EVANGELINE DOWNS AMERICAN QUARTER HORSE SEASON BEGINS OCTOBER 1

OKLAHOMA CITY – Apollitical Joy had almost broken through for his third career win in his last start on the West Coast, losing by a neck. He had no trouble staying in front Thursday night at Remington Park, beating a strong allowance field in the feature race.

The 4-year-old gelded California-bred son of Apollitical Jess, out of the Walk Thru Fire mare Chalalita, had the lead in a 300-yard race at Los Alamitos in his last start before losing to Cyber Force by a neck at the wire on Dec. 6, 2025. He raced against the same class Thursday night at Remington Park, but flipped the tables at 350 yards. This time Apollitical Joy outlasted the front-running Paint This Rose in a speed battle for the victory. 

Apollitical Joy was the second of three wins of the night for jockey-trainer combo Juan Pulido and Josue Garcia with five starters. Garcia has started the meet with a barn that is en fuego. 

Garcia’s stable won his first race of the season last week. He then won three-of-five on Thursday night, finishing the night with a record of six starts, four wins and one second for the meet that just started last week. Garcia started Thursday with Pulido riding the 2-1 favorite, Mr. Scar, in the fourth to an off-the-board finish. The pair followed that with a narrow win in a maiden race with Apoliticalgolddigger (5-2 favorite, won by head) in the sixth race. They almost won the seventh race, finishing second in a tight photo finish as PYC Design (Even-money favorite) lost by a head. Apollitical Joy then won the featured ninth race and the duo concluded the night with Moneys Right (2-1 favorite) in the winner’s circle in the 10^th race.,

The three wins tonight, and five overall for the meet, puts Garcia in third place in the trainers’ standings behind only Leo Alcala and Dee Keener who share the lead with seven. Neither of the top two trainers had a victory Thursday. 

Pulido took over the lead in the jockeys’ standings with his nine trips to the winner’s circle, three more than second-place Roman Cruz at six. 

Apollitical Joy won the stakes-caliber allowance feature at a surprising 4-1 odds, paying $10.40 to win, $6.80 to place and $3.40 to show. The winner was three-quarters of a length ahead of runner-up Paint This Rose, who sprinted out of the gate in a battle for the lead the entire way with Apollitical Joy, who was the second-favorite at 3-1. Clareets Boy, the 7-5 favorite, was another nose back in third.

Apollitical Joy stopped the timer in :17.626 over a fast track, earning an 89 speed index into a strong headwind. He earned $15,465 from the $29,900 purse and improved his lifetime record to 13 starts, three wins, four seconds and two thirds for $40,379 in earnings. This gelding was purchased by owner Jose Cervantes, Jr., of Oklahoma City for $67,000 from the Heritage Place Winter Mixed Sale of 2023. He was bred by Rancho El Cabresto Inc.

Remington Park racing continues Friday through Sunday, March 13-15. The first post time is 6 p.m. nightly with the exception of Sunday when the first race goes off at 4 p.m. All times 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 85^th 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

 Saturday, August 15 at Ruidoso Downs Horse Pavilion

            (Ruidoso Downs, NM) This year’s annual New Mexico-bred Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse Yearling Sale is scheduled to be held on Saturday, August 15 at the regular horse sales pavilion at Ruidoso Downs.

            The Downs of Albuquerque will not be conducting a racing card that day in order for horsemen to clear their calendars and attend the annual horse auction, according to All American Ruidoso Downs Sales Director Walt Wiggins.

            “We are appreciative for the partnership with our friends at Downs of Albuquerque to allow horsemen to focus on our sale that day,” Wiggins said. “The New Mexico-bred sale continues to show dramatic increases in both volume of horses and record sales.”

            Last year’s sales catalog featured 235 quarter horses and thoroughbreds that brought an average price of $32,990 and produced a record sales volume of $6.26 million. Thirteen horses and thoroughbreds sold for over $100,000 at the annual sale.

The deadline for horsemen that wish to consign horses for the sale is May 1. Consignment forms are available at www.raceruidoso.com or telephone the sales office at 575-378-4474.

Courtesy of Tim Keithley

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