August 5-10 Stakes Recap

Following is a recap of all official American Quarter Horse stakes and trials for the week of August 5-10. For recaps of most graded stakes, AQHA 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
Overcoming a slow start and some bumping, reigning Canadian Champion Had To Be Fabulous turned on the jets late to win the $51,030 Princess Derby for 3-year-old Quarter Horse fillies at Ajax Downs on Wednesday, August 6.

The Ontario-bred by One Fabulous Eagle out of newly crowned Dam of Distinction Had to Be Fandango was sent off as the heavy 1 to 20 favorite for the 350-yard dash, but things didn't go smoothly for the filly and jockey Ismael Mosqueira out of the gate. After a bit of a stutter-step start, Had to Be Fabulous traded a solid bump with rival Sweeet D, causing her to lose her momentum.

"We broke a bit slow," said Mosqueira. "Believe me, I got a bit worried the first 300 yards, but once she got rolling and I saw that we were gaining, then the worries were done."

In a blink, Had To Be Fabulous flew past leader Magic in Wonderland, a 29-1 longshot, and then held off a charging Sassies Best to win in a time of 17.892 for a 94 speed index. The Princess Derby was the seventh win in succession for Had To Be Fabulous and 10th win in 11 career races. She is owned by her breeders, Carol and Jaime Robertson of Hillsburgh and trained by Bryn Robertson.

"She never stresses," said Robertson about Had To Be Fabulous. "She's quiet. In the paddock, she just stands there. She doesn't use herself up."

Robertson said the Norman Picov Derby against the boys would be next for Had To Be Fabulous.

Earlier in the afternoon, Had To Be Fabulous' celebrated older, half-brother Had To Be Ivory won for the 32nd time in his career in the Gridiron Gallop at 110-yards. The 10-year-old gelding is preparing for the Alex Picov Championship at season's end.

Canterbury Park
The Shakopee, Minnesota racetrack on August 7 hosted trials for the $42,300-est. Canterbury Park Derby and $71,300-est. Northlands Futurity, both of which are set to run on August 21.

Tom Maher's Relentless Rocket exploded to an unthreatened victory in his Canterbury Park Derby trial over fellow qualifiers Curlie D, L Conejo and The Investment. The horse was trained by Jason L. Olmstead and ridden by Ramiro Haro Garcia, and posted a :20.178 time for 400 yards.

Maher bred the Hes Relentless gelding in partnership with Bill Maher out of the Corona Cartel mare Mai Corona. The race is the horse's second win on the year. Last year he won the Valley Junction Juvenile and Northlands Futurity, and has career earnings of $97,395.

Also qualifying were Venetian Cowgirl (:20.226), Da Lie Lah (:20.235), Curlie D (:20.298), ROmpe Corazonez (:20.327), L Conejo (:20.343), Relentless Mogul (:20.395), My Heart My Dynasty (:20.470), The Investment (:20.608) and VF My Favorite Disco (:20.703). 

Haley Hobb's Ding Dang Dulce posted the top time for the Northlands Futurity, covering the 350 yards in :17.547. The gelding by freshman sire Dulce Sin Tacha out of the Valiant Hero mare Valiant Strawfly was bred by Neff Hogue Farm LLC and was traiend by his owner and ridden by Fernando Fonseca-Soto. 

Also qualifying were Ur Favorite Tio (:17.580), Nme 123 (:17.860), Holliewood (:17.940), Kyndling (:17.957), Rowdi (:17.980), Hezz All That (:18.026), Half A House (:18.061), Relentless Cachet (:18.182) and Jenny D (:18.252). 

Delta Downs
Delta Downs hosted a pair of stakes races on the night of Thursday, August 7. They included the French Quarters and the Esplanade Stakes.

The $26,400 French Quarters was won by Raul A. Beltran Moreno’s filly Famous Flyin Cowgirl under jockey Ricardo Herandez Jr. The Jose Carrizales trainee defeated A Lucky Chilitas by just a nose. India De Le Nieve rounding out the trifecta finishing third, another nose behind the top pair.

Famous Flyin Cowgirl covered 330 yards in a time of :16.847 while running on a fast track. That time equaled a speed index of 91.

The win marked the fourth of Famous Flyin Cowgirl’s career from 14 overall starts. She earned $15,000 for the effort and has now banked $78,432.

Bred in Louisiana by Grant Farms, Famous Flyin Cowgirl is a 3-year-old sorrel filly by Flying Cowboy 123, out of the One Famous Eagle mare Famous Numbers Fly.

Famous Flyin Cowgirl paid $9.80 to win, $3.80 to place and $3.40 to show. A Lucky Chilitas returned $3.40 to place and $3.80 to show. India De Le Nieve was worth $6 to show.

Earlier in the program the $28,400 Esplanade Stakes was contested for 3-year-olds and up traveling 400 yards. The colt El Turista ($14.20) won the race while making his stakes debut under jockey Randy Edison Jr. El Turista defeated race favorite Five Bar Jess Cartel by a head while Big Red Train would up third, another head behind the runner-up.

El Turista, who is owned by Ismael Arce Romero and is also trained by Jose Carrizales, covered the distance in a time of :19.714, which equaled a speed index of 100.

The win by El Turista was the third of his eight-race career. He earned $15,000 for the tally and now owns a bankroll of $35,265.

Bred in California by Jose G. Reyes, El Turista is a 3-year-old by PYC Paint Your Wagon, out of the Just Amazing Jess mare Shesa Vivian

Horseshoe Indianapolis
RR Lotta Runforrobyn and jockey Francisco Quintero brought the title back to the Tony Cunningham barn in the second running of the $34,000 Paul Martin Overnight Stakes on Tuesday. The duo scored the victory for Cunningham after his stable entry recorded a dead heat in the inaugural running last year with Relentlessly Special and HG Favorite Energy, who Quintero rode. RR Lotta Runforrobyn was a winner last year in the Mari Hulman George Overnight Stakes, making him a two-time stakes winner now in Indiana.

Starting from post eight, RR Lotta Runforrobyn came out of the gate well, but his first few strides were not in control of the race. Gringoo and Fernando Morin gained a short advantage on the inside with Streakin Little Jess and German Rodriguez, trained by Paul Martin’s daughter, Shawna, gaining a short advantage in the center of the track. As the race unfolded, so did RR Lotta Runforrobyn’s long stride. The sorrel 3-year-old was making up ground with every stride in the second half of the 350-yard dash. In the end, he was a clear cut winner with stablemate Cowboy On The Fly and L. Daniel Martinez on his outside flank, finishing a half-length back in second. Gringoo won the photo between four horses for third.

RR Lotta Runforrobyn came into the race off a break since late June and was overlooked by the betting public, paying $21.40 for the win. The son of Favorite Cartel earned his third win in 12 starts, moving his career bankroll to more than $72,000. He was a $80,000 purchase from the Heritage Place September Yearling Sale by Pam Hann’s A Win Investments. Reliance Ranches of Oklahoma bred the colt.

The Paul Martin Overnight Stakes is named in honor of the former president of the Quarter Horse Racing Association of Indiana who succumbed to cancer in May of 2023. Martin is a member of the state’s Hall of Distinction as well as the Indiana Horse Racing Association Hall of Fame. He campaigned some of the state’s top horses in the past decade, including WH Design By Dash and HH CJ Shake, both top five all-time leading Indiana-sired Quarter Horses in the state. Overall, Martin had 13 stakes wins and is still ranked among the top 12 all-time leading trainers in the state. His vision and leadership helped form the current landscape of Indiana Quarter Horse racing seen today at Horseshoe Indianapolis.

Streakindownthebeach and Jockey Eduardo Diaz earned his second straight stakes victory Thursday, August 7, in the second running of the $35,000 Air Born Leader Overnight Stakes. The duo covered the 350 yard sprint in a time of :17.550 to earn the win by a neck in the three-horse photo.

Streakindownthebeach began from Post 1 and had good positioning from the start. The 5-year-old grey gelding battled with Cisco Beach and L. Daniel Martinez from Post 2 as well as DuPont Beach and Edgar Diaz from the center of the track. Closing in during the final strides, Streakindownthebeach was able to power forward to get the win over Cisco Beach and Nachor Secret, ridden by Martin Munoz, who finished in a dead heat for second.

Streakindownthebeach paid $7.80 for the win. The Habits Secret son scored his seventh career win in 28 starts for owner Buddy Presley. Tim Eggleston, who is leading the trainer standings in 2025, is the conditioner.

To date, Streakindownthebeach is just under the $200,000 career earnings mark. He is the son of former Indiana stakes winner Beach Runner, who was one of the first standouts for the sire Escondido Beach, who recently passed away. Streakindownthebeach is three for five in 2025 for his connections.

The race is named in honor of Indiana warhorse Air Born Leader, who retired in 2016 with 12 wins from 48 starts and more than $470,000 in earnings. He is among the state’s top five all-time leading Indiana bred Quarter Horses.

It was a repeat performance by Tachas Secret on Thursday, August 7, in the 23rd running of the $84,680 Horseshoe Indianapolis Classic. The 5-year-old mare posted a convincing finish to score her second straight win in one of Horseshoe Indianapolis’ oldest stakes, originating during the inaugural season in 2003.

Tachas Secret entered the starting gate right next to her full sister, Sin Tachas Secret, who was ridden by Martin Munoz. But in just a few jumps, Fernando Morin had Tachas Secret up into contention for the lead. Midway through the 400-yard dash, Tachas Secret began to emerge with her powerful stride. AP Miss Lunas Tide and Isidro Banuelos did close in along with Jess A Riot, ridden by Edgar Diaz, in the final strides, but Tachas Secret was too strong, repelling them to win by one-half length in :19.753. AP Miss Lunas Tide won the three-way battle for second, finishing a heck ahead of Jess A Riot.

Tachas Secret was the favorite, paying $3.60 for the win. Now owned by Duke Racing LLC, Ricardo Martinez bred, raised, and now trains the mare for the Duke Family, who waited trackside for their stable star to return to the winner’s circle. It was her seventh career stakes win and her 11th career victory, all earned at Horseshoe Indianapolis. Overall, she now has more than $445,000 in earnings.

“She is definitely the boss,” smiled Martinez in a post-race interview with Rachel McLaughlin. “She is such a nice horse to be around. She does everything right. She’s easy to train. She’s just a professional.”

The win was also significant as it placed Tachas Secret into the fourth spot on the list of all-time leading Indiana sired Quarter Horses by earnings. She joins elite company with Stone Cold Leader, Beach Cartel, and Air Born Leader, who are all retired, ahead of her on the list. She is the first mare to reach the top five in the Quarter Horse category. Her sire, Habits Secret, and dam Sin Tachas Angel, both raced for Martinez before moving to the breeding industry. Both were named Indiana’s Top Stallion and Top Broodmare of 2024.

Oneida Co. Fair
Gachala went gate-to-wire in the $27,100 Oneida County Futurity under Oscar Villa. 

The pair gave the field a length's distance at the wire of the 300-yard race, and stopped the clock at :15.574. One Dulce Eagle was second, followed by CM Heart Of An Eagle, Thought It Deluxe, Nellie Melba, Em Nighthawk, Redmann and Jettastics Diamond.

Owned by Ricardo P. Castillo and Rainee Browning, the gray filly has now won two of her four career starts, with two seconds, and earned $13,712. 

Bred by Bobby and Catherine Simmons, she is by the Favorite Cartel stallion Mental Error and out of the First Moonflash mare Flash Em The Jewels.

Wyoming Downs

Bill Doenz's Divory was much the best in the $91,950 Young Ford/Wyoming Downs Derby on August 9. The Ivory James filly romped through the 400-yard test, leaving a half-length of space between herself and second-place finisher Kissin Perfect at the finish line.

Julian Zavala rode the horse for trainer Josh Taylor. They completed the race in :19.720 and earned a 99 speed index while paying a solid $21.60 to win.

JG Separatist Times was third, followed by CB Docs Bella, Glock 9, Home Town Roll, Cowboys N Fairytales, Kaseys Spirit, GH Fabulous Version and Favorite Buddy BC. 

Divory was bred by Laura A. Erickson and is out of the Strawfly Special mare Daring Diversion. This was her first win this year, but her second career win from 13 career starts. The $42,297 winner's share boosts her career earnings to $65,510. 

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