the Grade 2, $435,395 Oklahoma Futurity, the longest running futurity in American Quarter Horse racing lore.
AJ Remember Me’s trainer, Josue Garcia, had to wait out an objection claimed by Trackmaster B, alleging interference immediately after the start. After video review, the Oklahoma Horse Racing Commission stewards determined the foul claim would not be upheld. That was the best news for AJ Remember Me’s connections, including owner Corinna Sosa of Blanchard, Okla. It was the fourth win in eight starts for the impressive winner. The 3-year-old California-bred colt had already made a case for himself in the past for being a classy horse. The son of Apollitical Jess, out of the Tres Seis mare Remember Robyn, is bred top and bottom to be a runner that flies down the track. His past races are an indication of that.
AJ Remember Me broke his maiden easily by a full length at first asking at Remington Park on March 28, 2025 and was then shipped to the mountain at Ruidoso Downs in New Mexico. He won a Ruidoso Futurity trial by the same length in his second career start and then ran third in the Grade 1, $1 million Ruidoso Futurity final. He was close to winning his next two starts, losing by a head and then by a half-length. He found the winner’s circle once again in a trial for the Grade 1, $2 Million Futurity at Los Alamitos on the West Coast in California, before finishing second, beaten just a head in the lucrative final at 28-1 odds.
The record for AJ Remember Me coming into Sunday’s Oklahoma Derby trials was seven starts, three wins, two seconds and two thirds for earnings of $449,745. He was purchased from the Heritage Place September Yearling Sale of 2024 for $120,000.
Luziana Man put up the top time in the first of the seven Oklahoma Derby trials but it could not hold up to the effort of AJ Remember Me in the final trial.
The seven trials were conducted in southerly headwinds between 13-17mph.
The other nine qualifiers in Sunday’s Oklahoma Derby trials for 3-year-old Quarter Horses (with jockey, trainer, trial number-race number, times and speed index were):
Remington Park racing continues March 12-15, Thursday through Sunday. The first post time is 6 p.m. nightly with the exception of Sundays when the first race goes off at 4 p.m. All times are Central.
Remington Park has provided more than $408 Million to the State of Oklahoma general education fund since the opening of the casino in 2005. Located at the junction of Interstates 35 & 44, in the heart of the Oklahoma City Adventure District. The 2026 Remington Park American Quarter Horse, Paint and Appaloosa Season is underway. The 85th Oklahoma Futurity will be contested on Saturday, March 21. Remington Park presents year-round simulcast racing and casino gaming. Guests must be 18 or older to wager on horse racing or to enter the casino gaming floor. Visit remingtonpark.com for more information.
Courtesy of Dale Day
LOS ALAMITOS RACE COURSE, CYPRESS, CA – Perhaps it was not the prettiest race ever run by Keith Nellesen’s Beuteeful, but the results were still effective and delightful for her connections, as the dashing gray filly posted the fastest qualifying time to the Grade 1, $415,500 Los Alamitos Oaks during Saturday’s trials held at the Orange County track.
Ridden by Rodrigo Sigala Vallejo for trainer Kristen Watanabe, Beuteeful broke in after starting from post one, then angled slightly outwards as she crossed the gap. She established a daylight lead before holding off the big surge by M and G Farms and Steve Burns’ Shiny New by a neck in a time of :19.787 at 400 yards. In the end, Beuteeful added another victory to her resume to bring her record to six wins in eight career starts at Los Alamitos.
She’ll now enter the Los Alamitos Oaks final to be held on Saturday, March 28 as the top qualifier to California’s richest race for 3-year-old fillies. A total of 22 fillies competed in the three trials held on Saturday night, with the impressive newcomer Ruse Ticle Knockout and the surprising CM Jessa Blue Monday recording the other trial wins. The complete list of qualifiers is as follows: Beuteeful (:19.787), Ruse Ticle Knockout(:19.810), Shiny New (:19.812), Fancy Upp (:19.922), Diamond Cowgirl 123 (:19.981), CM Jessa Blue Monday (:20.070), Walk When I Walk (:20.091), French Valley (:20.154), You Are The Best (:20.154), and Elemyntal (:20.227).
Beuteeful will look to add the Los Alamitos Oaks to her victory in the Grade 2 Robert Adair Kindergarten Futurity last year. Bred in Utah by McColee Land & Livestock, the daughter of KVN Corona out of Budder Think Twice also qualified for both the Grade 1 Golden State Million Futurity and the Grade 1 Los Alamitos Two Million Futurity. Already with earnings of $313,262, she’ll need to be as sharp as ever when she takes on the other top fillies in the Los Alamitos Oaks. Beuteeful, along with the others in her trial, had to stand behind the gate for some extra time due to the scratch of one of the other fillies in the trial.
“She broke a little slow, perhaps because of the scratch of the other horse,” Sigala Vallejo said. “She’s a great filly and it wasn’t the most comfortable win, but to qualify the way she did, it was a very good race. She may have also been a little confused because we had to take her out of the gate and the time that she waited behind the gate; perhaps that confused her. Fortunately, she ran a good race and she enjoyed another triumph, and now we move to the final.”
Making her Los Alamitos debut, Mi Serenity’s Ruse Ticle Knockout took the lead shortly after the start, opened up a half-length lead early on, and then cruised from there to win by a length under jockey Edwin Escobedo for trainer Eddie Willis. The Apollitical Jess filly, out of the top broodmare Adolph Tres Knockout, improved to five wins from nine starts while posting the second-fastest qualifying time. Bred by Five Puig Racing LLC, Ruse Ticle Knockout ran third in last year’s Grade 3 Black Gold Fillies Futurity and second in the Grade 2 Southwest Juvenile Invitational. Willis won the Los Alamitos Oaks last year with Shaken Goin On, who also arrived at the Cypress track after competing in the Black Gold Fillies Futurity in 2024.
“She’s so professional,” Escobedo said. “She just goes in the gate and is ready to run. She just does it on her own. I just don’t want to mess it up and we just try to get there first. The races before that I’ve ridden her, she really likes to close down at the end, especially at Ruidoso. She really liked 440 as well.”
Ruse Ticle Knockout won her Rainbow Futurity trial at 400 yards and ran a strong third in her trial to the All American Futurity at 440 yards.
Shiny New, a filly by Mpshinning out of the AQHA champion Quirky, was coming on strong when running second to Beuteeful in their trial. Lightly raced, the Valentin Zamudio-trained filly was the fastest qualifier to the Grade 1 Ed Burke Million Futurity and was third in that final. She won her 2026 debut in her last start and in this outing, she bumped early on but still ran a very good race from post number six. She’s finished in the money in all five career starts. Ruben Lozano has ridden her in all of her starts.
Lozano was also in the irons for trainer Luke Lindsey aboard trial winner CM Jessa Blue Monday, who rallied from an early deficit to win at odds of 15-1. Owned and bred by Randy Dickerson, the filly by Cyber Monday out of Cool Blue Corona held off Grade 1 Los Alamitos Winter Derby finalist Walk When I Walk to win this trial.
“I’m thrilled,” Lindsey said. “Ruben said she was struggling early getting away from there for the first five jumps. Then she came flying. To me, it looked like she was ahead because we were watching at an angle; then I saw the drone shot and I saw that she caught them.”
Dickerson, a longtime horseman with ties to the Northwest, and Lindsey have enjoyed many victories together at Los Alamitos over the years.
“(Randy) is like family,” Lindsey said. “We’re down here, we’re trying this out. I’ve trained for him for eight years. We have some good horses right now.”
Courtesy Los Alamitos Publicity
Remington Park
WINNER of the 2026 Mighty Deck Three S. – RG2
CARDIAC COWBOY (#2)
g. (Flying Cowboy 123-Southard Cartel, Carters Cartel)
Breeder: Jo Rice
Owner: Tom Smith, Lou Ann Smith and Amber Olmstead
Trainer: Jason Olmstead
Jockey: Armando Alvidrez
Remaining Order of Finish: Hard to Politic (#3), Mystic Paint (#9), Apolitical Time (#1), Ima Fancy Eye Opener (#6), Trademarque (#8), Like That Corona (#5-DH), Ls Jacks Back (#7-DH), Pevs Giddy Up Go (#4)
Los Alamitos
WINNER of the 2026 Brad Mckinzie Winter Championship S. – G1
FAVORITE JESSHAWK (#8)
c. (A Mere Felix-Jess Hawk, One Sweet Jess)
Breeder: Eg High Desert Farms Llc
Owner: EG High Desert Farms LLC
Trainer: Jesus Nunez
Jockey: Martin Arriaga
Remaining Order of Finish: Lethal Cowboy 123 (#9), Kevins Wise Corona (#4), Holy Pete (#3), Edberg Verde (#2), Show N Tell Cartel (#1), Rlh Fouronthefloor (#7), Defending Champ (#5), Special Batch (#6)
OKLAHOMA CITY – It was Leo Alcala’s world Saturday night and everyone else was just paying him rent. The Remington Park trainer qualified three of the fastest five 2-year-old American Quarter Horses to the finals of the Grade 2, $435,395 final, including the swiftest in A Fortunate Cowboy.
A Fortunate Cowboy covered the 300 yards in his trial in a time of :15.475 seconds, earning a speed index of 90, over the fast track. The time held up from the second trial of the night. Jockey Nestor Duran, who won three races on the night, was aboard A Fortunate Cowboy for Alcala and hit the wire 3-1/4 lengths ahead of the runner-up, Bad N Bougie 123. Duran qualified all three of Alcala’s finalists on Saturday.
Alcala won five races on the card to dominate all trainers competing on the second night of Oklahoma Futurity trials. His other two qualifiers for the finals were Nena C and Ruse Man Crystal, who were victorious in their trials and came in with the fourth- and fifth-fastest times on the evening.
Jockey Juan Pulido also rode three winners on the card, two of those for Alcala, but none qualified for the finals.
A Fortunate Cowboy is a Texas-bred colt by Flying Cowboy 123, out of the mare A Fortunate Choice, who was sired by A Regal Choice. The fastest qualifier is owned by Rolando Resendez of Mission, Texas. The colt was bred by Rigby and Brumby Partnership. Resendez purchased his blazingly fast runner for $35,000 at the Ruidoso Select Yearling Sale last year in New Mexico. The winner’s share of the final in the Quarter Horse game’s oldest futurity is $174,158.
Flying Cowboy 123 is the leading first crop sire of all time as a stallion and was quite the runner on the racetrack as well. He won 8-of-13 races, earning $965,811. He was named American Quarter Horse Association Racing Champion 2-year-old Colt and AQHA Racing Champion 3-year-old Colt.
A Fortunate Cowboy’s dam (mother), A Fortunate Choice was a graded stakes placed runner, winning 3-of-14 lifetime.
A light and diminishing tailwind gave slight aid to the runners on Saturday at Remington Park. The northerly tailwind started at 5mph in the first trial but was negated to an official reading of zero by the end of the trials.
The five fastest qualifiers Saturday night (jockey, trainer, trial number-race number, times and speed index):
A Fortunate Cowboy, Nestor Duran, Leo Alcala, trial two (race three), :15.475, 90
Crystal Boi, Bryan Candanosa, Jose U. Lopez, trial six (race seven), :15.509, 88
Chin Up Buttercup, Roman Cruz, Dee Keener, trial seven (race eight), :15.575, 86
Nena C, Nestor Duran, Leo Alcala, trial five (race six), :15.590, 86
Ruse Man Crystal, Nestor Duran, Leo Alcala, trial three (race four), :15.623, 85
The five fastest qualifiers from Friday over a fast track with a headwind in double digits (with jockey, trainer, trial number-race number, times and speed index) were:
Kiss Me Ina Flash, Juan Pulido, Jed Vane, trial five (race six), :15.472, 90
One Fancy Cowboy, Bryan Candanosa, Jose U. Lopez, trial seven (race eight), :15.698, 82
Scott Road, Edwin Escobedo, Sammy Mendoza, trial nine (race 10), :15.711, 82
Whiskey Doc, Cody Smith, Stacey Capps, trial eight (race nine), :15.728, 81
Valiant Sass, Roman Cruz, Dee Keener, trial nine (race 10), :15.746, 81
The nine trials on Friday, the first evening of trials, were conducted into a southerly headwind, ranging from 14-17mph.
The historic 85th Oklahoma Futurity will be the headliner on a night full of stakes events at Remington Park on Saturday, March 21.
Remington Park racing continues Sunday, March 8 with a first post time of 4pm-Central.
Remington Park has provided more than $408 Million to the State of Oklahoma general education fund since the opening of the casino in 2005. Located at the junction of Interstates 35 & 44, in the heart of the Oklahoma City Adventure District. The 2026 Remington Park American Quarter Horse, Paint and Appaloosa Season is underway. The 85th Oklahoma Futurity will be contested on Saturday, March 21. Remington Park presents year-round simulcast racing and casino gaming. Guests must be 18 or older to wager on horse racing or to enter the casino gaming floor. Visit remingtonpark.com for more information.
Courtesy Richard Linihan, Remington Park
OKLAHOMA CITY – Dunn Ranch purchased Kiss Me Ina Flash for $140,000 at the 2025 Heritage Place September Yearling Sale in Oklahoma City. After the performance Kiss Me Ina Flash put forth Friday night at Remington Park, that purchase is starting to look like the bargain of the year.
The 2-year-old Oklahoma-bred filly Quarter Horse challenged some of the lightning in the skies around Oklahoma on Friday night with her own lightning quick feet. She was easily the fastest qualifier on night one of the Oklahoma Futurity trials. The daughter of Kiss My Hocks, out of the First Moonflash mare Flashing My PJs, stopped the timer for 300 yards in a time of :15.472, earning a 90 speed index over the fast track. The next fastest time of the night from nine trials was :15.698, (82). The run by Kiss Me Ina Flash was as visually impressive as any horse that has stepped foot on the Remington Park track this meet.,
There are two nights of Oklahoma Futurity trials to qualify 10 finalists for the race. The Grade 2, $435,395 Oklahoma Futurity final is scheduled to be run at Remington Park on Saturday, March 21. It will be the 85th running of the oldest futurity in American Quarter Horse racing. The five fastest in the trials on Saturday night will join five from tonight in the finals.
Kiss Me Ina Flash is regally bred to be something special. Her sire (dad), Kiss My Hocks, was a two-time American Quarter Horse Association Racing Champion and his progeny earnings are more than $17 million on the racetrack. In his racing career, Kiss My Hocks won 9-of-12 starts for $1,199,385 in earnings. If that weren’t enough, Kiss Me Ina Flash’s dam (mother), Flashing My PJs can flash a few racing stats of her own. She only raced four times, but she won a Heritage Place Futurity trial and an All American Futurity trial as a 2-year-old and ran seventh in the Grade 1, $3 Million All American Futurity final. She banked $135,130. Flashing My PJs was sired by First Moonflash.
Kiss Me Ina Flash looks to carry on the family talent if she can repeat Friday night’s effort. Under jockey Juan Pulido, she drew off to win by 3-1/4 lengths as the 4-5 favorite. She is trained by Jed Vane for owner Dunn Ranch of Wynnewood, Okla. Kiss Me Ina Flash was bred by Flashing My PJs Partnership.
Other than Kiss Me Ina Flash, the fastest qualifier, here are the rest of the five from Friday (with jockey, trainer, trial number (race number), times and speed index were:
The nine trials were conducted into a southerly headwind, ranging from 14-17mph.
Remington Park racing continues Saturday, March 7 night with nine more Oklahoma Futurity trials with horses looking for those last five spots in the finals. First post time is 6 p.m. Racing starts at 4 p.m. on Sunday, March 8 with Oklahoma Derby trials on tap, along with the $75,000 Mighty Deck Three Stakes.
Remington Park has provided more than $408 Million to the State of Oklahoma general education fund since the opening of the casino in 2005. Located at the junction of Interstates 35 & 44, in the heart of the Oklahoma City Adventure District. The 2026 Remington Park American Quarter Horse, Paint and Appaloosa Season is underway. The 85th Oklahoma Futurity will be contested on Saturday, March 21. Remington Park presents year-round simulcast racing and casino gaming. Guests must be 18 or older to wager on horse racing or to enter the casino gaming floor. Visit remingtonpark.com for more information.
Courtesy of Richard Linihan, Remington Park
LOS ALAMITOS RACE COURSE, CYPRESS, CA… Ed Allred’s multiple Grade 1-winning homebred London Toby has been retired following an outstanding career in which he won 10 races and earned $358,989.
The 8-year-old gelding is by leading sire Favorite Cartel and out of Allred’s winning mare London Laura, an allowance winner at Los Alamitos in 2016. London Toby stands as her leading earner, as the flashy sorrel accumulated six stakes victories for trainer Scott Willoughby while racing exclusively at Los Alamitos. His signature win came in the 2024 Brad McKinzie Los Alamitos Winter Championship, where he was bumped from both sides leaving post seven, shrugged off the trouble, and relentlessly made up ground with every stride to secure a neck victory in the Grade 1, 400-yard event.
A true Los Alamitos mainstay, London Toby was a model of consistency throughout his career. He added a pair of victories in the Restricted Grade 1 Spencer Childers California Breeders Championship Handicap in 2023 and 2024, and also scored wins in the Be A Bono Stakes and the Z. Wayne Griffin Directors Trials in 2024. His excellent Brad McKinzie win earned him a spot in the 2024 Champion of Champions, where he faced a sensational field that included eventual winner Empressum, Jeriko, and Shakers No Secret.
London Toby’s journey to the top was a steady climb. His first stakes victory came in the 2022 Grade 3 First Down Dash Handicap, marking his fourth consecutive win over a two-year span. Perhaps his most visually impressive performance occurred on June 4, 2021, when he recorded a jaw-dropping, four-length victory in an allowance race at 330 yards—a rare margin of victory in a Quarter Horse dash.
His recent campaigns were defined by selective racing and high-level excellence. In 2025, he raced only three times, delivering solid runner-up finishes in the Grade 1 Brad McKinzie and Grade 1 Vessels Maturity, followed by a gritty fourth-place effort in a trial for the Champion of Champions. While his connections initially considered a run in this year’s Winter Championship, Allred ultimately made the decision to retire the classy veteran.
“He was an excellent horse that provided us with a lot of thrilling victories,” the AQHA Hall of Fame owner and breeder said.
Gifted and talented, London Toby also demonstrated immense resilience as he dealt with stomach ailments during his racing career. “He was a patient at the University of California, Davis, a couple of times,” Allred noted. “He has a special diet. Every race he gave us was a joy.”
London Toby will enjoy his well-earned retirement at a ranch in Orange Park Acres, located near the track he called home, Los Alamitos Race Course.
Courtesy of Orlando Gutierrez
LOS ALAMITOS RACE COURSE, CYPRESS, CA… After the sun has set over the snow-capped Southern California mountains and the lights of Los Alamitos illuminate the Cypress track, the stakes couldn’t be higher in the eighth race Sunday night. That’s when nine outstanding older horses will enter the starting gate for the running of the Grade 1 Brad McKinzie Los Alamitos Winter Championship at 400 yards.
For the elite field assembled, the dash represents the first “Golden Ticket” of the season. The winner earns a presumptive berth into the $700,000 Champion of Champions on December 12—the sport’s most prestigious race for older horse. Securing a spot in March allows a stable the freedom to plan the rest of the winner’s campaign, knowing a place in the December classic is already reserved. The race is named in honor of the late Brad McKinzie, the Los Alamitos track executive who had a profound impact on the sport, and this year’s edition features another powerhouse field.
The biggest name among the nine is the millionaire Lethal Cowboy 123, a runner who has been nearly flawless at the Orange County track. Owned by the partnership of Caliche Walls Venture, LLC, Alan Isbell, Lance Bland, and Jimmy Barton, “The Cowboy” has proven to be a true horse for the course with a stellar record of six wins from just seven starts at Los Alamitos. A dual Grade 1 winner in 2024 with victories in the Los Alamitos Two Million Futurity and the Golden State Million Futurity, his only local blemish came in his most recent start—a surprising fourth-place finish in the Grade 1 Los Alamitos Super Derby. Under the guidance of 2024 AQHA Trainer of the Year Marc Jungers and piloted by Edwin Escobedo—the 2025 Val Tonks Award winner as the track’s top rising jockey—Lethal Cowboy 123 enters 2026 with one singular focus: securing his spot in the Champion of Champions.
“That’s our goal,” Jungers said earlier this meet. Lethal Cowboy 123, who posted a turn-and-work in :12.60 on February 15, will start from the outside post (number nine) while searching for a return to the Los Alamitos winner’s circle. He looks to add to his remarkable record of 10 wins from 14 starts and career earnings of $1,426,127.
Adding elite class and consistency to the mix is Favorite Jesshawk, the standout runner for EG High Desert Farms and trainer Jesus Nunez. A two-time PCQHRA Champion Colt at ages two and three, he has already amassed career earnings of over $414,000. Favorite Jesshawk comes into this race following a strong performance in the Grade 2 Southern California Derby on December 21, where he finished a hard-fought second to Shaken Goin On—the PCQHRA Horse of the Year and AQHA Champion 3-Year-Old Filly. His sophomore campaign also featured a win in the Grade 2 Golden State Derby and a runner-up effort in the Governor’s Cup Derby. Jockey Martin Arriaga will be aboard Favorite Jesshawk as they leave from post eight.
Seeking a return to his stakes winning form is the appropriately named Defending Champ, from the barn of owner Edward C. Allred and trainer Scott Willoughby. This son of Favorite Cartel enjoyed his biggest win last July with a dominant victory in the Governor’s Cup Derby (G2) in which he showed his best speed ever out of the gate instead of just relying on his comeback style. While he looks to get back into the winner’s circle following his last two starts—out of the money efforts in the Southern California Derby trials and the A Ransom Handicap—those races provided more valuable experience against elite company. Known for a powerful closing kick, he remains a major threat if he recaptures his Derby-winning brilliance. Gabriel Lara will pilot from post five.
Also in the hunt is the battle-tested Kevins Wise Corona, owned by Parsons Ranchand trained by Paul Jones. He enters the new season in top form following his second graded stakes win when taking the Grade 3 First Down Dash Handicap this past December. With career earnings of $178,898 and a resume featuring a win in the Grade 3 Kaweah Bar and top three efforts in the Ed Burke Million Futurity, Golden State and Southern California Derby, he has proven he is among the top aged horses on the grounds. A sharp 220-yard bullet workout in :12.50 on February 14 suggests he is primed for a big effort at a distance where he has often shined. Eduardo Nicasio gets the assignment.
Casey Whitaker and Michael McKell’s Rlh Fouronthefloor has made two starts at Los Alamitos, both resulting in strong top-three finishes. In his local debut, the gelding by Jess Got Easier was third to heavyweights Jeriko and Empressum in the Z. Wayne Griffin Directors Trials, just missing a berth to the 2025 Champion of Champions. He followed that with a second-place finish to Kevins Wise Corona in the Grade 3 First Down Dash Handicap to close out the year. A full brother to stakes winner Pattys Saint, the James J. Gonzales II-trained runner enters with seven wins from 16 starts. Christian Cardenas will steer from post seven.
Zane Kiehne’s Holy Pete is the only horse in the field with no local racing experience, but he boasts a powerful resume. The John Stinebaugh trainee won the Ruidoso Invitational as a juvenile and qualified for both the Grade 1 All American Derby and Grade 1 Texas Classic Derby last year. Bred by Bobby Cox, the Favorite Cartel gelding posted a sharp :12.5 turn-and-work on February 15 as he looks for his eighth win in 15 career outings. Francisco Calderon, who has enjoyed a lot of success at Los Alamitos in recent years, will handle the reins.
Franco Ranch and Mario Tellez Montiel’s Show N Tell Cartel enjoyed his biggest win in March 2025 when he scored in the El Primero Del Ano Derby at 10-1 odds. He looks to show off his talents Sunday night from the rail. To be ridden by Cesar Franco for trainer Elena Andrade, Show N Tell Cartel was the “claim of the year” in 2024; Tellez Montiel acquired him for just $16,000 in the Los Alamitos Claiming Futurity. He went on to qualify for the Los Alamitos Two Million Futurity final, was named the PCQHRA Most Improved Horse of the Year, and followed that up with his El Primero win and qualifying efforts for the Grade 1 Los Alamitos Super Derby and the Grade 2 Southern California Derby.
Mauro Eli Zaborowsky’s Edberg Verge, a talented Brazilian-bred, brings extensive Grade 1 experience and has hit the board in several major stakes at this track. Though he has only won twice in 17 U.S. starts, he has shown the ability to make up ground late in his last two outings at 400 yards. He benefits from the meet’s hottest rider in Grade 1 races, Henry Reynoso Lopez, while Paul Jones conditions the No Secrets Here horse.
Rounding out the field is Jesus Cuevas’ Special Batch. While he has only won once in 11 career starts, his one taste of stakes action resulted in a solid third-place finish to Eyesa Wagon My Tale in the A Ransom Handicap on December 20. Jonathan Roman will look to guide Special Batch to an upset victory for trainer Valentin Zamudio.
Courtesy Los Alamitos Publicity
OKLAHOMA CITY – Three-time defending champion trainer at Remington Park, Dee Keener, qualified four of the 10 finalists Thursday for the Grade 1, $188,500 Oklahoma Paint and Appaloosa Futurity, set for Saturday, March 21.
Keener’s four finalists included the fastest qualifier of the night, DW Showin D Off, who set the mark to shoot at in the second of six trials on the night, covering 300 yards in a time of :15.776 seconds, earning a speed index of 80 over a fast track. None of the other four trials afterward could match that time.
The six trials were contested into a headwind of 15-17mph.
Jockey Roman Cruz was aboard three of Keener’s four finalists and was in the irons for DW Showin D Off when he popped on top out of the gates with this 2-year-old gelded Oklahoma-bred Paint by the Quarter Horse sire, Uncle D, out of the SF Royal Quick Flash mare Shez Showin Off. DW Showin D Off is owned by Danny J. Watkins of Wagoner, Okla., and will be the one to beat in the finals.
DW Showin D Off did a little bit more than showing off Thursday and in his training race on Feb. 12 at Remington Park. He was not asked to run much by his rider in that schooling race and still won easily by 2-1/4 lengths into a headwind of 16 mph. It was virtually the same wind Thursday on Opening Night when he won his trial by 1-1/4 lengths. The time of :13.95 in the training race was extremely close to the fastest Quarter Horse schooling race time of the day at :13.90. That’s how much talent this Paint possesses.
A lot of the DW Showin D Off talent may come from his sire (daddy), Uncle D. That Quarter Horse was a two-time American Quarter Horse Association Racing Champion and was a winner of one of the top Quarter Horse races of the year in taking down the Grade 1 Rainbow Futurity at Ruidoso Downs in New Mexico in 2019. His career record was 10 starts, four wins, three seconds and two thirds for $689,165 in earnings.
They call Keener, a native of Inola, Okla., the Paint King because he came into the Remington Park season with 489 wins lifetime with mixed breeds, well ahead of second-place Matt Whitekiller at 442. Keener’s three wins Thursday night boosted him up to 492 trips to the winner’s circle with Paints. It took years for Keener and Whitekiller to pass Lewis Wartchow, the late champion trainer who held that “King” distinction forever at 321 wins prior to his passing 2003.
The other nine qualifiers in Thursday’s six trials for the Paints and just one Appaloosa (with jockey, trainer, trial number (race number), times and speed index) were:
MW Because Im Alive, Cristian Cardenas, James J. Gonzales II, trial four (race seven), :15.798, 79
Limited Jesse, Christian Cardenas, James J. Gonzales II, trial three (race six), :15.817, 78
Chilinator, Cody Smith, Matt Whitekiller, trial three (race six), :15.920, 75
Iam George III, Roman Cruz, Dee Keener, trial one (race four), :15.943, 74
Game Favorite, Roman Cruz, Dee Keener, trial four (race seven), :15.967, 73
Tres of Light, Justine Klaiber, Eddie Willis, trial two (race five), :15.979, 73
Paddy Powers, Mario Delgado, Dee Keener, trial four (race seven), :16.003, 72
Pepperoncini, Mario Delgado, Tyler Crawford, trial two (race five), :16.056, 70
Big Rotney, Cody Smith, Matt Whitekiller, trial six (race nine), :16.063, 70
Keener’s training triple came with Iam George III ($5.40 to win), DW Showin D Off ($5.20) and WF Manfredi ($38), a non-qualifier from the eighth race and fifth trial.
All 10 qualifiers for the Oklahoma Paint & Appaloosa Futurity are Paints.
Remington Park’s Opening Weekend for the 2026 season continues Friday through Sunday, March 6-8. Trials for the $435,395 Oklahoma Futurity will be held both Friday and Saturday with the first race each night at 6pm. Sunday racing begins at 4pm and features trials for the $259,655 Oklahoma Derby and the $75,000 Mighty Deck Three Stakes.
Remington Park has provided more than $408 Million to the State of Oklahoma general education fund since the opening of the casino in 2005. Located at the junction of Interstates 35 & 44, in the heart of the Oklahoma City Adventure District. The 2026 Remington Park American Quarter Horse, Paint and Appaloosa Season is underway. The 85th Oklahoma Futurity will be contested on Saturday, March 21. Remington Park presents year-round simulcast racing and casino gaming. Guests must be 18 or older to wager on horse racing or to enter the casino gaming floor. Visit remingtonpark.com for more information.
Courtesy of Remington Park
LOS ALAMITOS RACE COURSE, CYPRESS, CA – Thompson Racing, Paul Jones, and Alexis Andrade’s Doodah Cartel has been one of the standout stories of the young season at Los Alamitos, following a pair of terrific performances in the trials and final of the Grade 1 Los Alamitos Winter Derby.
The Thompson and Jones-bred son of Favorite Cartel won his Winter Derby trial with a “see-it-to-believe-it” victory; despite being knocked around early and forced to swerve to find running room, an amazing late surge earned him the win and the fastest qualifying time. In the Winter Derby final, Doodah Cartel put it all together, holding off Politician V to win the 400-yard classic in an emotional victory for his connections.
Named in honor of Debbie Thompson’s father, Bernie Erickson—who famously used “Doodah” as his go-to saying—the talented Grade 1-winning sprinter will now headline the trials for the Grade 2, $185,100 El Primero Del Año Derby this Sunday night.
A total of 20 horses will compete in the 400-yard trials, with the runners posting the 10 fastest times moving on to the final on Sunday, March 29. Doodah Cartel is the highest-profile sprinter in the field, boasting a resume that includes four wins, four appearances in graded stakes finals, and total earnings of $257,999. Henry Reynoso Lopez will be in the irons for trainer Paul Jones in the third of three trials at 400 yards.
“He’s such a special horse, but he’s more than special because of his name and because of the memory of Bernie,” Jones said.
Following the Winter Derby win, Terry Thompson noted that Doodah Cartel has rejuvenated his passion for the sport. “It’s amazing that one horse can bring you back into the industry full-fledged,” Thompson said. “Our partners have been great; Alexis and his family have been fantastic. It’s been since Favorite Cartel that we’ve won a Grade 1.”
Doodah Cartel now begins his quest to become a two-time graded derby winner in 2026.
Brother Ray looks for an upset in trial 3
Owned by the partnership of Steve Burns, Jose Antonio Flores, Gerardo Herrera, and Javier Alvarez Rodriguez, Brother Ray competed in major futurity finals last year and now takes aim at Doodah Cartel in the third El Primero trial. He enters this event after a recent gate work for trainer Jose Flores. Last year, Brother Ray finished a solid sixth in the Grade 1 Los Alamitos Two Million Futurity and was a finalist in the Governor’s Cup.
The Return of El Dictator in Trial 2
The second El Primero trial will be headed by Travis and Wendy Saxton’s El Dictator, who makes his season debut after a fine juvenile season winning four of six starts, including the Ah Sigh Stakes and a pair of futurity trials. The son of Favorite Cartel ran a big race in the Governor’s Cup Futurity, finishing second to Mayor Humdinger while remaining in contention the entire way. The Jaime Gomez-bred runner is now under the care of trainer Juan Aleman and looks like the standout in the second heat.
A Highly Competitive Opening Trial
The opening trial looks highly competitive with graded stakes finalist Cowboy Country 123, recent trial winner More Of It, and newcomer Revolutionary V among the top names. Juan Moya and Steve Mickaelian’s Cowboy Country 123 won three races and finished in the money in six of nine starts last year. He was outstanding last summer, stringing together three consecutive victories and showing elite speed in the Grade 2 PCQHRA Breeders Futurity, where he ran fourth.
Among other top contenders in the opening trial, Valeriano Racing Stables’ Revolutionary Vwill be making his Los Alamitos debut after picking up wins in two of his three starts in 2025. One of those wins came in the trials to the All American Futurity when springing an upset at odds of 18-1. He enters his trial following a pair of turn and works.
Allred and Willoughby: A Full House in the Trials
Owner Ed Allred and trainer Scott Willoughby will bring a formidable group of five sprinters to the El Primero Del Año Derby trials, all sired by the prolific stallion Favorite Cartel:
Other Notable Contenders
Other notable names in the trials include Newcomb Racing’s Cattail Coast and Oscar Parra’s Unmarked. Cattail Coast competed in the Ed Burke Million final last year and seeks a return to graded stakes action when he joins the fray against Doodah Cartel in the final heat.
Unmarked won the Los Alamitos Claiming Futurity last August and was acquired by Parra as a $16,000 claim that night. This marks the first time since the Ed Burke Million trials that he will be running in a trial for a graded stakes. Francisco Rodriguez will saddle him in the second trial of the night.
Courtesy of Los Alamitos Publicity
LOS ALAMITOS RACE COURSE, CYPRESS, CA – In the years since the La Primera Del Ano Derby was renamed the Los Alamitos Oaks, this Grade 1 event has established itself as one of the premier races for fillies in the nation. Its national impact was immediate: 2024 winner Asscher was named the AQHA World Champion, while 2025 winner Shaken Goin On earned honors as the AQHA Champion 3-Year-Old Filly and PCQHRA Horse of the Year. Other past victors, such as Dreams Divine, Apollitical Patty, and Sweet Tess, have also been recognized as California’s top sophomore fillies.
Trials for the 2026 Grade 1, $415,500 Los Alamitos Oaks take place Saturday night at Los Alamitos, and once again, the lineup of hopefuls is as sturdy as oak. Keith Nellesen’s Beuteefulis one of 24 fillies that will compete in the Oaks trials at 400 yards, with the 10 fastest qualifiers advancing to the final to be held here on Saturday, March 28. She’ll headline the second of three trials, which also features Ed Burke Million finalist Shiny New and graded futurity finalists Fancy Upp, Elemyntal, and the talented AJ Gold Player.
Beuteeful leads the way in the second trial following a juvenile campaign that lived up to her name. The gray daughter of KVN Corona won the Grade 2 Robert Adair Kindergarten Futurity and qualified for both the Grade 1 Los Alamitos Two Million and the Grade 1 Golden State Million. She finished her freshman year with five wins from seven starts and earnings of $309,262. Her fourth-place finish in the Two Million was one of the few “blemishes” in a season that was otherwise a thing of beauty.
M & G Farms and Steve Burns’ Shiny New returned with as polished a sophomore debut as one could hope for. The daughter of Mpshinning, out of the AQHA Champion Aged Mare Quirky, scored a 3/4-length allowance win at 350 yards on Valentine’s Day. That effort sets her up perfectly for a return to Grade 1 glory. As she enters her Oaks trial, Shiny New brings a record of three wins from four starts, including posting the fastest qualifying time to last year’s Grade 1 Ed Burke Million Futurity.
Kolleen Ledgerwood’s Fancy Upp will be many horseplayers’ top choice to deliver a strong trial effort. The Favorite Cartel filly, out of graded stakes winner Up For It, finished in the money in seven of her eight starts as a juvenile, performing well whenever she stepped up against top-caliber opposition. A two-time winner, she was second against males in the Holiday Handicap on December 28. Fancy Upp also won her trials to the Grade 1 Los Alamitos Two Million and the Grade 2 PCQHRA Breeders Futurity. The Cesar De Alba trainee finished third in the Breeders Futurity final, trailing only standout runners SM My Valentine and eventual Grade 1 winner Toby Sis.
Meanwhile, Sergio Jimenez’s Elemyntal finished ahead of Fancy Upp when running third in the PCQHRA Breeders Futurity final. She has hit the board in five of her seven career starts for trainer Paul Jones.
Trainer James J. Gonzales II brings a solid group to the Oaks trials. Owned by the partnership of Tommy Neal, Kenny Henderson, Todd Nef, and Larry Halfmann, AJ Gold Player has already won twice at Los Alamitos since November, breaking her maiden on November 2 before returning to win an allowance event on December 20. A daughter of Apollitical Jess, she is out of the Corona Cartel mare Mischievous Player, hailing from the family of the great broodmare Dinastia Toll Brz.
Gonzales II will also saddle Mortons Ranch LLC and Ruse Ranch LLC’s Where Is Queen B, who recently outworked AJ Gold Player in preparation for these trials. Making her Los Alamitos debut in the opening Oaks trial, Where Is Queen B arrives after a solid campaign at Lone Star Park and Remington Park. At Lone Star, she ran third in her trial to the Grade 1 Texas Classic Futurity and finished her juvenile season with an allowance win. The filly by Flying Cowboy 123 is out of the graded stakes-placed mare and $232,000 earner Symbol of Faith. She’ll be facing the likes of In The Lead, Walk When I Walk, and French Valley in the first of three trials.
Two strong efforts in futurity trials last year established Steve Burns’ In The Lead as a contender to watch. Making her sophomore debut in an allowance on January 31, she scored a solid victory by a neck in a 350-yard time of :17.825. Trained by Mike Casselman, In The Lead previously won her trial for the Golden State Million Futurity, defeating a field that included Grade 1 finalist Vyper.
Steve Burns’ French Valley looks to recapture her early juvenile brilliance as she returns to action. A full sister to AQHA Champion Trane Station V, French Valley’s first four career outings resulted in a pair of wins and a pair of second-place finishes. One of those runner-up efforts came in the Grade 1 Ed Burke Million Futurity, where only PCQHRA Champion 2-Year-Old Colt Jess Im Worth It proved better. While she has finished out of the money in her last four starts, the talent remains for her to return to a more fertile, winning valley.
The Estate of Barry Woodhouse’s Walk When I Walk returns five weeks after facing males in the Grade 1 Los Alamitos Winter Derby. The Favorite Cartel filly was a four-time winner in 2025, and she should relish the return to facing her own sex for trainer Sergio Morfin.
The final trial will be headed by Diamond Cowgirl 123, a gem of a filly whose record includes a victory in the Texas Classic Juvenile at Lone Star Park in November. She followed that with a strong second-place finish to the highly regarded Shiny New on Valentine’s Day. Marc Jungers, who conditioned 2024 Oaks winner Asscher, trains Diamond Cowgirl 123 for the Diamond Cowgirl 123 partnership.
Parsons Ranch’s The Lady Is A Vamp should also thrive in this spot after a tough out against open rivals in the Winter Derby trials. She previously won her trials to both the PCQHRA Breeders Futurity and the Golden State Million Futurity, qualifying for both Grade 1 finals.
The final trial will also feature two exceptional newcomers: Michael McKell’s Fire In The Whole, winner of the Grade 3, $91,000 Bitterroot Futurity in Idaho, and Mi Serenity’s Ruse Ticle Knockout, who was third in the Restricted Grade 3 Black Gold Futurity for trainer Eddie Willis. Purchased for $210,000, the Apollitical Jess filly was the runner-up in the Grade 2 Southwest Juvenile Invitational at Zia Park on December 14. Ruse Ticle Knockout is a full sister to superstar broodmare As And Js, winner of the Grade 2 Junos Request and a high-level performer in the Champion of Champions and Mildred Vessels Memorial Handicap.
Courtesy of Los Alamitos Publicity
The Louisiana Quarter Horse Breeders Association (LQHBA), in partnership with Louisiana Downs, will award five $2,000 scholarships during a live drawing on Saturday, March 28, at the racetrack in Bossier City.
The drawing will be held in the winner’s circle immediately after the fourth race on a program that includes the Mardi Gras Futurity and Louisiana Downs Futurity. Registration opens at 11:00 a.m. on race day at the casino-level escalator and closes promptly after the third race. First post is set for 1:35 p.m., and applicants must be present in the winner’s circle following the fourth race to be eligible to win.
The scholarships are available to Louisiana high school graduates and 2026 graduating seniors planning to continue their education, as well as current Louisiana residents enrolled in a Louisiana college or university. Funds may be used for tuition, books, and required study materials and will be paid directly to the recipient’s educational institution.
Awards are subject to LQHBA board approval, and recipients must participate in promotional photos and related publicity. For full eligibility requirements and application details, visit LQHBA.com or contact Executive Director Bruce Salard at (318) 487-9506 or bsalard@lqhba.com.
by Speedhorse
Sunland Park
WINNER of the 2026 Sunburst Stakes – RG3
LOVELY JOSIE JAMES (#8)
f. (Suspicious Interest-Lovely Lily Rose, Mr Jess Perry)
Breeder: La Feliz Montana Ranch Llc
Owner: Tungsten Racing Partnership
Trainer: Ramon Mendoza
Jockey: Jose Ortiz
Remaining Order of Finish: Czar Catrina (#6), Ivorys Patriot (#2), Happyour (#5), Bv China Dawl (#1), McKinlay (#3), Peachezz (#10), Renegade Reba (#4), Bambi Cartel (#7), Jess Fire Up (#9) Scratched Horse(s): Daddys Passion (Also-Eligible)
Sunland Park
WINNER of the 2026 West Texas Derby – G3
TRAXION (#9)
g. (Freighttrain B-Telarosa, Jet Black Patriot)
Breeder: Bobby D Cox
Owner: Abraham Escobedo
Trainer: Jorge Morales-Flores
Jockey: Jesse Levario
Remaining Order of Finish: London Bridge (#8), Ring a Ling Ding (#2), Expenssive Boots (#4), Kj Flashing Candy (#3), Beauxnanza (#1), Texas Pharaoh (#10), Shot of Takillya (#6), Achylles (#7) Scratched Horses: Regarding Jess (Veterinarian), Rm Dulce Valiente (Also-Eligible), Shimmery (Also-Eligible) (Earned $2855.00)
