July 10-14 Stakes Recap

July 10-14 Stakes Recap

A recap of non-graded stakes and trials.

Jess Rocket Man. PHOTO: Coady Media

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Following is a recap of all official American Quarter Horse stakes and trials for the week of July 10-14. 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.

Canterbury Park
Jess Rocket Man sprinted to a three-quarter length victory in Wednesday's $22,000 Bob Morehouse Stakes (R) for Minnesota-breds.

Trained by Jason Olmstead for owner Lunderborg LLC, Jess Rocket Man covered 350 yards in :17.714 while earning a 94 speed index. Ramiro Garcia rode the homebred 6-year-old son of world champion Apollitical Jess.

Jess Rocket Man was returning to this track off of his three-quarter length win in a 330-yard allowance dash at Prairie Meadows on June 16. The gelding has won 13 of 27 races -- including eight of 11 at this track -- and the $11,647 winner's share of the purse from his seventh lifetime stakes victory increased his bankroll to $228,530.

Crooked River Roundup
Alberto Avila's Bee A Freight Train sprinted to a neck victory in Saturday's $24,475 Rhoden Memorial Bonus Challenge Stakes.

Ridden by Jose Guerrero, Bee A Freight Train went 250 yards in :13.079 while posting a 102 speed index. Mario Portillo trained the 4-year-old Freighttrain B stallion.

Bee A Freight Train was shortening in distance off of his wire-to-wire, three-quarter length win in the 350-yard, $15,700 Director's Handicap at Grants Pass Downs on June 22. The stallion was bred in Utah by Darian Burt, and he is out of N Bee C, a winning daughter of world champion Apollitical Jess purchased by Bob Burt from breeders Jim and Marilyn Helzer for $20,000 at the 2014 Heritage Place Yearling Sale in Oklahoma City.

Bee A Freight Train has won 11 of 18 races, and the winner's share of the purse from his sixth career stakes score bumped his earnings to $117,282. The gelding's three wins in as many starts at this track include last year's Jack Rhoden Memorial Bonus Challenge Stakes.

Delta Downs
Jose Antonio De La Rosa's Caliente Operator extended his win streak to three in Saturday's 220-yard, $50,000 Flying Breed Stakes (R) for Louisiana-bred sprinters.

Racing on a muddy and sealed track, Caliente Operator defeated Tuckers Prize by a half of a length in :11.776. Eleazar Hernandez rode the 7-year-old Corona Caliente gelding for trainer Santiago Riojas Jr.

Caliente Operator was making his first lifetime start at the 220-yard distance. The gelding was bred by Ocie Lee Charles Jr., and he was shortening in distance off of his half-length victory in a 330-yard, $27,000 open-condition allowance dash for Louisiana-breds at this track on June 8.

Caliente Operator was winning for the seventh time in 21 races, and the $30,000 winner's share of the purse from his first stakes victory increased his bankroll to $146,407.

The 1-5 favorite in a field of six state-bred distance specialists, One Fast Cajun rallied to win Saturday's $50,000 Live Oak Stakes (R).

One Fast Cajun covered 870 yards on a muddy and sealed track in :46.347, and his margin of victory was a clear 6 1/4 lengths from 26-1 longshot Hez Hunters Rogue. Shane Ladner trained and Ubaldo Luna rode the 6-year-old Heza Fast Dash gelding for owners Darrin Ladner and Norman Ladner.

One Fast Cajun was bred by Terry L. Gabriel. Campaigned in Louisiana and Texas, the bay gelding has won 13 of 25 races -- including 12 of 18 at the 870 trip and eight of 15 at this track -- and the $30,000 winner's share of the purse from his fifth career stakes score brought his earnings to $253,300.

Wilson One Consulting's Apolitical Queen outran her 12-1 odds to win Saturday's $50,000 Flashy Hemp Stakes (R) for Louisiana-bred distaffers.

Racing 330 yards on a muddy and sealed track, Apolitical Queen stopped the timer in :16.653 while defeating Patty Wagon Train by a half of a length and posting a 97 speed index. Juan Garcia Jr. rode the homebred sophomore daughter of champion Apollitical Blood for trainer David Bustamante.

Apolitical Queen returned a $26.20 win mutuel. The gray filly is out of Dianas Queen Bee, an unraced daughter of Jess Louisiana Blue purchased by Wilson One Consulting for $57,000 at the 2018 LQHBA Yearling Sale.

Apolitical Queen was rebounding off of her 10th-place finish in a 400-yard Delta Downs Oaks (R) trial on June 19.  The filly has won four of 10 races while campaigned exclusively in Louisiana, and the $30,000 winner's share of the purse from her first stakes victory pushed her earnings to $64,860.

Cool Ya Jets, the 8-5 favorite, ran fourth, one length behind Apolitical Queen.

A 43-1 longshot in a field of eight state-bred 2-year-olds, 3L Horse Ranch's NBC Mr Booz broke his maiden in Saturday's $75,000 Louisiana Juvenile Stakes (R).

NBC Mr Booz went 350 yards on a muddy and sealed track in :17.712, and his margin of victory was a neck from 5-2 third choice XDW Jess A Rogue. Rene Hernandez rode the bay son of Freighttrain B for trainer Noe Sanchez.

NBC Mr Booz was purchased from breeder Neal Cormier for $30,000 at last year's LQHBA Yearling Sale. The gelding is out of Swingin Miss Jess, an unraced daughter of champion Mr Jess Perry and the graded stakes-winning Jody O Toole mare Swingin O Toole.

NBC Mr Booz was coming off of a fourth-place finish in a 350-yard Lee Berwick Futurity (RG1) trial on June 21. The gelding was winning for the first time in five outs and pushing his earnings to $47,270.

Thetrainrobbersace, the 19-10 favorite, ran sixth.

North Dakota Horse Park
On Sunday, the field was set for the July 27 NDQHRA Northern Plains Futurity, and Bill J. Geditz Jr.'s Six Royal Debits is the fastest qualifier to the $25,000-est. final.

Six Royal Debits won the first of two trials by three-quarters of a length while covering 350 yards in :18.135. Rey Hernandez rode the sorrel daughter of the Jet Black Patriot stallion Louisiana Jambalaya for trainer Francisco Estrada.

Six Royal Debits was winning for the first time in two outs and increasing her earnings to $2,175. The filly was bred in Texas by Christopher Tyre, and she is out of Six Debits, a New Mexico-bred Sixes Royal mare.

Click here for a complete list of qualifiers.

Pocatello Downs
Carteljess PYW on Friday set the fastest qualifying time to the July 26, $15,000-added Bitterroot Derby (R) for 3-year-olds sired by participating stallions.

Prepped by Juan Manuel Hernandez for owners Jose Sierra and Karla Diaz Gomez, Carteljess PYW won the second of two 400-yard trials by a half of a length in :19.953. Cristian Aguirre-Erivas rode the daughter of the Favorite Trick (TB) stallion Favorite Cartel.

Carteljess PYW was bred in Oklahoma by Terry and Irene Stennett, and she was a $37,000 purchase at the 2022 Heritage Place Yearling Sale in Oklahoma City. The filly is out of Jess Paint Ur Wagon, a winning homebred daughter of PYC Paint Your Wagon and a finalist in the 2016 Ruidoso (G1) and Texas Classic (G1) futurities.

Carteljess has won three of nine races and has earned $27,336.

Click here for a complete list of Bitterroot Derby finalists.

Ruidoso Downs
Sent to post as the 9-10 favorite in a field of nine 2-year-olds, Louis A. "Trey" Malechek's Hard To Politic won Sunday's 400-yard, $100,000 Rainbow Juvenile Stakes.

Hard To Politic defeated Daou by a half of a length in :19.695. Juan Pulido rode the homebred son of world champion Apollitical Jess for trainer Toby Keeton.

Hard To Politic was bred in Oklahoma, and he made his career debut with a three-quarter length win in a Rainbow Futurity (G1) trial on June 29. The sorrel gelding is out of Hardtoget, a stakes-winning daughter of champion Foose who ran second in Apollitical Scout's 2018 Junos Request Stakes (G2) at Remington Park.

The $42,967 winner's share of the purse from Hard To Politic's second win in as many outs increased his bankroll to $48,967.

Wyoming Downs
Dance The Dust Off kept his perfect season record intact with his victory in Saturday's 870-yard, $22,400 Governor's Cup 870 Stakes.

Prepped by Tori Hadley for owner Jewell L. Ramirez, Dance The Dust Off defeated RNC Cardshark Jones by one length in :45.542. Nakia Teeter rode the 8-year-old brown son of the Count Corona stallion Coronas Blackdiamond.

Dance The Dust Off was bred in New Mexico by Sarah Donaldson Rioux, and he was coming off of a 1 1/2-length win in the 870-yard, $34,595 Lip Chip Wyoming Distance Challenge Stakes at this track on June 29. All told, the gelding has won 14 of 32 races -- including all three of his outs this year -- and he has banked $221,994. His six career stakes wins include the 2022 AQHA Distance Challenge Championship (G1) at Horseshoe Indianapolis.

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