Saturday 5/17/2025 Stakes Recap: Key Results & Highlights

The final night of the 2025 Sam Houston Race Park Quarter Horse live racing season offered quality racing and thrilling finishes throughout the 11-race program. In addition to the two graded stakes on the final program, seven additional features, at a variety of distances, showcased plenty of talented sprinters and distance specialists.

Master Reigns Upsets in the  $54,000 Jesse Yoakum Memorial  870 Stakes

A very exciting finish by Master Reigns resulted in an upset in the $54,000 Jesse Yoakum Memorial 870 Stakes.  The six-year-old son of Dash Master Jess, owned and bred by Richard A. Hawkins and trained by Marc Jungers, crossed the wire on :45.851 under jockey Raul Hernandez, Jr.

“We gave him a little vacation after Sunland Park and brought him back to our farm in New Mexico,” said Jungers. “He had a couple of solid works; I can’t say we were confident about our chances, but we are awfully proud of him!”

Last year’s winner, Bryon Gardner’s homebred Eye Will Decide, was second, followed by  Gjr Rooster, owned by Richard Young, Joe David Yates and Zack Stinebaugh, ran third with Determined completing the superfecta.

Master Reigns was overlooked at 18-1 in the wagering and rewarded his supporters with a $38.60 win ticket.

His record now stands at five wins from 31 starts and earnings of $116,083.

This was the third running of the stakes, named in honor of Quarter Horse trainer Jesse Yoakum,  who ran horses at Sam Houston Race Park from 1994 through his death in 2019. Yoakum’s wife Sharon, son Jerry Lee along with his wife, Rosslyn and their daughter Jaycee were on hand to make the trophy presentation.

Hollywoode Takes the $54,000 Willie Hickman Memorial in Front Running Fashion

Sam Houston Race Park also honored Willie Hickman, a longtime member of the Sam Houston Racing office in the $54,000 Willie Hickman Memorial Stakes.

The winner of the 400-yard features was Hollywoode ($9.80), a 4-year-old colt by Hawkeye, who bested eight rivals from  gate-to wire in :19,961 seconds with Louisiana-based rider Yaidel Rodriguez in the saddle. Leobersi Perez purchased the Bobby D. Cox homebred for $33,000 at the 2022 TQHA Yearling Sale. 

Trainer Fernando Lopez was on hand for the colt’s fourth career victory.

“We are very happy with the win,” said Lopez. “I am thankful to all the people who made this happen: the owner, jockey and my team. We came from Louisiana and are very proud of this horse!”

Prominent Texas breeder Pete Scarmardo won the first two editions of the Willie Hickman Memorial but had to settle for second on Saturday night with Hes A Jet One. Sent off as the post time favorite, the 5-year-old son of Ec Jet One, trained by John Stinebaugh, finished second by a neck under rider Ali Rivera.

Top Cowboy, a 4-year-old son of Flying Cowboy 123, was third, followed by Deagree.

Family members including Shyrl O’Banan Hopkins made the presentation to the winner.

Driving Finish By Ladys Gotta Jet in the $54,750 Miss Sam Houston  Stakes

It was another solid finish by Pete Scarmardo’s homebred Ladys Gotta Jet in the $54,750 Miss Sam Houston Stakes, for accredited Texas-bred fillies and mares.

The 4-year-old daughter of Ec Jet One out Lady Lilia, also bred by Scarmardo, won her second race of the 2025 Sam Houston meet, covering 330 yards in  :16.865 seconds under rider Ali Rivera. Trainer John Stinebaugh and his son, Zackary, who also trained several runners on the card, joined Scarmardo for the trophy presentation. Ladys Gotta Jet ($7.00) won $ 32,850 for the victory, increasing her career earnings to $147,336.

“Always glad as a breeder and owner when your horse gives a good effort and wins a stakes race,” said Scarmardo.

The favorite on the tote board, Jess Louisiana Girl finished second by a neck with Claudio Aguilar in the saddle. The filly by Chilitos returned off a second-place finish in the John Buchanan Memorial Stakes here on May 17. Embers Time winner of that stakes, completed the superfecta.

OnthRocks Wins Another Edition of the $54,000 Sam Houston 550 Stakes 

A very solid group of nine older accredited Texas-breds competed in the $54,500 Sam Houston 550 Stakes. 

Onthrocks, the 2023 champion returned in fine form to get the job done once again for owner Sarah Huskey and trainer Esteban Rubio.

Luis Vivanco rode the 6-year-old gelding by A Revenant, to victory in a final time of :27.538 seconds over the fast track, besting another quality Texas-bred Dm Preacher Man by a half-length. 

Donna Mushinski’s Dm Preacher Man, also sired by A Revenant,  trained by her husband Kie, was ridden by Eliazar Vera. The handsome gray ran fourth in last year’s edition of the Sam Houston 550 Stakes. Lz King Of The Kings, an 8-year-old son of Ethics Aside, completed the trifecta under jockey Oscar Andrade, with Thrill And Fury finishing fourth.

Ima Chili Zooms to Victory in the $55,000 Sam Houston 250 Stakes

The $55,000 Sam Houston 250 Stakes always provides an exciting finish and this year’s edition was no exception! In his second start of the meet Darrell L. Hooper’s Ima Chili emerged victorious in a speedy :13.031 seconds under jockey Oscar Andrade, Jr. 

“That’s a fast little horse,” said Hooper. “I believe in his ability, especially at 250 yards.”

Bred in by Sarah Huskey, the son of Chilitos is trained by Zackery Rios. Sent off as the third betting choice in the field, Ima Chili paid $10.20 for the win.

Goodtime In Texas, a 4-year-old filly by Duponte ran a game second with Jose Herbert in the saddle followed by Cowgurl Up, a  P & J Racing Ltd homebred and You Look Famous.

Ruidoso Downs Racetrack will honor and induct the 2025 Ruidoso Downs Racing Hall of Fame class on Thursday evening, August 7^th in the Turf Club. The annual gala will be held the same weekend as trials for the All American Futurity, All American Derby and All American Oaks. That weekend also features the New Mexico-bred Quarter Horse and Thoroughbred Yearling Sale August 8 and 9.

Each year the Hall of Fame Committee at Ruidoso Downs selects a specific horse, owner, trainer, jockey, and a recipient of special achievement in the industry. This year’s inductees include:

HORSE:

GO TOGETHER

©Photo Provided

Foaled in 1967, Go Together raced for the late Harriett C Peckham. She won 13 of 27 lifetime starts including the Rainbow Derby and the World’s Championship Classic, in which she set the Ruidoso Downs 440-yard Track Record. Racing in the era of Easy Jet, Go Together defeated the legendary horse four times, while Easy Jet defeated Go Together four times.

Following her retirement from racing, Go Together would establish herself as one of the greatest matriarchs of the Quarter Horse racing industry. Through her daughters, granddaughters and her many descendants, Go Together’s family has produced winners that have won more than $14,000,000. The highlights of her family are the millionaires Higher Fire, Fly Baby Fly, as well as Separatist, Way Maker, and Lets Leave.

 OWNER:

JOE DEE BROOKS

©Linda Earley, Speedhorse

The late Joe Dee Brooks of Levelland, Texas was a larger-than-life personality who successfully raced horses at Ruidoso Downs and throughout New Mexico for many years. Most of Brooks’ success in racing was with horses owned in partnerships with his numerous friends and colleagues, including All American Futurity winner Cowboys Gun Z and Rainbow Futurity winner First Valiant Sign. The many successful thoroughbreds campaigned by Brooks and his partners include Diabolical Dame ($696,000), Chuchuluco ($570,000), Hush’s Storm ($476,000), and many others.

TRAINER:

BLANE WOOD

©Susan Bachelor, Speedhorse

Blane Wood and his family have been longtime fixtures at the top of the Ruidoso Downs trainer standings. He has over 50 stakes winners to his credit including All American Futurity winners Whistle Stop Cafe and Apocalyptical Jess. Team Wood also sported Rainbow Futurity winners Leading Spirit, MM Fourinthemorning, MS First Prize Rose and Tres Friends, along with Texas Classic Futurity winner Flying Cowboy 123.

Wood follows in the footsteps of his late father Leo Wood, making the only father and son combination to ever be inducted into the Ruidoso Downs Racehorse Hall of Fame. He is also the father of third generation trainer Trey Wood.

JOCKEY:

JJ GONZALES

©Lone Star Park

New Mexico based jockey JJ Gonzales, during his riding career won over 1,000 races with earnings of over $15,850,000. Counted among the many successful stakes winners he has ridden are All American Futurity winner By By JJ, Rainbow Futurity winner Leading Spirit, Rainbow Derby winner SC Chiseled In Stone and Ruidoso Futurity winner The A List.

Gonzales has established himself currently as a successful trainer and patriarch of a successful training family.

SPECIAL ACHIEVEMENT:

RICHARD CHAMBERLAIN

©Photo Provided

Richard Chamberlain, the Texas based equine journalist has been writing about horses and horsemen for more than 45 years.

In 1979 he joined the staff of the American Quarter Horse Journal and began covering races for the magazine that summer at Ruidoso Downs.

Throughout the years, the prolific journalist has covered hundreds of races highlighted by the Triple Crown campaign of Special Effort to the multi-million-dollar race campaign of Ochoa. He has also received the prestigious Wrangler Award from the National Cowboy Hall of Fame.

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Tickets to the Hall of Fame Banquet on August 7^th will be made available on the Ruidoso Downs Racetrack website in the near future. The event will include a social mixer at 6:30 p.m., dinner at 7 p.m. followed by the program that will be hosted by Hall of Fame Broadcaster Tom Dawson.

(Ruidoso Downs Horse Sale Director Walt Wiggins provided the information for the press release.)

Trainer Xavier Rodriguez was honored by Lip Chip LLC and Purina as the “Trainer of the Week” at Ruidoso Downs Racetrack.

Rodriguez and La Feliz Montana Ranch were winners of Triple Crown races Ruidoso Derby with FDD Dreams and Ruidoso Futurity with Political Twist last weekend. Thanks to Lip Chip and Purina for their sponsorship of “Trainer of the Week”.