Q-Racing Blog: Truth In the Desert

Q-Racing Blog: Truth In the Desert

One Little Liar finds some truth in the New Mexico desert.

one little liar

text size

By Ty Wyant
  
Adrian Zapata’s One Little Liar displayed his truth when he made a desperate run to set the fastest qualifying time to the venerable $156,900 West Texas Derby (G3) at Sunland Park.

The $25,000 Heritage Place yearling purchase almost didn’t find his truth. He started from the outside post position and looked like a beaten horse midway through the 400-yard first trial. He then found his footing and made a devastating closing kick. He made a bold acceleration and ran down the front-running Bacardi to win by a neck. One Little Liar was timed in :19.196, while Bacardi was clocked in :19.223 for the second-fastest qualifying time from seven trials. Each horse ran a brave race.

It was the second start of 2024 for One Little Liar. He had a troubled trip in a $35,100 allowance race at Sunland Park on January 14 and finished ninth.

One Little Liar had a creditable 2-year-old campaign in 2023.

In his racing debut in the West Texas Futurity trials on March 11, 2023, he veered in at the start and then crossed the finish line first, however he was disqualified and placed eighth.

In his next three starts, he was declared the winner.

In his Four Corners Futurity trial at Sunray Park, One Little Liar showed his tenacity while battling with Sheza Lil Ponte and Dreamin About Jess for the 350 yards. One Little Liar prevailed by a head in :17.787.

In the Four Corners Futurity, he finished a neck behind Tempting Barbie, who was subsequently disqualified from first to last. That made One Little Liar a stakes winner.

One Little Liar had a two-month rest and then went to Ruidoso Downs to run in the trials to the John Deere Ruidoso Downs Juvenile Challenge. There was no need for the photo-finish camera in this trial. He was the 11-10 favorite and immediately put a length on his rivals and stretched that out to 1 1/4 lengths at the finish.

In the John Deere Ruidoso Downs Juvenile Challenge (G3), One Little Liar broke in at the start and tried to make a run, however ended up finishing fourth.

The gelding made his final 2-year-old start in the Southwest Juvenile Invitational Stakes (G2) after a four-month rest. He was never a factor and finished eighth.

The Valiant Hero-sired One Little Liar is from a productive family.

His dam, Pretty Little Liar, second in the Hobbs America Derby (G3), has produced two winners in addition to One Little Liar from three starters.

Second dam Coup Of Corona, third in the Corona Cash Handicap, is the dam of two-time stakes winner Viento Negro and West Texas Derby (G2) winner Jessgottahaveit.
 
Third dam Lethal Coup produced Pomona Championship winner Rare Coup and Higheasterjet Handicap winner Lethal Cash.

Fourth dam Lethal Weapon is the dam of AQHA Juvenile Challenge Championship (G1) winner Shez Lethal, Autumn Handicap winner Lethal Bay, Ojai Handicap winner Lethal Artillery and Prescott Downs Futurity (G3) runner-up A Lethal Dose.

One Little Liar continues the family tradition of stakes winners and has a chance at his first graded stakes win in the West Texas Derby (G3).

AQHA News and information is a service of the American Quarter Horse Association. For more news and information, follow @AQHA Racing on Twitter and on Instagram, "like" Q-Racing on Facebook, and visit www.aqha.com/racing.