BY MICHAEL CUSORTELLI SHELBYVILLE, IN—JUNE 23, 2017—Eyema Texas Cowboy is one of 20 3-year-olds entered in Saturday’s 400-yard Indiana Grand QHRAI Derby trials at Indiana Grand. A brown son of Capo de Capi trained by Randy Smith for owner Paula Cristina Villatoro, Eyema Texas Cowboy will be making his first start at Indiana Grand. The gelding ships in from Oklahoma, where he was a finalist in the 400-yard, $297,000 Heritage Place Derby (G2) at Remington Park. Eyema Texas Cowboy drew post 7 and will be ridden by Berkley Packer in the first of two trials. Enrique Ibarra’s Jess Kool Lady ...

BY MICHAEL CUSORTELLI IDAHO FALLS, ID—JUNE 23, 2017—-Wagonfullofdividends, a bay son of Pyc Paint Your Wagon racing for RTM Stables LLC and Shauna Dunn, is one of 10 2-year-olds entered back in Saturday’s 350-yard, $104,376 Bitterroot Futurity at Sandy Downs. Raced exclusively in Idaho, Wagonfullofdividends has earned $14,700 from three outs, and his three wins include a clear two-length victory in the 330-yard, $30,000 Rocky Mountain Spring Classic Futurity at Pocatello Downs on May 29. The colt drew post 5 and will be ridden by Jesus Canales for trainer Mark Hanson. The complete lineup, ...

LOS ALAMITOS, CA—JUNE 23, 2017—Six weeks ago, many racing observers rated the field to the Dillingham Handicap as one of the best in the stakes’ history with runners like Stelfast, Lotta Blues Man and Bannister among those in that 400-yard dash. Now a similar thing could be said about the strong field in this year’s Vandy’s Flash Handicap, as the 400-yard event will have an all-star cast of Quarter Horses headed by the return to the track of Grade 1 Los Alamitos Winter Derby winner Imaqtpie, a daughter of leading sire One Famous Eagle. Other top names in the seven-horse field will include the aforementioned Stelfast, winner of the El Primero Del Ano Derby and the Dillingham, and 2016 ...

BY MICHAEL CUSORTELLI SELMA, TX—JUNE 22, 2017—A field of seven Texas-bred 3-year-olds, topped by Sarah Huskey’s Fdp Rock Solid, has been entered in Saturday’s 330-yard, $15,000 Ben E. Keith Stakes (R) at Retama Park. A homebred son of Rock Solid Jess trained by Esteban Rubio, Fdp Rock Solid will ...

BY MICHAEL CUSORTELLI VINTON, LA—JUNE 22, 2017—Politically Corrupt, a 4-year-old Apollitical Jess gelding owned by Double H Racing Investments LLC, drew post 7 for Saturday’s 400-yard, $50,000 Miss Polly Classic Stakes (G3) at Delta Downs. Politically Corrupt will be shortening in distance off of his neck victory in the 440-yard, $50,000 Sam Houston Classic Stakes (G2) on May 13. Cipriano Vidana will ride the gelding for trainer Jose Sanchez. Brave Heart Won, a 4-year-old son of Apollitical Jess ...

LOS ALAMITOS, CA—JUNE 22, 2017—Princess Abigail Kawananakoa of Hawaii will have two Quarter Horse princesses in action in the form of Staggering Stride and Trippys Royal Jess in the $15,000 Indigo Illusion Handicap for 3-year-old fillies on Saturday at Los Alamitos. Nine races are on the card with first post following the final race at Santa Anita. The two fillies are trained by Chris O’Dell and will come into this race after finishing 1-2 in the La Pacifica Handicap on May 12. The filly by Mr Jess Perry filly was first across the wire on that night, as she held off Trippys Royal Jess by ...

BY MICHAEL CUSORTELLI VINTON, LA—JUNE 21, 2017—A full field of 10 sprinters has been entered in Friday’s 300-yard, $20,000 Par-A-Dice Stakes (R) at Delta Downs. Lil Bro Big Streak, a 3-year-old son of Jet Black Patriot trained by Trey Ellis for the Melvin E. Hatley 1987 Trust, drew post 7 and will be ridden by Alfonso Lujan. The Louisiana-bred gelding has earned $13,020 from four starts this season, and his season resume includes a second-place finish in the 350-yard, $25,000 Bill Montgomery ...

BY MICHAEL CUSORTELLI SHELBYVILLE, IN—JUNE 21, 2017—Mavara Vegas, a multiple stakes winner during her 4-year-old campaign, will make her 2017 season debut in Friday’s 400-yard, $40,000 Indiana Grand Classic Stakes at Indiana Grand. A 5-year-old daughter of champion Fdd Dynasty racing for Alejandro Medina, Mavara Vegas earned $76,592 from ...

ALBUQUERQUE, NM—JUNE 20, 2017—A 10-race program, consisting of five Thoroughbred and five Quarter Horse races and headlined by the $60,000 O.D. McDonald Handicap (R), will open Albuquerque Downs’ 2017 summer season on Saturday. Post time for the first race is set for 6:05 p.m. (MDT). The 7-furlong O.D. McDonald Handicap is restricted to New Mexico-bred Thoroughbreds and has drawn a field of 10, topped by defending champion Citizen ...

LOS ALAMITOS, CA—JUNE 17, 2017— Pete and Evelyn Parrella’s Legacy Ranch will look to score its richest racing victory ever when their homebred Platki, a full brother to their AQHA champion filly, Flying Fig, heads the running of the $1,000,000 Ed Burke Million Futurity on Sunday at Los Alamitos.

"We’ve ran in some good races and some $1 million events, but we’ve never gotten the ring," Parrella said. "If we win so be it, if we don’t win it so be it. We’re just blessed to be in it. To me I just want everyone to come back safe and sound. The rest will be up to the racing gods. To me ...

BY MICHAEL CUSORTELLI AJAX, ONTARIO, CANADA—JUNE 17, 2017—Ruth F. Barbour’s Country Boy 123, the fastest qualifier and morning-line favorite, drew the rail post for Sunday’s 300-yard, $58,000 Picov Maturity at Ajax Downs. A 4-year-old son of champion Country Chicks Man trained by Bryn Robertson, ...

BY MICHAEL CUSORTELLI SHELBYVILLE, IN—-JUNE 16, 2017—Patrick Richardson’s Stone Cold Leader, a brown son of Brookstone Bay trained by Joe M. Davis, is the 3-5 morning-line choice for Saturday’s 300-yard, $184,000 Gordon Mobley Futurity (R) for state-sired 2-year-olds at Indiana Grand. The fastest qualifier, Stone Cold Leader is coming off of a clear 1 3/4-length victory in the second of four trials on June 3. The filly has won two of her three starts and has earned $14,680. Stone Cold Leader drew post 3 and will be ridden by Rolando ...

BY MICHAEL CUSORTELLI FARMINGTON, NM—JUNE 16, 2017—Beyond 15, a daughter of Desirio and the fastest qualifier, is the 5-2 morning-line favorite for Sunday’s 350-yard, $83,712 Four Corners Futurity at SunRay Park. Beyond 15 is trained by Shae Cox for Diamond Racing Stables and Alejandro Melendez. ...