Cruzin Cartel, an $18,000 TQHA Yearling Sale graduate, set the fastest TQHA Sale Futurity qualifying time in the seven trials on July 10 at Retama Park.

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SELMA, TX—JULY 20, 2020—Eight official stakes, headed by Saturday’s $406,110 Texas QHA Sale Futurity (RG2), will be contested this weekend (Friday and Saturday) at Retama Park.

Cruzin Cartel, a son of Teller Cartel owned and trained by Raul Galvan, set the fastest TQHA Sale Futurity qualifying time with his 2 1/4-length victory in the sixth of seven trials on July 10. An $18,000 purchase at last year’s TQHA Yearling Sale, the gelding drew post 2 and will be ridden by Bryan Candanosa.

Tempting Knockout, a daughter of champion Tempting Dash trained by Leon Bard for owner P & J Racing Ltd., made her debut with a clear 1 1/4-length win in the second trial. A $52,000 buy at the 2019 TQHA Yearling Sale, the filly drew post 8 and will be ridden by Jose Vega.

The complete lineup for the TQHA Sale Futurity, in post position order including jockey assignments:

1. Quick Chicks Dynasty (Jose I. Martinez)
2. Cruzin Cartel (Bryan Candanosa)
3. Ima Jet Stream (J.R. Ramirez)
4. Lovin The Drama (Nestor Duran)
5. Patron TLC (Victor Urieta Jr.)
6. Dash N Leader (Francisco Calderon)
7. JLC Steal Your Cash (Luis Vivanco)
8. Tempting Knockout (Jose Vega)
9. Greysland (Manuel Gutierrez)
10. Captain (Noe Villatoro)

P & J Racing Ltd.’s Stolis Pro, a 9-year-old son of champion Stoli trained by Leon Bard, heads a field of six distance specialists in Friday’s 870-yard, $50,000 Benny Pennington Memorial Stakes. Stolis Pro ended his 2019 campaign with a three-race win streak that included a half-length victory in the 870-yard, $50,000 King Rick Rack Stakes at Zia Park on December 1. The gelding drew the rail post and will be ridden by Francisco Calderon.

Rockin J Running Horses’s Viva Le Don is one of seven middle-distance specialists entered in Friday’s 550-yard, $50,000 TQHA 550 Stakes (RG3) for Texas-breds. A homebred 4-year-old Rock Solid Jess gelding trained by Tammy Johnson, Viva Le Don is coming off of a 1 1/4-length victory as the 13-10 favorite in the 550-yard, $30,000 Tower of the Americas Stakes at Retama Park on the Fourth of July. Viva Le Don drew post 6 and will be ridden by Jose Vega.

Bluemoonteller, a 5-year-old son of Teller Cartel owned by Three Bar T Quarter Horses, will be trying for his second career stakes win in Friday’s 250-yard, $50,000 TQHA 250 Stakes (R) for Texas-bred sprinters. Trained by Cindi Keeton, Bluemoonteller made his season debut with a fifth-place finish in the 350-yard, $40,000 John Andreini Memorial Stakes at Ruidoso Downs on May 25. The gelding has won two of his three starts at the 250-yard trip. Bluemoonteller drew post 7 and will be ridden by Luis Vivanco.

Nine Texas-bred distaffers are entered in Friday’s 350-yard, $50,000 Miss Retama Stakes (R). Edgar Rosales’ SS Classyjess, a stakes-winning 4-year-old daughter of Rock Solid Jess trained by Jose Carrizales, is coming off of a third-place finish, a neck behind winner Hopey Chick, in the 350-yard, $30,000 Selma Stakes on July 4. SS Classyjess drew post 9 and will be ridden by Juan I. Garcia.

Fantasticazoom Jr, a three-time stakes winner during the 2020 Louisiana Downs winter meet, heads a full field of 10 Texas-breds entered in Friday’s 400-yard, $60,000 TQHA Classic Stakes (RG2). Trained by Jose Carrizales for owner J & J Stables LlC, the 4-year-old Fantastic Corona Jr stallion has earned $27,000 from four outs this season. Fantasticazoom Jr drew post 10 and will be ridden by Juan I. Garcia.

David Gutierrez’s A Painted Dynasty, a three-length winner of his trial on July 3, is one of 10 sophomores entered back in Saturday’s 400-yard, $57,035 Adequan Retama Park Derby Challenge. Trained by Alonso Neri, the bay son of champion FDD Dynasty is coming off of a Remington Park spring campaign during which he ran third in the April 18, 400-yard Remington Park Derby (RG2) for Oklahoma-breds and was a finalist in the May 30, $232,000 Heritage Place Derby (G2). A Painted Dynasty drew post 7 and will be ridden by Victor M. Urieta Jr.

Fastest qualifier His Time To Deal heads a field of 10 2-year-olds entered back in Saturday’s 350-yard, $61,149 John Deere Retama Juvenile Challenge. Trained by Leon Bard for owner Pete A. Scarmardo, His Time To Deal made his debut with a one-length victory in the first of three trials on July 3. The homebred Dealagame gelding drew post 4 and will be ridden by Jose Vega for trainer Leon Bard.

All Retama Park races can be seen at Q-RacingVideo.com.