BY MICHAEL CUSORTELLI OPELOUSAS, LA—NOVEMBER 23, 2021—Apollitical High and Sir Louisiana Dash are among the 21 state-bred sophomores entered in Saturday’s Louisiana QHBA Breeders’ Derby (RG3) trials at Evangeline Downs. The 10 fastest qualifiers from Saturday’s three 400-yard heats will meet in the December 18, $100,000-added LQHBA Breeders’ Derby final. Apollitical High is a sorrel son of Apollitical Blood trained by Rosendo Valdez Jr. for ...

BY MICHAEL CUSORTELLI OPELOUSAS, LA—NOVEMBER 22, 2021—A total of 119 state-bred 2-year-olds, headed by multiple graded stakes winner Blood Money, are entered in Friday’s 400-yard Louisiana QHBA Million Futurity (RG1) trials at Evangeline Downs. Post time for the first of 13 trials is set for 4:35 p.m. (CST). The last heat is scheduled to go off at 9:35. Blood Money has won five of six races and has earned $672,142 while racing exclusively in Louisiana. A $17,000 purchase at last ...

LOS ALAMITOS, CA—NOVEMBER 19, 2021—A full night of trials to the richest running of the Grade 1 Los Alamitos Two Million Futurity since 2014 are on the marquee for the Sunday night action that begins at 5:15 p.m. (PSD). Fourteen trials at 400 yards are on tap with every race featuring either an eight or nine horse field. The juveniles with the 10 fastest times will advance to the $2,036,825 Los Alamitos Two Million Futurity to be held on Sunday, December 12. Consensus selections for each of the 14 trials can be found on page 6 of the ...

LOS ALAMITOS, CA—NOVEMBER 19, 2021—Kiss Thru Fire and Cat Daddys Lil Girl, who finished 1-2, respectively, in the Grade 1 $100,000 Charger Bar Handicap in January will meet again when they headline a strong group of fillies and mares in the Grade 3, $50,000 Las Damas Handicap on Saturday night. Racing for Gentry Farms and trainer Juan Aleman, Kiss Thru Fire has been the top aged mare in California this year. In addition to her victory in the Charger Bar, Kiss Thru Fire has also won the Denim N Diamonds Handicap, Matron Stakes ...

BY MICHAEL CUSORTELLI HOBBS, NM—NOVEMBER 16, 2021—Hotsempting, a 4-year-old daughter of champion Tempting Dash racing for Miguel Y. Gallegos and Mauricio Gallegos, will make her first official start in more than 10 months in Sunday’s 400-yard, $50,000 Lovington Stakes (G2) at Zia Park. Hotsempting began her 4-year-old campaign with a fourth-race finish, 1 1/4 lengths behind winner Kiss Thru Fire, in the January 3, $100,000 Charger Bar ...

BY MICHAEL CUSORTELLI OPELOUSAS, LA—NOVEMBER 15, 2021—Ten sprinters, headed by Love The Way You Fly and On Point, are entered in Saturday’s 300-yard, $25,000 Gentilly Dash Stakes at Evangeline Downs. Love The Way You Fly is a 4-year-old son of Furyofthewind trained by Trey Ellis for owner Todd Matte. The stallion has earned $41,550 from ...

LOS ALAMITOS, CA—NOVEMBER 12, 2021—Walker Family Trust’s Zoomin For Spuds will look to qualify to the Champion of Champions for record sixth time when he leads a great cast of 19 horses in the Z. Wayne Griffin Directors Trials on Sunday at Los Alamitos. There will be two divisions of the Directors Trials with the horses with the two ...

BY MICHAEL CUSORTELLI PHOENIX, AZ-—NOVEMBER 11, 2021—Skysthalimitcarver and Senor Frogs are among the dozen sprinters entered in Wednesday’s 300-yard, $30,000 Wayne Brasher Memorial Stakes at Turf Paradise. A sorrel daughter of world champion Wave Carver trained by Vanessa Marquez for owner Anastacio Mariscal Jr., Skysthalimitcarver is ...

LOS ALAMITOS, CA—NOVEMBER 12, 2021—Noe Cano’s Woman Secrets, the winner of the first running of the Los Alamitos Claiming Futurity, looks to add the $17,000 Dream A Secret Stakes to his resume when he faces five other 2-year-olds in this 350-yard event on Saturday at Los Alamitos. Cano and trainer Roman Figueroa won an ...

BY MICHAEL CUSORTELLI CLAREMORE, OK—NOVEMBER 10, 2021—Miss Beth Dutton, a sorrel daughter of Kiss My Hocks and a stakes winner during the Ruidoso Downs summer meet, is one of 10 2-year-old fillies entered back in Saturday’s 400-yard, $261,050 Black Gold Oaks Championship (R) at Will Rogers Downs. The fastest qualifier from four trials on October 29, Miss Beth Dutton has earned $52,510 from seven races, and her three wins include the ...

BY MICHAEL CUSORTELLI OPELOUSAS, LA—NOVEMBER 9, 2021—Christopher A. Villatoro’s Apollitical B Snow, a 4-year-old son of Apollitical Blood trained by Rosendo Valdez Jr., will put his four-race win streak on the line in Saturday’s 400-yard, $40,000 Opelousas Stakes (RG3) at Evangeline Downs. Apollitical B Snow will be stretching out in distance off of his half-length victory in the 350-yard, $35,000 Mid-City Stakes (RG3) on October 9. The gelding has won four stakes and has earned $132,798 ...

BY MICHAEL CUSORTELLI GRANTS PASS, OR—NOVEMBER 7, 2021—L Bar D Mistr Cartel, a homebred Majestic Cartel gelding racing for F. Darrell and Linda Sanders, heads a field of 10 2-year-olds entered back in Monday’s 400-yard, $83,000 Far West Futurity at Grants Pass Downs. L Bar D Mistr Cartel has ...

LOS ALAMITOS, CA—NOVEMBER 5, 2021—Dr. James Streelman of Dutch Masters III will look to win his fourth Grade 1 stakes race of the year when he’s represented by fastest qualifier Flash Bak in the $925,650 Los Alamitos Super Derby, the meet’s richest race for 3-year-olds, here on Sunday night. Streelman won two Grade 1 futurities at Ruidoso ...

BY MICHAEL CUSORTELLI GRANTS PASS, OR—NOVEMBER 5, 2021—Ten Oregon-bred 3-year-olds, headed by Malon L. Cowgill’s Dahock, are entered in Sunday’s 350-yard, $15,000 Memorial Stakes (R) at Grants Pass Downs. A homebred son of the Shazoom stallion Zoomin For Bux trained by Benito Curiel, Dahock will ...

LOS ALAMITOS, CA—NOVEMBER 5, 2021—Jockey Ramon Sanchez enjoyed his record tying 153rd career stakes win at Los Alamitos with Gentry Farms’ College Scandal in the Grade 3 PCQHRA Breeders Derby on October 2. College Scandal could once again help Sanchez achieve a milestone victory here, as the two will team up again, ...

BY MICHAEL CUSORTELLI HOBBS, NM—NOVEMBER 3, 2021—Midday News, a graded stakes winner during the Remington Park spring meet and winner of his last two races, heads a field of seven runners entered in Sunday’s 350-yard, $50,000 James Isaac Hobbs Stakes (G2) at Zia Park. A 5-year-old son of champion FDD ...

BY MICHAEL CUSORTELLI GRAND PRAIRIE, TX—NOVEMBER 2, 2021—-Eighteen 400-yard Texas Classic Futurity (G1) trials — nine on Saturday and nine on Sunday — are on tap for Lone Star Park this weekend. The five fastest qualifiers from each night will meet in the November 27, $1-million Texas Classic Futurity final. Saturday’s trials are led by ...

BY MICHAEL CUSORTELLI GRAND PRAIRIE, TX—NOVEMBER 1, 2021—Forty-eight 3-year-olds, headed by Grade 1 winners Empressum and Instygator, are entered in Friday’s 440-yard Texas Classic Derby (G1) trials at Lone Star Park. A homebred son of world champion Apollitical Jess trained by Heath Taylor for owners Jeff Jones and Steve Holt, Empressum has earned $788,685 from eight races this season, and he is coming off of a Ruidoso Downs summer campaign ...

AJAX, ONT—OCTOBER 27, 2021—Quarter Horse racing fans will not want to miss the final day of the 2021 Ajax Downs Quarter Horse racing season, Wednesday (Nov. 3) which kicks off with the first-ever 'hook' race in the track's history. A jam-packed 11-race card begins at 12:45 p.m. with a sneak-peek into the 2022 racing season with a non-wagering race at 770-yards, the first race to be held around a turn at the track. 'Hook' races for Quarter Horses - races around one turn - have been popular in other jurisdictions in North America, offering Quarter Horses the chance to race at slightly longer distances than 440-yards, or one-quarter of ...

HOBBS, NM—OCTOBER 30, 2021—The New Mexico Cup state-bred racing action that starts on Sunday continues into Monday, as three Quarter Horse stakes are scheduled at Zia Park. Eight New Mexico-bred 3-year-olds are entered in Monday’s 400-yard, $30,000 New Mexico Cup Sophomore Stakes (R). Icy Morning Breeze, the 3-2 morning-line favorite, is a homebred Winners Version filly trained by Jackie Riddle for the Estate of William R. and Mary Robertson. Icy Morning Breeze has finished sixth in her two most recent starts, but she started her 3-year-old season with a three-race win streak that ...

LOS ALAMITOS, CA—OCTOBER 29, 2021—Los Alamitos Race Course’s second million dollar futurity of the meet, the Grade 1, $1,112,300 Golden State Million Futurity, will have plenty of star power on display led by a quartet of Grade 1 futurity finalists among the eight Quarter Horses that will be in action here on Sunday night. Dunn Ranch LLC’s In Hott Pursuit, who was second in the Grade 1 Ed Burke Million Futurity here on June 20, will be joined by fellow Ed Burke finalists Hallelujah Nights and Chizum, plus Rainbow Futurity finalist Significant Dynasty in this lineup. The field ...

BY MICHAEL CUSORTELLI GRANTS PASS, OR—OCTOBER 29, 2021—Chris Sutton’s CM Once Ina Bluemoon, a multiple stakes winning 6-year-old son of Ivory James, is one of six sprinters entered in Monday’s 600-yard, $15,000 Crater Lake Handicap at Grants Pass Downs. CM Once Ina Bluemoon is coming off of a ...

LOS ALAMITOS, CA—OCTOBER 29, 2021—Seventy-nine horses have entered the 10-race program on Saturday night which makes a solid average field per race of 7.9. The card will also feature four allowance events, highlighted by 1,000-yard allowance test featuring multiple stakes winner Ballast Point, who has posted some of the fastest times ...

BY MICHAEL CUSORTELLI CLAREMORE, OK—OCTOBER 28, 2021—Stakes winners Streakinlilwagon and One Kool Dreamer are among the 34 state-bred sophomores entered in Saturday’s 400-yard Oklahoma Horsemen’s Association Mystery Derby (R) trials at Will Rogers Downs. Streakinlilwagon is a homebred daughter of ...

BY MICHAEL CUSORTELLI CLAREMORE, OK—OCTOBER 27, 2021—Thirty-two 2-year-old fillies are entered in Friday’s 400-yard Black Gold Oaks Championship (RG3) trials at Will Rogers Downs. The 10 fastest qualifiers will meet in the $120,000-added Black Gold Oaks Championship final on November 13. Miss Beth Dutton, a stakes winner during the Ruidoso Downs summer meet in New Mexico, drew post 6 in the first of five trials. Trained by Clint Crawford for owners Conda Maze and Judy Maze, the sorrel daughter of Kiss My Hocks has earned $49,618 from six races, and her two wins include the 400-yard, ...

HOBBS, NM—OCTOBER 27, 2021—Twelve state-bred stakes — eight for Thoroughbreds and four for Quarter Horses — will be contested on Sunday, New Mexico Cup Day at Zia Park in Hobbs. A total of 114 New Mexico-breds — 74 Thoroughbreds and 40 Quarter Horses — have been entered, and $1,506,880 in purses will be offered. Following is a preview of ...

BY MICHAEL CUSORTELLI OPELOUSAS, LA—OCTOBER 26, 2021—Ten state-bred 2-year-olds, headed by multiple graded stakes winner Blood Money, are entered back in Saturday’s 350-yard, $382,415 Louisiana QHBA Sale Futurity (RG1) at Evangeline Downs. Blood Money is an undefeated bay son of leading third-crop sire Apollitical Blood trained by Rosendo Valdez Jr. for owner Rojas Racing Stables LLC. A $17,000 purchase at last year’s LQHBA Yearling Sale, the gelding has earned $607,131 from five races, and his record includes victories in the June 12, $347,000 Louisiana Breeders’ Laddie Futurity (RG2), and the July 31, $827,000 Lee Berwick Futurity (RG1), both at Delta Downs. Blood Money drew post 7 ...

AJAX, ONT—OCTOBER 24, 2021—The richest Quarter Horse race in Canada headlines Ajax Downs' biggest day of racing on Wednesday. The $115,290(CAN) Alex Picov Memorial Futurity for 2-year-olds at 400-yards has a strong field of 10 juveniles, the fastest qualifiers from two Trial races held on Oct. 4. The 21st annual edition is race eight on a ...

BY MICHAEL CUSORTELLI ALBUQUERQUE, NM—OCTOBER 23, 2021—Five graded stakes, headed by the 440-yard, $250,000 Bank of America Challenge Championship (G1), are on tap for Albuquerque Downs today (Saturday), as the track presents the 2021 AQHA/Bank of America Challenge Championships. The 10-race program, which also includes five undercard ...

LOS ALAMITOS, CA—OCTOBER 22, 2021—After an impressive allowance victory four weeks ago, Veronica Hernandez’s Jess Anothercommando looks to take another step forward when she heads eight 2-year-old fillies in the $20,000 Aqualina Handicap at 300 yards on Saturday at Los Alamitos. Ridden by Cruz Mendez for trainer Jose Flores, the ...

BY MICHAEL CUSORTELLI EDMONTON, ALBERTA, CANADA—OCTOBER 20, 2021—Ten 2-year-olds, headed by fastest qualifier Interes Fino, are entered in Saturday’s 400-yard, $85,761(Can) Canada Cup Futurity (RG3) at Century Mile Racetrack. A gelded son of multiple stakes sire Seperate Interest racing for ...

AJAX, ONT—OCTOBER 17, 2021—Stakes winners Fiesty Icon and Maryland Magic will try something new at Ajax Downs on Wednesday (Oct. 20) when they try to conquer the unique 'Gridiron Gallop', a 110-yard sprint that will take less than seconds to run. The Gridiron Gallop is race eight on a 10-race Quarter Horse card that has a first race post time of 12:55 p.m. There are just three racing ...

LOS ALAMITOS, CA—OCTOBER 15, 2021—Lex Fabrizio of Moonshine Racing will look to become the first owner to win the Wild West Futurity more than once when his 2-year-old filly Famous Carmilita heads the field in the $101,950 restricted Grade III final on Sunday at Los Alamitos. Fabrizio first won this race in 2013 with the Cody ...

LOS ALAMITOS, CA—OCTOBER 13, 2021—Outstanding Quarter Horse racing action continues with trials to the Grade 1, $925,650 Los Alamitos Super Derby topping the marquee on Sunday night. Five Super Derby trials will be contested and will make up the entire Late Pick Four sequence and the bulk of the Pick Six races. The list of derby ...

BY MICHAEL CUSORTELLI GRANTS PASS, OR—OCTOBER 13, 2021—L Bar D Mistr Cartel and Leaving Angelz are among the 35 2-year-olds entered in Sunday’s 400-yard Far West Futurity trials at Grants Pass Downs. A pair of stakes-placed juveniles, L Bar D Mistr Cartel and Leaving Angelz are both trained by Hector Magallanes. L Bar D Mistr Cartel is a ...

BY MICHAEL CUSORTELLI CLAREMORE, OK—OCTOBER 13, 2021—Ten fillies and mares, headed by Chicks With Coronas, are entered in Saturday’s 350-yard, $20,000 Miss Ellen Stakes at Will Rogers Downs. A 4-year-old Apollitical Blood mare trained by Casey Black for owners Sharon Hafliger and R.J. Ziegler, ...

AJAX, ONT—OCTOBER 106, 2021—Mary Schrama's homebred Night Fishn is one of the headliners in a competitive feature race Wednesday at Ajax Downs. The $14,000 open race for Ontario sired Quarter Horses, three-year-olds and upward, has attracted a strong field of stakes winners who will race 330-yards in race seven on the eight-race card, which ...

LOS ALAMITOS, CA—OCTOBER 6, 2021—Ed Burke Million Futurity winner Golden Boi, All American Futurity finalist Jess Dream Of Me, Heritage Place Futurity finalist Dreamsville and Rainbow Futurity finalist Significant Dynasty are among the 92 juveniles that will race during a huge night of trials to the Grade 1, $1,112,300 Golden State Million ...

BY MICHAEL CUSORTELLI AURORA, CO—OCTOBER 8, 2021—Seven sprinters, headed by early favorite Jess Un Sies Mas, are entered in Wednesday’s 400-yard, $15,500-added Rocky Mountain Championship Stakes at Arapahoe Park. A 5-year-old homebred son of world champion Apollitical Jess trained by Jose Manuel ...

BY MICHAEL CUSORTELLI GRANTS PASS, OR—OCTOBER 8, 2021—Ruben Magallanes’ Tell Foose, a gelded son of champion Foose and the fastest qualifier, drew post 8 for Monday’s 400-yard, $15,000 Autumn Derby at Grants Pass Downs. Tell Foose has won his last two starts, including the second of two Autumn ...

LOS ALAMITOS, CA—OCTOBER 6, 2021—Six Grade 1 stakes winners led by Ed Allred’s defending champion Chocolatito will headline an outstanding 10-horse field in the 67th running of the Grade 1, $125,000 Robert Boniface Los Alamitos Invitational Championship at 440 yards here on Saturday night. The winner of the Los Alamitos Championship will ...

HOBBS, NM—OCTOBER 6, 2021—Eighteen state-bred 3-year-old Quarter Horses are entered in Monday’s 400-yard New Mexico Cup Derby (RG2) trials at Zia Park. The 10 fastest qualifiers will meet in the $145,000-est. New Mexico Cup Derby final on October 31. Rex Wells’ Bigg Dee headlines the second of two trials. A bay son of Big Daddy Cartel and a $30,000 yearling purchase at the 2019 New Mexico-Bred Sale, the gelding brings in a four-race win streak that includes the 400-yard, $203,000 Zia Derby (RG2) at Ruidoso Downs on July 31, and the 400-yard, $238,000 New Mexico State Fair Derby (R) at ...

HOBBS, NM—OCTOBER 6, 2021—Jose E. Guzman’s Flashin Fire, a sorrel son of champion First Moonflash, is one of 56 state-bred 2-year-old Quarter Horses entered in Sunday’s 350-yard New Mexico Cup Futurity (G2) trials at Zia Park. Flashin Fire was claimed by his current connections for $10,000 at ...

BY MICHAEL CUSORTELLI OPELOUSAS, LA—OCTOBER 5, 2021—Apollitical B Snow, a 4-year-old son of Apollitical Blood racing for Christopher A. Villatoro, put his three-race win streak on the line in Saturday’s 350-yard, $35,000 Mid-City Stakes (R) for Louisiana-breds at Evangeline Downs. Apollitical B ...

AJAX, ONT—OCTOBER 3, 2021—Seventeen 2-year-old Quarter Horses will vie for a spot in the final for the $100,000 Alex Picov Memorial Futurity in two Time Trials at Ajax Downs on Wednesday (Oct. 6th). The Picov Futurity is the richest race of the Ajax Downs meeting and the final will be held on October 27. The Trials, at 400 yards, are races ...

OPELOUSAS, LA—OCTOBER 3, 2021—Ten 350-yard Louisiana QHBA Sale Futurity (RG1) trials will be contested at Evangeline Downs on Friday. Post time for the first race is set for 5:35 p.m. (CDT), with the last heat scheduled to go off at 9:20. A total of 88 state-bred 2-year-olds are entered, headed by multiple graded stakes winner Blood Money and ...

BY MICHAEL CUSORTELLI AURORA, CO—OCTOBER 3, 2021—Ten 2-year-olds, headed by stakes winners True and Flare For Royalty, are entered in Friday’s 400-yard, $75,000 Mile High Futurity at Arapahoe Park near Denver. The seventh-fastest qualifier and a $21,000 purchase at last year’s Heritage Place Yearling Sale, True is owned and ...

LOS ALAMITOS, CA—OCTOBER 2, 2021—Felix Gonzalez will look to complete the great story of his charge, El Tio Angel, as the son of Boss Man Blue goes after the Grade 2, $370,000 PCQHRA Breeders Futurity on Sunday at Los Alamitos. First post for the 10-race card is 6:25 p.m. (PDT). Gonzalez passed on a chance to run El Tio Angel in the ...

BY MICHAEL CUSORTELLI OPELOUSAS, LA—OCTOBER 1, 2021—A full field of 10 sprinters is entered in Wednesday’s 220-yard, $20,000 Evangeline Downs Dash Stakes. Todd Matte’s Love The Way You Fly, a 4-year-old Furyofthewind stallion trained by Trey Ellis, will be making his first start since July 31, when he scored a half-length victory in the ...

LOS ALAMITOS, CA—OCTOBER 1, 2021—The 10-race program on Saturday night at Los Alamitos will feature a Pick 6 carryover of $39,350 plus a pair of a stakes races led by the $122,000 PCQHRA Breeders Derby. The Pick 6 sequence will begin in race five and consists of an all-Quarter Horse racing lineup. With the new money wagered on ...