October 10-12 Stakes Recap

Following is a recap of all official American Quarter Horse stakes and trials for the week of October 10-12. 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.

Arapahoe Park
Second-fastest qualifier and 6-5 favorite Sheza Fearless Eagle rolled to a decisive two-length victory in Sunday’s $55,745 Lucille Rowe Derby (R) for Colorado-breds. The filly by One Fabulous Eagle clocked 350 yards in :17.718 for a 99 speed index. Mauro Rodriguez was the winning rider for trainer Fernando Manriquez.

This marked the first stakes win of the year for Sheza Fearless Eagle, who previously ran sixth in both the $702,907 All American Oaks (G1) at The Downs at Albuquerque and $300,900 Heritage Place Oaks (G2) at Remington Park. Last year she earned her richest payday to date with a victory in the $253,150 Valley Junction Futurity (G3) at Prairie Meadows. Her record now stands at 13-6-1-1 with earnings of $245,058. Sheza Fearless Eagle runs for Jill Cook, who bred the filly with her late husband, Vaughn. 

Rivera Quarter Horse Racing Inc.’s homebred Paramounte Wagon Jr, a son of Paramounte who set the fastest qualifying time in the trials, chased Sheza Fearless Eagle all the way and finished a clear second. Lota Hocks, by Lota PYC, closed to take third. 

In the $63,905 Cherry Creek Futurity (R) for Colorado-breds, fastest qualifier and even-money favorite Ronda Rowsey ran away from the field and scored by 2 ¼ lengths to give jockey Mauro Rodriguez and trainer Fernando Manriquez a sweep of the afternoon’s stakes. Bred and owned by George Seward, the filly by Favorite Cartel posted a 97 speed index for her 350-yard dash in :17.786.

This was the second straight win for Ronda Rowsey, who broke her maiden in the September 26 trials by a similar margin of 2 ½ lengths. Prior to that she faced some stiff competition in Oklahoma, New Mexico and Iowa, including running in trials for the Grade 1 All American and Heritage Place futurities. This win was worth $25,562 and improved Ronda Rowsey’s earnings to $35,324 with a record of 7-2-1-2.

Century Downs
Flash Me A Corona captured Friday’s $39,486 (CAD) Alberta Bred Derby (R) to record his seventh win of the year and pull into a tie with fellow Canadian runner Had To Be Fabulous to lead all of North America in that category. With Ricardo Moreno up for trainer Craig Smith, the Obsessed With Corona gelding took the early lead as the even-money favorite and held on to win by a head in a time of :20.509 for an 80 speed index into a 15-mph headwind at 400 yards.

Bred by Ralph Danard, who also co-owns with Janet Patriquin, Flash Me A Corona only won once in eight starts last year but has posted a record of 10-7-1-2 this year. The gelding has finished off the board just once in 18 career starts, and his earnings now stand at $82,628. He is out of the First Moonflash mare Look Back Moonflash, a two-time winner whose final start was a victory at Century Downs in 2019. 

O La Dee Da, a First Timber filly bred, owned and trained by Wesley Oulton, closed late at odds of 73-1 and came up just a head short. Ima Hott Version, a daughter of Winners Version, took third.

Barry and Janice Sather’s homebred Miss Fancy Nancy scored her fourth stakes win of the year on Saturday in the $15,244 (CAD) Aged Invitational Stakes. The 4-year-old daughter of Big Lew earned a 101 speed index for her 400-yard clocking of :19.689. Daniel Tavares was in the saddle for trainer Misael Moreno.

This victory put Miss Fancy Nancy’s earnings into six figures as the Alberta-bred now has a record of 21-8-6-2 with a bankroll of $105,128. The mare has two stakes wins at Century Downs this season along with two at Century Mile. Miss Fancy Nancy is out of the California-bred mare Singles Cruise, a daughter of Favorite Cartel who earned more than $100,000 with stakes wins at Evergreen Park and Century Downs in Canada and at Los Alamitos in California. 

Jerry Stojan’s Fired, a gelding by Fly Thru The Fire, finished second for his fourth consecutive runner-up finish against stakes company. Stojan also owns the third-place finisher Pretty Sweet Jess, a mare by One Sweet Jess who won this year’s Cox Ranch Evergreen Park Distaff Challenge.

Evangeline Downs
Corona Blue Estrella closed strongly to win Friday’s $30,000 Amelia Belle Stakes (R) for Louisiana-bred fillies and mares. The 4-year-old daughter of Jess Louisiana Blue was ridden to victory by Pedro Espinosa, who guided her to a half-length win to earn a 93 speed index for a :17.822 clocking at 350 yards. 

Trained by Kenneth Weeks and owned by Lester Colomb Jr. and Raymond Loup, Corona Blue Estrella is now a two-time stakes winner and earner of $149,170. The mare also won last year’s Miss Polly Classic Stakes (G3) at Delta Downs. In 16 lifetime starts, she has only finished worse than fourth on one occasion. She was bred by Tom Hill Selman.

Trainer Ismael Solis-Guevara sent out the second- and third-place finishers with RF Imperial Choice and Rogue Fast Dash, respectively. RF Imperial Choice, by Imperial Hint, picked up her second consecutive runner-up finish after taking that spot in the Treme Derby Stakes at Delta Downs in August. Rogue Fast Dash, a daughter of Heza Fast Dash, was coming off a victory in the Flashy Hemp Stakes at Delta Downs. 

Grants Pass Downs
Ranch AA LLC’s Handsome scored his maiden victory in Sunday’s $85,000 Far West Futurity at the Oregon track. Oscar Peinado rode the Favorite Cartel colt to a head victory in :20.189 for an 86 speed index at 400 yards. Adrian Gonzalez was the winning trainer.

Bred in California by Edward C. Allred, Handsome was a $58,000 purchase at last year’s Los Alamitos Equine Sale. The colt began his racing career at Los Alamitos, where he finished second in a maiden race and then competed in trials for four graded futurities. He then shipped to Grants Pass Downs and finished fourth in his Far West trial in a blanket finish. The victory in the final was worth $34,000 and improved his lifetime earnings to $36,742. 

Donald Conway’s You Tuber, a One Famous Eagle gelding trained by Hector Magallanes, closed well to finish second. Luis Gonzales’ KR Cartels Calamity, a colt by Five Bar Cartel who won the Beehive Futurity at Weber Downs, took third. 

Los Alamitos
PV Quarter Horse Farms, LLC’s I Am Candy is now two-for-two at Los Alamitos thanks to her tremendous quickness which has allowed her to take the lead with ease in both of her local outings.

Her most recent showcase came in the $35,000 Sound Dash Stakes against eight other top distaffers. And just like in her allowance win on July 26, I Am Candy took the lead from the moment the gate opened and never looked back, this time scoring a ½-length victory over the 12-1 longshot Silver Bac in the Sound Dash at 350 yards. With Justine Klaiber aboard the Eddie Willis-trained 4-year-old mare, I Am Candy covered the distance in a fast time of :17.552. The homebred daughter of Jess Good Candy earned $19,250 to take her career earnings to $106,759.

“She usually gets a really good start, and she did that again tonight,” Willis said. “She’s huge but she can leave the gate as fast as any horse I’ve had in a very long time. She doesn’t make very many mistakes. I brought her here just for this, the mare stakes program at Los Alamitos. The Charger Bar is what I’d like to see her in next.”

With another strong barn under his watch, Willis said that he is pointing a different mare for the Grade 2, $60,000 Las Damas to be held at Los Alamitos on November 15. That leaves the Grade 1 Charger Bar in January of 2026 for I Am Candy.

Owned by Steve Burns, Jose Flores and Mark and Marta Winslow, Silver Bac earned $7,875 for her runner-up effort here. The mare by Seperate Interest ran in the Grade 1 Los Alamitos Oaks last year. Cruz Mendez piloted the Steve Burns-bred 4-year-old mare. Parsons Ranch’s Rockin With Energy was third and was followed by AJ Born Runnin, In The Mode, Beach Walk, Curls Joyful Wagon, Deep Blue and Market Analyst.

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