September 27-October 1 Stakes Recap

Following is a recap of all official American Quarter Horse stakes and trials for the week of September 27-October 1. For recaps of most graded stakes and trials, Bank of America Racing Challenge stakes and trials, and most stakes with purses of $100,000 or more, see the individual recaps in the Racing News section. This page will be updated throughout the week.

Ajax Downs
At this track on Wednesday, the field was set for the October 18, $55,000(CAN)-est. Ontario Sires Derby (R) for Ontario-sired 3-year-olds.

A Shades Of Cold, a homebred son of the First Down Dash stallion Cold Hard Cash racing for Amelie Aubut of Pont-Rouge, Quebec, set the fastest qualifying time with his neck victory in the first of two trials. Prepped by Jason Pascoe and ridden by Brian Bell, the sorrel gelding covered 350 yards in :17.883 while aided by a reported 23-mph tail wind. A Shades Of Cold was winning for the fourth time in 13 outs -- all at this track -- and increasing his earnings to $40,258.

A Shades Of Cold was bred in Ontario, and he was coming off of a seventh-place finish in the September 13 Norm Picov Derby.

"He was totally focused today," said Bell. "I find that if he doesn't stand well in the gate, he doesn't run well."

Areamtobuildakisson, a homebred son of the First Down Dash stallion Dashair owned and trained by Angelle Carter, set the second-fastest qualifying time with his half-length win in the second heat. Ridden by Ismael Mosqueira, the chestnut gelding stopped the timer in :17.912 while aided by a reported 23-mph tail wind.

Click here for a complete list of qualifiers.

Evangeline Downs
A Secret To Catch won the first stakes race of the 2023 Evangeline Downs meet, as the sophomore son of First Down Dash stallion Hez Our Secret captured Saturday's $20,000 Evangeline Downs Dash.

Trained by Jaime E. Gonzalez for owner J.W. Owens, A Secret To Catch covered 220 yards in :11.999, and his margin of victory was a nose from Cwfasttrack, who stopped the timer in :12.005. Yaidel Rodriguez rode the bay gelding.

A Secret To Catch was bred in Oklahoma by Pine Ridge Farm LLC, and he was purchased by Owens for $12,500 at the 2021 Heritage Place Yearling Sale. The gelding is out of Too Tiny To Quit, a homebred winning Corona Cartel mare who ran third in the '09 Speedhorse Gold & Silver Cup Futurity (G1) at Fair Meadows at Tulsa.

A Secret To Catch was making his first start since July 28, when he scored a neck victory in a 300-yard, $13,000 non-winners-of-two allowance race at Delta Downs. All told, the gelding has won three of 10 starts, and the $12,000 winner's share of the purse from his first stakes score pushed his earnings to $34,447.

A Secret To Catch was sent to post at odds of 17-1 and returned a $37.20 win mutuel. San Lorenzo Dash, the even-money favorite in the eight-horse field, finished fourth, a half of a length from the winner.

Los Alamitos
A 41-1 longshot in a field of nine aged runners, Jose Aguilar Mendoza's BH Free Drop Billy scored an upset victory in Saturday's $35,000 Blane Schvaneveldt Stakes.

BH Free Drop Billy covered 400 yards in :19.850 while defeating 13-1 longshot Too Taboo by a half of a length. Cesar Franco rode the 4-year-old Bodacious Dash gelding for trainer Heraclio Botello Jr.

BH Free Drop Billy returned an $84,60 win mutuel and teamed with Too Taboo for a $2 exacta dividend of $1,113.60. The gelding was bred in Oregon by Bill Hoburg, and he was making just his second start at this track. He is out of Apollo Snowbound, a winning daughter of the Meadowlake (TB) stallion Snowbound (TB).

Raced in four states, including Arizona, BH Free Drop Billy has won three of 28 starts, and the $19,250 winner's share of the purse from his first stakes victory increased his bankroll to $69,133.

KT Twos Are Wild, the 2-1 favorite, ran fourth, one length behind BH Free Drop Billy.

The Blane Schvaneveldt Stakes is contested annually at this track, and it is restricted to horses who have made at least one start in 2023 in the states of Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Oregon, Montana, Nevada, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, Washington, Wyoming or Canada.

Five Bar Supreme, a son of Five Bar Cartel owned by Jorge L. Carmona, is the fastest qualifier to the October 22, $86,350 Wild West Futurity.

Racing in the last of two trials on Sunday, Five Bar Supreme defeated second-fastest qualifier Double A Eagle by a clear 2 3/4 lengths while going 350 yards in :17.716. Jesus Rios Ayala rode the California-bred gelding for trainer Lindolfo Diaz.

Five Bar Supreme was bred by Ugo de la Torre. The gelding is out of Luv Supreme, a winning daughter of champion Mr Jess Perry who ran third in the 2014 Golden State Million Futurity (G1) at Los Alamitos and the '15 West Texas Derby (G3) at Sunland Park.

Campaigned in two states, including Oregon, Five Bar Supreme has banked $37,245 from six outs, and his four wins include the July 4, 350-yard Firecracker Futurity at Grants Pass Downs.

Click here for a complete list of Wild West Futurity finalists.

Prairie Meadows
Sent to post as the 2-5 favorite in a field of 10 2-year-olds, Brenda Reiswig's Jess A Rednec Cowboy sprinted to a one-length victory in Friday's $22,500 Valley Junction Juvenile Stakes.

Jess A Rednec Cowboy went 350 yards in :17.574. Ramiro Garcia rode the homebred Flying Cowboy 123 gelding for trainer Jason Olmstead.

Jess A Rednec Cowboy was coming off of a second-place finish in a Valley Junction Futurity trial on September 10. The gelding was bred in Oklahoma, and he is out of Valiant Red Vixen, an unraced North Dakota-bred daughter of the First Down Dash stallion Valiant Hero.

Jess A Rednec Cowboy has won three of seven starts, including the May 27 Easy Jet Stakes (RG3) for Oklahoma-breds at Remington Park, and the $7,200 winner's share of the purse from his second lifetime stakes score pushed his earnings to $97,606.

Lil Pete El Soruyo won Saturday's $60,000 Terrace Hill Stakes (R) for Iowa-breds.

Trained by Stacy Belt for owner Humberto Rivera, Lil Pete El Soruyo went 400 yards in :20.032 while racing against an 8-mph head wind. Andrew Samaniego rode the homebred 4-year-old Lil Kool Wagon gelding.

Lil Pete El Soruyo was coming off of a fifth-place finish in a 400-yard, $40,000 open-condition allowance dash at Fanduel Sportsbook and Horse Racing (formerly Fairmount Park) at Collinsville, Illinois. All told, the black gelding has won five of 17 starts, and the $28,800 winner's share of the purse from his first lifetime stakes score increased his bankroll to $117,461.

TS Perry Kool, the 6-5 favorite in the field of seven, ran second, a neck behind Lil Pete El Soruyo.

Ruben Mojica's EC Wagon scored a 1 3/4-length victory in Saturday's $97,360 Polk County Derby (R) for Iowa-bred sophomores.

EC Wagon covered 400 yards in :19.870 and posted a 95 speed index while racing against a reported 7-mph head wind. Alfredo Triana Jr. rode the homebred EC Jet One gelding for trainer Manuel Campos.

The fifth-fastest qualifier from two Polk County Derby trials run on September 11, EC Wagon is out of Boogie Wagon, a winning and stakes-placed 8-year-old daughter of the PYC Paint Your Wagon stallion Lil Kool Wagon. The bay gelding has won three of 11 starts, and the $43,812 winner's share of the purse from his second stakes victory increased his earnings to $108,927, of which $72,416 has been banked from four outs this season.

Dashin Davey Crockett, the fastest qualifier, was placed second.

Also on Saturday, Jim R. Harvey's Going Gaga rallied on the outside part of the track to win the 350-yard, $60,000 Future of Iowa Stakes (R) for state-bred distaffers.

Ridden by James Flores, Going Gaga defeated Vals Sizzling Lips by a nose in :17.844. Stacy Charette-Hill saddled the homebred 4-year-old daughter of the Valiant Hero stallion Mighty B Valiant.

Going Gaga was coming off of a second-place finish, a head behind winner Vals Sizzling Lips, in a 330-yard, $31,381 second-level allowance race at this track on September 17. Campaigned in two states, including Oklahoma, the mare has won three of 14 starts, and the $27,000 winner's share of the purse from her first stakes score pushed her bankroll to $62,748.

Candy And Corona, the 2-1 choice in the field of 11, finished seventh after stumbling at the break.

Sweetwater Downs
Three state-bred stakes were run at this track on Saturday.

Mound Valley Glock, a homebred son of the Foose stallion Glock racing for Eddie and Andrea Jensen, outran his 20-1 odds to win Saturday's $164,800 Rock Springs Wyoming-Bred Futurity (R).

Ridden by Jesus Virgen for trainer Tony Hyde, Mound Valley Glock covered 300 yards in :15.350, and his margin of victory was a nose from VVR Dianas Angel, who was clocked in :15.358. The sorrel colt earned a 105 speed index and $65,920 from his first lifetime stakes win.

Mound Valley Glock was the ninth-fastest overall qualifier from two days of trials, September 16-17. The colt is out of Chasin Streamers, a winning daughter of champion FDD Dynasty. His second dam, the winning Proudest Effort mare Ms Legacy Lane, ran second in the 2004 Silver Dollar Futurity (RG2) at Wyoming Downs.

Mound Valley Glock has won four of six starts and has earned $76,071.

Pappas Fame, the fastest overall qualifier, finished sixth.

Shaunda Larsen rode fastest qualifier Yo Morning Delite to a half-length victory in Saturday's $81,400 Rock Springs Wyoming-Bred Derby (R).

Trained by Tryston Matt for owner Gerald F. Kaul, Yo Morning Delite went 350 yards in :17.411. The $32,560 winner's share of the purse from his fifth consecutive win increased the homebred Brindis Por Cayenne gelding's earnings to $84,800 from 15 races in Wyoming and Montana.

Yo Morning Delite was coming off of a neck victory in the fifth of six trials on September 15. All told, the gelding has won 10 races, and his win streak includes a half-length victory in the September 2, $48,125 Wyoming Stallion Owners' Derby (R) at this track.

Also on Saturday, Rick Hillstead's Diamond Dusting won the 400-yard, $37,200 Rock Springs Wyoming-Bred Maturity (R).

Trained by the owner and ridden by Kody Kellenberger, Diamond Dusting defeated fastest qualifier ER Switching Mtns by a nose in :19.492. The homebred 4-year-old son of the FDD Dynasty stallion Dustin Pro banked $14,880 while recording a 110 speed index.

Diamond Dusting was the third-fastest qualifier from his second-place finish in the first of two trials run at this track on September 17. The brown gelding has won seven of 26 starts, all in Wyoming, and the winner's share of the purse from his first career stakes score bumped his earnings to $66,760.

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