AQHA Unveils 2024 Champions

The AQHA Champions Selection Committee convened at the end of June to determine the 2024 AQHA racing Champions. The contenders were those that have been deemed eligible by having met the criteria outlined in the AQHA Awards and Media Policy of 2024.

Eleven horses have been named as 2024 divisional champions, with the announcement of the 2024 World Champion Racing American Quarter Horse to be revealed later. The selection of the 2024 AQHA Racing Champions was delayed in December, due to delayed rulings on key races. This pause allowed the selection committee to access up-to-date information before their selections. The winners will be honored in a ceremony held for the award recipients on August 29, with the World Champion announced at that event.

Champion 2-Year-Old Lethal Cowboy 123 was also named Champion 2-Year-Old Gelding after winning six of eight starts in his freshman season and earning $1,238,267. The sorrel son of Flying Cowboy 123 is out of the First Down Dash mare Pretty Lethal. Bred by Veronica Gail Kawananakoa, Lethal Cowboy 123 is owned by Caliche Walls Venture LLC/A Isbell/LBland/J Barton and in his champion year won both the Golden State Million Futurity (G1) and Los Alamitos Two Million Futurity (G1). He was ridden during the year by Edwin Escobedo, Christian Ramos and James Flores, and trained by Marc Jungers.

Kempton was named Champion 2-Year-Old Colt. The bay colt by Kiss My Hocks is out of the Corona Cartel mare Charming Cartel, and was bred by Tyler Graham and Namgis Quarter Horses LLC. Kempton won his first three races for Mario Lozano-Cantu before being transferred to Ozaca Ranch LLC. The colt won six of seven starts during the year, led by the Heritage Place Futurity (G1) and Evangeline Downs Futurity (G2), and earned $639,903. He was ridden by James Flores and trained by James Gonzalez III.

The selection committee had the discretion to not award a given category, and could not come to a majority consensus to determine a Champion in the 2-year-old filly division.

Champion 3-Year-Old Asscher continues her family’s proud history of champion titles and also secures the Champion 3-Year-Old Filly title. Bred by MJ Farms, she is by FDD Dynasty and out of the Jesse James Jr mare Astica. Asscher, who is raced by Lance Bland and Jimmy Barton, won six of 10 starts and earned $440,224. Her achievements are headed by wins in the Los Alamitos Oaks (G1), Dash For Cash Derby (G2) and Purina Feeds Texas Classic Oaks, as well as a second in the Rainbow Oaks (G1). She was ridden by Christian Ramos and Noe Garcia Jr., and trained by Marc Jungers.

William Harned’s Mystic Paint is the Champion 3-Year-Old Colt after a season where he won three of eight starts and earned $223,227, with a win in the Adequan Will Rogers Derby Challenge and second-place finishes in the Ruidoso Derby (G1) and Adequan Derby Challenge Championship (G3). Bred by Cavenaugh Quarter Horses LLC, he is by PYC Paint Your Wagon and out of the Mr Jess Perry mare Jess So Sixy. Mystic Paint was ridden by Ramiro Garcia and Edwin Escobedo, and trained by Jason Olmstead.

Relentless Eagle is the Champion 3-Year-Old Gelding after a perfect 4-for-4 year in which he earned $208,851. Racing for Lance Bland, Relentless Eagle won the Texas Classic Derby (G1) and Dash For Cash Derby (G2). Bred by George P. Mitchell II, the gelding is by Hes Relentless and out of Volcoms Delight by Volcom. Trained by Marc Jungers, the horse was ridden by Christian Ramos.

Champion Aged Horse Out Of The Way is also the Champion Aged Stallion for Leslie and Pierre Amestoy and Roger K. Beasley, who campaigned the stallion before selling him to the partnership of Zapata, Blanca Varela and Amanda Sweeten at the end of the season. The sorrel stallion was bred by Silver Racing Farm LLC and is by First Moonflash and out of the Corona Cartel mare Coronas Fast Honey. He won two of five starts and earned $269,632. His record was led by a victory in The Downs at Albuquerque Fall Championship (G1) and John Andreini Memorial Stakes, a second in the Mr Jet Moore Stakes (G2) and a third in the All American Gold Cup (G1). He was ridden by Christian Cardenas, Christian Ramos and Adrian Ramos, and trained by Wes Giles.

Gary Laramie’s Jessica Cruz collects Champion Aged Mare honors after a year in which she won two of eight starts and earned $111,463. Bred by Double Bar S Ranch, she is by FDD Dynasty and out of the Mr Jess Perry mare Jess Cuz. The consistent mare won the Las Damas Handicap (G2) and Azure Three Handicap, was second in the Abigail Kawananakoa Stakes and third in the Mildred N. Vessels Memorial Handicap (G1). Trained by Elena Andrade, Jessica Cruz was ridden during the year by Oscar Andrade Jr., Diego Herrera, Rodrigo Aceves and Cesar Franco.

Empressum was named Champion Aged Gelding. Bred and raced by Jeff Jones and Steve Holt, the gelding by Apollitical Jess and out of the First Down Dash mare Crazy Down Corona won three of five starts and earned $504,750. The horse’s wins include the Champion of Champions (G1), Vessels Maturity (G1) and Go Man Go Handicap (G1). He was ridden by Rodrigo Vallejo.

Had To Be Fabulous is the Canadian Champion for breeders and owners Carol and Jaime Robertson. The bay filly is by One Fabulous Eagle and out of the Hadtobenuts mare Had To Be Fandango. In 2024, she won five of six starts and earned $49,806. Ridden by Josh Scott and Cassandra Jeschke, and trained by Bryn Robertson, the mare’s wins are highlighted by the Alex Picov Memorial Futurity and QROOI Bonus Futurity.

BR Chivali Nazareno is the Mexican Champion. Bred by Maximiliano Perez Castaneda and owned by Jimy Jonathan Maqueda Gomez, the 2021 sorrel stallion is by Southern Corona and out of the Gone To The Man mare Chivali Go. In 2024, the stallion won 11 of 12 starts, winning $129,413 for the year. His wins included the Clasico Hector Roldan Espinosa and the Clasico J. Merced Gomez Orozco. In all of his races, he was ridden by Miguel Angel Rodriguez and trained by Jorge Alberto Ruiz Periban.

Volcoms Favorite is the Distance Champion after winning three of seven starts and earning $117,440, with his wins highlighted by the Distance Challenge Championship (G1) and Albuquerque Distance Challenge (G2). The second champion of the year bred by George P. Mitchell II, Volcoms Favorite is by Jess Good Candy and he is also the second champion of the year out of the Volcom mare Volcoms Delight. He was trained by James J. Gonzales III and ridden by Irwin Rosendo and Francisco Calderon.

MJ Farms is the Champion Breeder, with their horses led by homebred Asscher. Proving that life is better in partnership, the group Caliche Walls Venture LLC/Aisbell/LBland/J Barton is the Champion Owner, as they saw their Lethal Cowboy 123 lead their stable to $1,234,967 in earnings. Champion Trainer Marc Jungers had a breakout year in 2024, with his horses earning $3,040,057 on the racetrack, including Lethal Cowboy 123, Asscher and Relentless Eagle. Christian Ramos is the champion jockey for a year in which his mounts earned $4,486,462, including Champions Lethal Cowboy 123, Asscher, Relentless Eagle and Out Of The Way.