BY MICHAEL CUSORTELLI ALTOONA, IA—AUGUST 19, 2017—Prairie Meadows near Des Moines, Iowa, opens its 2017 American Quarter Horse meet with a 10-race program on Saturday, headlined by the 400-yard, $45,000 Keokuk Stakes (G3). Post time for the first race is set for 1 p.m. (CDT). The Fiscal Cliff, a homebred 4-year-old son of Pyc Paint Your Wagon owned by Tom Lepic of Iowa City, Iowa, is the 9-5 morning-line favorite in the Keokuk. The stallion has earned $80,933 from four starts this season, and his three stakes wins include a half-length score in the 300-yard, $50,000 Bob Moore Memorial ...

BY MICHAEL CUSORTELLI ROCK SPRINGS, WY—AUGUST 18, 2017—Steve G. Berry’s Sb Hoonigan, an undefeated son of Jr Dynasty Mountain, is one of 37 2-year-olds entered in Saturday’s 350-yard Western States Breeders’ Futurity at Sweetwater Downs. Sb Hoonigan has earned $57,741 from four outs, and his four wins include two stakes victories. The gelding will be making his first start since June 17, when he scored a one-length win in the 350-yard, $69,000 Beehive Futurity at Laurel Brown Racetrack near Salt Lake City. Sb Hoonigan drew post 2 and will be ridden by Santiago Jimenez in the second of ...

BY MICHAEL CUSORTELLI NEW ORLEANS, LA—AUGUST 17, 2017—Ana L. Alvidrez’s Magic Black Jack will put his four-race win streak on the line in the 250-yard, $25,000 Gentilly Dash Stakes, one of three stakes to be run at Fair Grounds Racecourse on Saturday. A 4-year-old Jet Black Patriot gelding trained by Martin Trejo, Magic Black Jack will be stretching out in distance and facing open company off of his one-length victory as the 13-10 favorite in the 220-yard, $50,000 Flying Breed Stakes (R) at Delta Downs on July 8. Magic Black Jack is the 9-5 morning-line favorite and will be ridden by ...

LOS ALAMITOS, CA—AUGUST 17, 2017—Denny and Sandy Weigt’s Bannister will go after his third stakes victory at Los Alamitos Race Course when he takes on seven rivals in the $36,090 Adequan California Derby Challenge on Friday at Los Alamitos. First post is 8 p.m. with the 400-yard Adequan California set as the eighth race on the card. Trained by Monty Arrossa, Bannister won the Wild West Futurity and finished third in the John Deere California Juvenile Challenge last year. He has already made four starts in stakes events at Los Alamitos this year, winning the James Smith Memorlal Handicap and running second to graded derby winner Stelfast in the Dillingham Handicap. The Maknmoves gelding also ...

RUIDOSO DOWNS, NM—AUGUST 15, 2017—Darling Farms’ Rainbow Derby winner Hold Air Hostage races in an extremely deep set of 440-yard trials to Grade 1, $1,365,907 All American Derby on Sunday afternoon at Ruidoso Downs. The earnings of the three-year-olds racing in the All American Derby trials approaches $11.5-million. A total of six open Grade 1 winners, two of the three 2016 champion two-year-olds (the other was retired) and the top-six finishers in last year’s Grade 1, $3-million All ...

BY MICHAEL CUSORTELLI NEW ORLEANS, LA—AUGUST 14, 2017—Fair Grounds Racecourse will open its 10-day summer Quarter Horse meet with a 10-race program consisting of 350-yard LQHBA Sale Futurity (RG1) trials on Friday. Post time for the first of 10 trials is set for 12:30 p.m. (CDT). The last heat is scheduled to go off at 4:33. Second Down Leaving, a stakes-winning Coronas Leaving You colt trained by Javier Contreras for owners Eulalio Argote ...

RUIDOSO DOWNS, NM—AUGUST 14, 2017—Juan Medina’s homebred Eagle Jazz, quarter horse racing’s top-ranked two-year-old, races for the opportunity to earn $5.5-million when he starts in his trial to the Grade 1, $3-million All American Futurity on Saturday afternoon at Ruidoso Downs. There will be 14 440-yard trials on Friday and then another 14 440-yard trials on Saturday. The horses with the five-fastest times from each day of trials advance to the iconic All American Futurity on Labor ...

BY MICHAEL CUSORTELLI AURORA, CO—AUGUST 12, 2017—Arapahoe Park will end its 2017 season on Sunday, as the track presents a Quarter Horse stakes doubleheader topped by the 400-yard, $30,000-added Arapahoe Park Futurity. Santos Lopez’s Dee Favorite Girl, a brown daughter of Favorite Cartel, drew post 4 and will be ridden by James Flores for trainer Miguel Pena. Dee Favorite Girl has won two of three starts and has banked $21,930, and her resume includes a fourth-place finish, one length behind winner Pv Queen Bee Candy, in the 330-yard, $61,800 FL Lady Bugs Stakes (R) for Oklahoma-breds at Remington Park on May 29. Indomable Cartel, a bay ...

BY MICHAEL CUSORTELLI SHELBYVILLE, IN—AUGUST 11, 2017—Three sets of trials are on top on Saturday at Indiana Grand, the fourth of seven all-Quarter Horse cards scheduled at the track this season. Post time for the first of nine races is set for 6:05 p.m. (EDT). A total of 41 2-year-olds has been entered in five 350-yard QHRA of Indiana Stallion Service Auction Futurity (R) trials. Patrick Richardson’s Stone Cold Leader, a gelded son of Brookstone Bay trained by Erin Thompson, will be ridden by Rolando Pina from the rail post in the ...

BY MICHAEL CUSORTELLI AURORA, CO—AUGUST 10, 2017—Iza Captain, a stakes-winning son of Captain Courage racing for Pedro and Lilia Andazola, is one of 10 sophomores entered in Saturday’s 400-yard, $30,000-added Arapahoe Park Derby at Arapahoe Park. Iza Captain is stretching out in distance off of his one-length victory in the July 15, 350-yard Lucille Rowe Derby (R) for Colorado-breds. The gelding drew post 4 and will be ridden by Jose Ruiz for trainer Julio Corral. Luis Gonzales’ Movin The Doe, a stakes winner in Idaho, drew post 9 and will ...

BY MICHAEL CUSORTELLI HAZEL PARK, MI—AUGUST 8, 2017—A field of seven 2-year-olds, headed by Got Sand In My Shoes, has been entered in Friday’s 350-yard, $15,000 Hazel Park Futurity at Hazel Park Raceway. A sorrel daughter of the Mr Jess Perry stallion Palm Beach, Got Sand In My Shoes is trained by Anthony Cunningham for owners Pattie Marshall and Craig Zenneberg. The filly ships in from Indiana Grand, where she ran sixth, three lengths behind winner Stone Cold Leader, in the 300-yard, $184,000 Gordon Mobley Futurity (R) on June 17. Got Sand ...