Wire Tap APHA extended his winning streak to three straight with a victory in the Grade 3, $15,800 Green Country Stakes on Tuesday at Will Rogers Downs.

Ridden by Francisco Calderon for trainer Matt Whitekiller, Wire Tap broke inward from post nine before making a bold bid through the final 70 yards to take command. The 5-year-old gelding pulled away to defeat Cuz Eyema Cowboy Baby APHA by three-quarters of a length, covering the 350 yards in :17.461 for a 97 speed index. Sent off at odds of 3.10-1, he returned $8.20 to win.

The Green Country Stakes was contested over a fast track with temperatures reaching 99 degrees and a 10 mph crosswind. The race carried $15,800 in available money, including $800 from the Oklahoma Bred Program.

Owned by Kaye Jones, who co-bred the Oklahoma-bred gelding with Dan Jones, Wire Tap is by World Champion Crm Livewire and out of the Second Painted Sign QH mare Lindys Sign.

Wire Tap entered the Green Country Stakes off a victory in the Ray Graves Memorial and has now won three consecutive starts. His career record improved to 32-11-8-2 with earnings of $137,257. His stakes record also includes victories in the PSBA Paint Classic Stakes (G1), Henry Bowlan Memorial Stakes, Mister Lewie Memorial Stakes (G1) and Olympia Joe Stakes (G1).

Cuz Eyema Cowboy Baby APHA finished second under Rolando Raudales for owners and breeders Gary and Charity Hensley and trainer Jesus Ruiz. The 3-year-old gelding broke sharply from post six and held the early advantage before being overtaken late, finishing three-quarters of a length behind the winner in :17.578 for a 94 speed index.

By champion Quarter Horse sire Flying Cowboy 123 and out of the Crm Livewire mare Cuz Eyema Livewire, Cuz Eyema Cowboy Baby entered the race off a victory in the Masterpiece Derby at Fair Meadows. He now has a record of 14-6-5-1 with earnings of $104,106. His previous stakes victories include the Speedhorse Paint and Appaloosa Futurity (G1), Speedhorse Graham Paint & Appaloosa Futurity (G1) and Speedhorse Paint & Appaloosa Stakes (G1).

Queen For Cash ApHC crossed the wire third under Mario Delgado for owner and breeder Gary Vaughan and trainer Jesus Ruiz. The 8-year-old mare raced close to the early pace before closing well late, missing second by a neck. She completed the distance in :17.596 for a 93 speed index.

By Hes Relentless QH and out of the Ivory James mare Ivory Queen, Queen For Cash improved her career record to 47-18-4-7 with earnings of $240,907. She has 12 stakes victories on her record.

Livewires Turnpike APHA finished fourth after being shuffled at the start and gaining ground late, followed by Storms Livewire APHA, Gigis Gucci Glasses APHA, Valiant Anthem ApHC, Pasatiempo APHA, Chief Iron Eagle ApHC and Bg Black Friday ApHC.

This Sunday, September 13, the American stallion Coronado Cartel was officially presented on Brazilian soil. His genetics had already been present in South America for several years, but with few offspring competing.

Even so, significant results had drawn attention, as his offspring in Brazil became two-time winners of the GP Megarace — Make Me, in 2024, and Winchester Cartel, this year — one of the country’s most important and richest races, with R$1,000,000 in prize money.

Breeder and owner Jonatas Dantas, CEO of Ana Dantas Ranch, considered one of the most prominent figures in the Brazilian Quarter Horse industry, with involvement in different disciplines, was impressed by Coronado Cartel’s production and sought to acquire his genetic material.

After consulting directly with his agent, Bee Silva, about the horse in the United States, Dantas saw an opportunity to make the deal happen and submitted a purchase proposal for the stallion, which was ultimately accepted.

“It is a historic milestone for our breeding program to have this stallion here. It is the realization of a dream, and I believe it is not only my dream, but also a gift that enriches our Quarter Horse industry,” said Jonatas.

For the importation, Ana Dantas Ranch invited Haras Sampaio, one of the largest Brazilian investors in Quarter Horse racing, to partner in the purchase of Coronado Cartel.

“When Dantas told me about it and invited me to participate in the purchase of this horse, even in my wildest dreams, I never believed it would be possible,” said Dr. Francisco Sampaio.

“He was the stallion everyone was talking about and wanted to have in Brazil, especially after we lost Fantastic Corona Jr. and Corona For Me, descendants of Corona Cartel,” Sampaio continued.

“It is an achievement driven by passion, one that makes any greater financial sacrifice worthwhile,” he concluded.

The official presentation celebration for Coronado Cartel took place at Ana Dantas Ranch, located in Boituva, SP, a region surrounded by natural beauty that impresses with its scenery and the fantastic details of its facilities.

In front of a select audience, with the event broadcast live throughout Brazil, the stallion born in Oklahoma put on a true show, impressing the Brazilians in attendance, who were captivated by his behavior throughout the ceremony.

Coronado Cartel paraded among the crowd, walking onto a red carpet and making his way to the stage, where he was photographed. The loud music, the speeches delivered by those responsible for him, and the countless flashes directed at him did not alter the stallion’s remarkable disposition in the slightest.

The feeling was that, if Brazilians were already impressed by his results, meeting him in person left them even more impressed. Comments highlighted his morphological beauty, bone structure, and gentleness, even in such a situation — something that, according to those present, had never been seen in quite the same way.

Brazilians are truly even more passionate about the Coronado Cartel.

For 2026, following the natural breeding season of the Southern Hemisphere, more than 100 breeding services were selectively sold, with packages auctioned and top broodmares selected. His open and unrestricted launch will take place only next year, during the 20th edition of Velocidade do Leilão Ana Dantas Ranch, to be held at the Jockey Club de Sorocaba. The breeding fees for 2027 in Brazil have not yet been announced.

At 15 years of age, Coronado Cartel will be standing at Haras Lub Breeding in Cesário Lange, SP. As a racehorse, he competed in 2013 and 2014, becoming a stakes winner with six victories and US$416,178 in earnings. His dam, First Prize Dash (by Mr Jess Perry), was a Grade 1 winner, with five victories and US$415,047 in earnings, and is a direct descendant of First Prize Dash, a full sister to First Down Dash.

With unquestionably elite genetics and results already proven in Brazil, Coronado Cartel now begins a new and historic chapter of his career in South America. After years of making his mark through offspring conceived from imported semen, the stallion is now physically becoming part of the Brazilian breeding industry.

His arrival represents more than the presence of a great stallion on Brazilian soil. It is the fulfillment of a dream and an important chapter for Quarter Horse breeding in Brazil, as highlighted by Dr. Francisco Sampaio, made possible through the partnership between Ana Dantas Ranch and Haras Sampaio.

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BP Jet Liner pressed the pace before surging to a head victory in Tuesday’s $30,000 John Deere Horseshoe Juvenile Challenge at Horseshoe Indianapolis.

Ridden by Luis Eduardo Luna Diaz, BP Jet Liner completed the 350 yards in :18.012, earning an 86 speed index over a fast track. The Samuel Mendoza trainee collected the $16,500 winner’s share for owner Jose Brizuela Jr.

The victory also earned BP Jet Liner a berth in the $150,000-est. John Deere Juvenile Challenge Championship (G2), which will be contested at The Downs at Albuquerque during AQHA Challenge Championship Night on October 15.

BP Jet Liner has won two of six career starts and earned $30,925. He was also a finalist in the Grade 3 Laico Bird Stakes.

Bred in Oklahoma by Bill Price, BP Jet Liner is a 2-year-old son of Flying Cowboy 123 from the Tempting Dash mare Hf Stormi Daniels. Brizuela purchased the brown colt for $75,000 in the 2025 Heritage Place Yearling Sale.

Fatimaa finished a head behind the winner and earned $6,000 for runner-up honors. The One Fabulous Eagle filly, ridden by Giovani Vazquez-Gomez for trainer Jessica A. Vazquez, has finished second in each of her three career starts.

Kidd Ranch bred Fatimaa, who is owned by LG Racing LLC. She is out of Kr Calamity, a daughter of Foose.

Apollitical Fast finished a neck behind Fatimaa in third and earned $3,000. The Anthony F. Cunningham-trained filly, ridden by Isidro Banuelos, has won twice and placed third three times in six starts, earning $21,345. She also won the Mari Hulman George Overnight Stakes.

Owner-breeder Brian L. Gunder bred Apollitical Fast, a daughter of Apollitical Blood from the Heza Fast Dash mare McM Sheza Fast Cutie. Apollitical Fast held third by a neck over Cyber Affair.

Cyber Affair, Temptstepper Z, Texas Swagger 123, Iriss Rose, Wheelz Up Sm, Thunder Bay, and Kissmeoverpolitics completed the order of finish.

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The starting gates are officially swinging open for the start of the 2026 American Quarter Horse Association racing season at Cherokee Casino Will Rogers Downs. The 28-day meet runs through Nov. 17, bringing higher purses and some of the region’s fastest Paint, Appaloosa and Quarter Horses back to the Claremore track.

The 2026 Will Rogers Downs fall racing schedule features average daily purses around $150,000. Racing will be conducted regularly on Mondays and Tuesdays, with Sunday racing beginning on Sept. 27, creating a three-day race week. First post will be at 12:00 p.m.

"The return of Quarter Horse racing this fall at Cherokee Casino Will Rogers Downs figures to be well received,” said John Lies, director of racing for Cherokee Casino Will Rogers Downs. “Last fall we experienced an increase in field size, and the strength of our stall applications and trainer feedback indicate we may be able to take another step forward in delivering more competitive, high-quality racing our fans have come to expect in Claremore.”

Three sets of trials for American Quarter Horse Association championship races will be offered in the first week, including Distaff Challenge Trials, the Juvenile Challenge Trials and the Derby Challenge Trials.

Overnight purses have been increased across the board for all races, including the Miss Ellen Stakes and the Oklahoma Quarter Horse Racing Association (OQHRA) Fall Classic, which both move from $24,000 to $30,000 for 2026.

Tuesday, Nov. 17, will close out the season with a final schedule that includes the $15,000-Added Speedhorse Paint and Appaloosa Futurity Championship Final, the $25,000-Added Mystery Derby Final, and the Black Gold Futurity Championship and the Black Gold Fillies Futurity Championship, both with a $123,750-Added purse.

For more information on the 2026 Quarter Horse racing season at Will Rogers Downs, visit https://www.cherokeecasino.com/games/horse-racing.

With more than 250 games, live music, heart-pounding horse racing action and impeccable service, Cherokee Casino Will Rogers Downs is your source of entertainment. The casino and track are both located three miles east of Claremore on Hwy. 20. For more information, visit www.cherokeecasino.com and click on the Will Rogers Downs tab, or call (918) 283-8800.

About Cherokee Nation Entertainment

Cherokee Nation Entertainment is the gaming and hospitality company of the Cherokee Nation. What began as a small bingo hall in Roland, Oklahoma, has evolved into one of the region’s largest and most dynamic gaming and hospitality enterprises, generating more than $1 billion in annual revenue, employing over 4,000 people, and welcoming more than 10 million visitors each year. With more than three decades of experience delivering world-class entertainment, CNE owns and operates the renowned Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tulsa and nine Cherokee Casinos throughout Oklahoma, including a racino, three resort hotels, a championship golf course, and a variety of dining, retail and entertainment venues. CNE also operates Gold Strike Casino & Resort in Tunica, Mississippi, one of the most recognized gaming destinations in the Mid-South. As a key economic engine for the Cherokee Nation, CNE is deeply committed to improving the lives of Cherokee citizens and strengthening communities through job creation, cultural preservation and reinvestment in vital services. For more information, visit HardRockCasinoTulsa.com, CherokeeCasino.com and GoldStrike.com.

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