CHALLENGE CHAMPIONSHIPS: A Foxy Filly

By Andrea Caudill

Earlier this year, Foxy Cowgirl’s connections decided to gamble. 

It was an expensive gamble – dropping $20,000 on the table to get the mare late-enrolled in the AQHA Racing Challenge program. 

But it was a gamble that the partners thought the 4-year-old mare had earned, and it was one that they thought would pay off. CLC Partners, which is made up of Corey Wilmes and Cole Morehead, made the gamble and hit the jackpot: on Saturday, she is set to contest the Cox Ranch Distaff Challenge Championship (G1).

Foxy Cowgirl, who is trained by Edward Ross Hardy, has in her career earned $204,176. She won the 2023 Jim Bader Futurity and 2024 Future of Iowa Stakes.

Bred by Christine Hovey, she is by Flying Cowboy 123 and out of the Valiant Hero mare Foxy Millie.

Nominated to the Challenge earlier this year, Foxy Cowgirl has already won the $38,148 Cox Ranch Canterbury Distaff Challenge (G3) and the $48,429 Cox Ranch Prairie Meadows Distaff Challenge (G3). In addition to becoming a graded stakes winner, her earnings from just those two wins has more than doubled their money back – and she now stands poised with the opportunity to add significantly more earnings and a Grade 1 victory to her resume on Saturday. 

“We think she’s a 440 horse, but there is not a lot of opportunity for aged mares,” Morehead noted. “This is 400 yards and I think it’s a great race for her. We’re pretty excited about her.” 

The partners originally met through Hardy, who has trained the earners of about $15 million, including top runners such as Capones Vault, High Rate Of Return, Givinitaroyaleffort, Lett Her Zoom and One Rare Bug. 

Morehead owns Royal Vista Ranch at Wayne, Oklahoma, which stands a fleet of top stallions led by leading living sire Apollitical Jess and top young sire Flying Cowboy 123.

Foxy Cowgirl was, in fact, a member of Flying Cowboy 123’s inaugural crop, which launched the stallion to the top of the all-time freshman sire list. 

“To have one of my best racehorses be by one of the stallions I stand, has been a lot of fun,” Morehead said. “I cheer on all my stallions’ offspring, but to also get to own one makes it even more fun.”

The partners bought the filly off the farm. A non-flashy sorrel, she required a discerning eye to notice her correctness, good size and good leg.
 
“We really liked her and the owner runs a lot of horses and needed to sell a couple,” he said. 

The partners are looking forward to the increased opportunity the Challenge will provide for their mare.

“The Distaff gives those mares a really solid opportunity to prove they’re a high caliber stakes horse,” Morehead said. “It was a significant investment to make, but we like this mare going down the track, and 400-440 is where she needs to be. We were confident it would pay off and she’s already made it and then some.”

While Wilmes has an important reason that he’ll not be in-person at the track – he’s getting married! – the partners will be cheering their mare on and hoping she will help make it an even more memorable weekend.

Stay tuned for more coverage of the AQHA Racing Challenge Championships this week, and don't miss the event at The Downs at Albuquerque on October 18. 

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