August 6-11 Stakes Recap

Following is a recap of all official American Quarter Horse stakes for the week of August 6-11. For recaps of most graded stakes, 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
Cindy Loo Who, a bay daughter of the First Down Dash stallion Bodacious Dash and the seventh-fastest qualifier, won Wednesday's 350-yard, $38,023(US) Princess Derby for 3-year-old fillies.

Trained by Jason Pascoe for owner Robert Bailey of Oakwood, Ontario, Cindy Loo Who defeated Rybybybaby by a neck in :17.852. J.B. Botello rode the filly.

"She just broke so good today," said Botello of Cindy Loo Who, who ran third in one of two Princess Derby trials on July 21. "She was always in front. I saw (Rybybybaby) coming, and it ended up being close."

Cindy Loo Who was bred in New Mexico by Bobby Simmons, and she was purchased by Bailey for $4,500 at the 2022 Heritage Place Yearling Sale in Oklahoma City. The filly is out of One Chick Two Chick, a winning and stakes-placed Chicks Beduino mare.

Cindy Loo Who was winning for the third time in nine races, and the $15,209 winner's share of the purse from her first career stakes score boosted her bankroll to $29,851, of which $28,989 has been pocketed from seven starts this season.

Fastest qualifier Expediant finished fifth, two lengths behind Cindy Loo Who.

Canterbury Park
A 15-1 longshot in a field of five Minnesota-breds, Tom Maher's Relentless Flash scored an upset victory in Thursday's $22,000 Cash Caravan Stakes (R).

Relentless Flash covered 440 yards in :22.321 against a reported 10-mph head wind, and his winning margin was a half of a length from stablemate and 13-1 longshot Relentless Babe. Luis Valenzuela rode the homebred 4-year-old daughter of champion Hes Relentless for trainer Jason Olmstead.

Relentless Flash was winning for the first time in six outs this season. All told, the mare has won four of 16 races -- including three of 11 at this track -- and the $11,647 winner's share of the purse from her first stakes victory increased her bankroll to $76,388.

Jess Rocket Man, the 1-10 favorite, finished third after breaking slowly and being cut off after the start.

Century Mile
Get It Good on Saturday set the fastest qualifying time to the August 24, $34,242(Can) Alberta Stallion Derby (R) for 3-year-olds sired by participating stallions.

Trained by Buckey Stockwell for owner WT Ranches Ltd., Get It Good won the second of two 330-yard trials by 1 3/4 lengths in :16.948. Amador Hernandez rode the gelded son of the PYC Paint Your Wagon stallion JD Wagon Boss.

Get It Good was bred in Alberta by Barry and Janice Sather. The brown gelding has won three of 14 races and has banked $41,124, and his resume includes a second-place finish in last year's Alberta-Bred Futurity (RG3) at Century Downs.

Click here for a complete list of qualifiers.

Gillespie County Fair
Brant Barley's Go O Commando is the fastest qualifier to the August 25, $80,900 Gillespie County Fair Derby.

Ridden by Victor Urieta Jr. for trainer Juan Diaz Jr., Go O Commando on Sunday won the second of three 350-yard trials by one length in :17.549. The Capo de Capi gelding posted a 97 speed index from his third win in 12 outs.

Go O Commando was bred in Missouri by the Barley and Sharp Farm. Campaigned in three states, including Oklahoma and Indiana, the gelding has banked $90,596, and his record includes a second-place finish in last year's Heartland Futurity at Horseshoe Indianapolis.

Click here for a complete list of finalists. 

Grande Prairie
Ricardo Moreno rode Junk Drawer to a neck victory in Sunday's $15,402(US) Grande Prairie Sprint Stakes.

Owned and trained by Laurie Ferguson, Junk Drawer went 110 yards in :7.468. The 4-year-old son of the Corona Cartel stallion Obsessed With Corona pocketed $8,163 from his first stakes win.

Junk Drawer was bred in Alberta by Ralph Danard. The bay gelding has won five of 11 starts and has earned $35,662, and his season resume includes a third-place finish in last year's Alberta-Bred Derby (R) at Century Downs. 

Horseshoe Indianapolis
A pair of geldings owned by Lisa Cunningham and trained by Tony Cunningham, Relentlessly Special and HG Favorite Energy finished in a dead heat for the win in Tuesday's 350-yard, $34,000 Paul Martin Overnight Stakes for 3-year-olds. 

Both Relentlessly Special and HG Favorite Energy reached the wire in :17.904. Luz "Daniel" Martinez rode Relentlessly Special, while Francisco Quintero piloted HG Favorite Energy.

Relentlessly Special was bred in Oklahoma by Monty McNair. A $57,000 purchase at the 2022 Heritage Place Yearling Sale, the brown son of champion Hes Relentless has won five of nine races -- including last year's Heartland Futurity and Governor's Stakes at this track -- winner's share of the purse from his third stakes victory increased his earnings to $225,036.

HG Favorite Energy was a $54,000 buy at the 2022 Heritage Place Yearling Sale. The brown gelding was bred in Oklahoma by Randy and Stacy Hill. Raced exclusively at this track, HG Favorite Energy has won four of nine starts -- including last year's John Deere Horseshoe Indianapolis Juvenile Challenge Stakes -- and he has banked $73,141.

Steve Mullins' Dashtraxx surged late to win Wednesday's $37,000 Air Born Leader Overnight Stakes (R).

Ridden by Rolando Pina for trainer Tim Eggleston and sent to post at odds of nearly 9-1 in a full field of 10 Indiana-breds, Dashtraxx covered 350 yards in :17.690, and his margin of victory was a neck from 17-1 longshot Winner Spirit. The 4-year-old Valiant Hero gelding earned a 94 speed index and $20,350 winner's share of the purse from his first stakes victory.

Dashtraxx was bred by Paragon Farms LLC. The black gelding is out of Famous Dash To Me, an unraced Texas-bred daughter of champion One Famous Eagle.

Campaigned exclusively at this track, Dashtraxx has won four of 12 races and has banked $103,813. The gelding was a finalist in the 2022 Miss Roxie Little Futurity (R) and last year's Blue River Derby (R).

Tachas Secret, a 4-year-old Habits Secret mare campaigned by Chris Duke's Duke Racing LLC, led at every call en route to a one-length win in Thursday's $85,560 Horseshoe Indianapolis Classic Stakes.

Aided by a reported 9-mph tail wind, Tachas Secret went 400 yards in :19.656 while posting a 101 speed index and returning a $3 win mutuel as the 1-2 favorite. Fernando Morin rode the sorrel mare for trainer Ricardo Martinez.

The start of the race was delayed when a horse became fractious in the gate, and all the runners were backed out and reloaded. This concerned Duke and Martinez, as they didn't have good luck when the same situation occurred before.

"She's had some issues before when they've backed out," Martinez said. "Once she's in there, she stands well, but when they've backed her out and put her back in, she didn't stand well and didn't break well. But today when they put her back in, she broke sharp."

Tachas Secret was bred in Indiana by Ricardo Martinez, and she was rebounding from a fourth-place finish 1 1/2 lengths behind winner Mr Michel, in the July 3, 400-yard Bradford Stakes at this track. The mare has won eight of 16 races -- including four of six at the 400-yard distance -- and the $47,058 winner's share of the purse from her fifth stakes victory increased her earnings to $267,414.

"We have her entered in the Hoosier Park Classic, and we nominated her into the Indiana Championship this year," said Duke. "We will see how she is at the end of the year before we decide if we keep racing her (beyond this year), but she's sound.

"Today was her best race of the year," he added. "She ran straight, and she ran strong."

Also on Thursday, RR Lotta Runforrobyn broke his maiden in the 350-yard, $35,800 Mari Hulman George Overnight Stakes for 2-year-olds.

Prepped by Tony Cunningham for owner A Win Investments and aided by a reported 9-mph tail wind, RR Lotta Runforrobyn defeated 13-10 favorite Gringoo by 1 1/2 lengths in :17.677. Saul Lopez rode the sorrel Favorite Cartel colt, who was winning for the first time in four races and increasing his earnings to $25,867.

RR Lotta Runforrobyn was bred in Oklahoma by Reliance Ranches, and he was an $80,000 purchase by Cunningham at last year's Heritage Place Yearling Sale. The colt is out of Lotta Love For Robyn, a winning and multiple stakes placed daughter of world champion First Down Dash and a finalist in the 2011 All American Futurity (G1) and '12 All American Derby (G1).

"We loved his bottom side, and we saw him going into the ring," said Cunningham, recalling the sale. "We walked up to see how much he was going to bring and thought he'd bring a lot more.

"I bid one time, and I got him," he added. "Then I was worried that I missed something and that something was wrong with him, but there wasn't. He's just been slow to develop. He can run. He's always shown that. He's just now coming along."

The Mari Hulman George Overnight Stakes honors the memory of Mari Hulman George, who bred racing Quarter Horses at her Circle S Ranch at Terre Haute, Indiana, and is a member of the Indiana Horse Racing Association Hall of Fame.

Oneida County Fair
RJ Spicer broke sharply from post 5 and sped to a wire-to-wire victory in Sunday's 300-yard, $23,600 Oneida County Fair Futurity.

Ridden by Never Marin, RJ Spicer defeated Prize Winning Chick by a neck in :15.477. Kylie Valenzuela trained the brown son of The Louisiana Cartel, who banked $9,440 from his first career stakes win.

RJ Spicer was the second-fastest qualifier from three trials contested at this track on July 27. The gelding was bred in Utah by William P. Nolan. Raced in Idaho and Utah, RJ Spicer has won three of four outs and has earned $16,799.

Also on Sunday, Maria E. Baltodano's BW Just A Ruger won the 300-yard, $15,000 Oneida County Mixed Breed Derby.

The fourth-fastest qualifier, BW Just A Ruger defeated fastest qualifier BNB Hasta La Luna by a neck in :15.389. Jesus Flores rode the bay daughter of the Foose stallion Justified for trainer Glen Jamison.

BW Just A Ruger was bred in Idaho by Thomas Boyd and Betty Weeks. The filly was winning for the fourth time in 10 outs, and the $6,000 winner's share of the purse from her first stakes victory pushed her earnings to $18,825.

Wyoming Downs
Third-fastest qualifier JR Sakes Alive won Saturday's $88,850 Wyoming Downs Derby.

Trained by Kylie Valenzuela for owner CG Racing LLC and racing against a reported 22-mph head wind, JR Sakes Alive covered 400 yards in :20.060, and her margin of victory was a half of a length from fastest qualifier Docs Blazin Gal. Cristian Aguirre-Erivas rode the sorrel Pappasito filly.

JR Sakes Alive was bred in Nevada by JR Stables, and she was coming off of a third-place finish in the second of five Wyoming Downs Derby trials on July 20. Raced in two states, including Utah, the filly has won six of 13 starts, and the $40,871 winner's share of the purse from her second stakes score pushed her bankroll to $96,040.

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