Following is a recap of all official American Quarter Horse stakes and trials for the week of May 15-18. 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.

Century Mile
Ralph Danard and Janet Patriquin’s Flash Me A Corona broke sharply from post 1 in Saturday’s $15,426 (US) Horsemen’s Div. 1 Derby Stakes and kicked clear to a 1 ½-length win with J.B. Botello riding for trainer Craig Smith. Flash Me A Corona covered 350 yards in :18.180 racing into a 26 mph headwind.

Bred in Alberta by co-owner Danard, Flash Me A Corona earned his first stakes victory in his 3-year-old debut. As a 2-year-old, the son of Obsessed With Corona hit the board in seven of eight starts, including a second-place effort in the Alberta Bred Futurity (RG3).

Sizzles Boss, winner of the Alberta Bred Futurity, ran second, and RJs Boss, who finished third in the Alberta Bred Futurity, ran third in this race as well. 

Energy Downs 307 Horse Racing
UDM Investments LLC’s JKH Almost A Dynasty made her 4-year-old debut a winning one on Friday as she won the $27,500 Wyoming Oaks for fillies and mares ages 3 and up. The filly by Jr Dynasty Mountain prevailed by a neck with Brayan Juarez in the irons for trainer Calli Dominguez. Bred in Wyoming by Gordon Knudsen, JKH Almost A Dynasty covered 350 yards in :17.462 to earn a 104 speed index with a 16 mph tailwind.

JKH Almost A Dynasty is now a winner of five of 14 career starts with earnings of $90,839. She kicked off her racing career in May 2023 at Energy Downs with a maiden victory and then picked up another win as a 2-year-old at White Pine Racing in Nevada. As a 3-year-old, she won her trial and the final of the Wyoming Bred Derby (R) at Energy Downs. 

Nevada-bred Jr Sakes Alive, a 4-year-old daughter of Pappasito, ran second with Tyson Lusk riding for owner CG Racing LLC and trainer Kylie Valenzuela. Jr Sakes Alive has hit the board in 14 of her 17 career starts, with her wins including last year’s Wyoming Downs Derby.

Jose Castaneda’s Sage Runner, making her first start since an allowance victory last October at Arapahoe Park near Denver, finished third.

Remington Park shipper Jess A Spittin Candy pulled off a 12-1 upset in Saturday’s $27,500 Derby Club Sprint Stakes. Ridden by Edwin Escobedo for owner and trainer Joe Davis, the Oklahoma-bred daughter of Jess Good Candy got up to win by a neck with a clocking of :20.146 for 400 yards. 

Bred by PV Quarter Horse Farms LLC, Jess A Spittin Candy has raced at six different tracks in her 12-race career. She qualified to last year’s West Texas Derby (G3) at Sunland Park and finished fifth in this year’s Decketta Stakes (G3) at Remington. Her record now stands at 12-4-2-1 with earnings of $61,583.

Love Kiss J Lee, winner of last year’s Governor’s Handicap at Sweetwater Downs, finished a game second, and betting favorite Yo Morning Delite, a 16-time winner during his now 25-race career, took third. 

Horseshoe Indianapolis
Apollitical Mission topped the charts of the $75,000-added Harley Greene Derby trials on Thursday at Horseshoe Indianapolis. The sophomore sprinter turned in the fastest time of the night among three trials filled with 26 contenders.

Ridden by Rolando Pina, Apollitical Mission broke from post two and was on top of the field in the first jump. The son of The Transmission led all the way to the wire in the 350-yard dash for the victory by a neck in :17.690. AP Political Patriot, last year’s winner in QHRAI Stallion Service Auction Futurity (RG3), closed late for jockey Jose Ruiz for second followed by Paradise Beach and Edgar Diaz.

Teamed up with AP Political Patriot, the two horses ranked first and second among fastest times headed to the final.

Apollitical Mission is a homebred raised by breeder Walter “Dick” Harrison before his passing. Harrison’s son, Phillip Harrison, now owns the gelding, who earned his third career win in nine starts. He has only missed the board twice in his racing career. He is trained by Tim Eggleston, who currently leads the Quarter Horse trainer’s standings this season.

Eggleston also connected for a win with Beach First, who recorded the third-fastest time on the night. Also ridden by Pina, the sorrel gelding also got an early lead from the center of the track and drew away from his opponents late in the race to win by one and one-quarter lengths in :17.826. Jess A Beach Man and Edgar Diaz finished second over Magnum Beach and Fernando Morin.

Beach First is owned by Gregg Farris and was bred by Sheri Miller, who stands his sire Escondido Beach at her farm in northern Indiana. It was the first start of the year for Beach First, who now has two career wins.

The third and final trial of the night brought back a stakes winner from 2024 for his first start of the year. Zoomin Feature, winner of last year’s $194,000 Gordon Mobley Futurity, was all business from start to finish, posting a one-length win under wraps by Edgar Diaz in :17.951. WRs Apollitical Gal and Diego Villamil Bocanegra finished second over Flashy Beach DHD and Francisco Quintero.

The Campos Family Venture-owned son of Jess Zoomin is trained by Claudio Barraza and is now three for six in his young career.

The full field of qualifiers for the Harley Greene Derby on May 31, in order of time with jockey, includes: Apollitical Mission (:17.69, Rolando Pina); AP Political Patriot (:17.727, Jose Ruiz); Beach First (:17.826, Rolando Pina); Zoomin Feature (:17.951, Edgar Diaz); Jess A Beach Man (:18.04, Edgar Diaz); Magnum Beach (:18.12; Fernando Morin); WRs Apollitical Gal (:18.131, Diego Villamil Bocanegra); Escondido Gold (:18.193, Diego Villamil Bocanegra); Paradise Beach (:18.203, Edgar Diaz); and Wildcat Lover (:18.24, Eduardo Diaz). 

Miles City
Donaldo Hermosillo and Brenda Guzman’s DM Nite Hawk picked up the first stakes victory of his career in Saturday’s $42,800 Dan Lockie Derby at the Montana track. Piloted by David Jimenez for trainer and co-owner Guzman, DM Nite Hawk won the 300-yard dash in :15.490 to earn a 98 speed index. Hotlipps Hulahan crossed the wire second but was disqualified and placed fifth for interference. Mariah’s Interest was elevated to second, and Jrs Queen was the third-place finisher.

Bred in Texas by Donna Mushiski, DM Nite Hawk is a gelded son of Hawkeye out of the Panther Mountain mare Mountain Affair. DM Nite Hawk competed in Louisiana last year, where he won trials and qualified to both the Louisiana Downs (G2) and Old South futurities. He now has earnings of $64,567 from six starts. 

Feudalicious, the fastest qualifier who defeated DM Nite Hawk by a nose in the trials, was scratched from the final.

On Sunday at the Montana track, Eddie Jensen’s In The Vee finished with a flourish to prevail by a half-length in the $67,150 Bucking Horse Sale Futurity. Kody Kellenberger rode the sorrel gelding for trainer Jess Matt. In The Vee covered 250 yards in :13.576 to earn a 90 speed index.

Bred in Wyoming by Dan and Kim Lapierre, In The Vee is a gelded son of the Jesse James Jr stallion Junior June Bug out of the winning Brindis Por Cayenne mare Brindis Secret. In The Vee broke his maiden at first asking in the trials and has now earned $34,825 for his two victories. 

Heartland Express, a Missouri-bred filly by Freighttrain B, finishes second with the Dulce Sin Tacha gelding Kit Karsyn taking third. 

Sam Houston Race Park
Rigoberto Aguilar’s homebred Ra Coronado was a convincing winner in the $53,500 Leon Bard Memorial (R) on Saturday off an allowance victory on December 20 at Evangeline Downs. The son of Coronado Cartel out of Highclass Madam broke well and drew off for his first stakes victory. Nestor Duran was in the saddle and crossed the finish line of the 350-yard Texas-bred sprint in :17.73 over a fast track. Trainer Carlos Fierro was not surprised at the performance of the sorrel gelding.

“We have always known he had heart, but very exciting to see a horse from our own farm win this stakes,” said Fierro.

Ima Chili finished a neck behind under Oscar Andrade Jr., followed by Dm Chasing Money and Hes Jess Apollitical.

This marked the third year that Sam Houston Race Park honored Bard, who passed away in 2022 and was inducted into the Texas Racing Hall of Fame last year. His daughters Shelly Burnett and Caryl Merchant were on hand to present the trophy to the winning connections.

Saturday’s card also included the $50,000 John Buchanan Memorial Stakes (R) for Texas-breds, named in honor of Texas horseman John Buchanan, who passed away in 2020. The resident of Peaster, Texas, was a “hands on” trainer who took extraordinary care of his horses throughout a career that spanned over 30 years. He was prominent in each of the Texas racetracks with major stakes wins at Sam Houston Race Park from Pivotal Decision, Gone Celebrating and the diminutive filly, No Fees. Buchanan gained national recognition winning the 1987 All American Futurity (G1) with Elans Special, and with Brimmerton, who won the Rainbow Derby (G1) and All American Derby (G1) at Ruidoso Downs.

Javier Lujan’s Embers Time ($8.80), who broke her maiden at Sam Houston last April, delivered a solid performance under Rodrigo Vallejo,  covering 350 yards in :17.811. Jess Louisiana Girl mounted a bid from the far outside to finish second. Favorite Seis Chilitos was bumped and ran third.

Bred by Alejandro Moya, Embers Time is sired by Pyc Prize Time and trained by Martin Rodriguez.

John Buchanan’s wife, Iris, daughter Amanda and granddaughter Brix, presented  the trophy.

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