RUIDOSO DOWNS, NM—MAY 27, 2017—Gary Hartstack’s Daddys Blushing takes on New Mexico-bred competition after beating open company in the Sam Houston Juvenile when he starts in the sixth of 12 350-yard trials to the $392,255 Mountain Top New Mexico-Bred Quarter Horse Futurity on Friday afternoon at Ruidoso Downs. First post time is 1 p.m. There is always free parking and free general admission at Ruidoso Downs. The horses with the 10-fastest times advance to the Mountain Top Futurity on June 17. Daddys Blushing may have found the perfect spot in the Mountain Top Futurity after winning his first two starts against open company at Sam ...

BY MICHAEL CUSORTELLI AURORA, CO—MAY 27, 2017—Shiner Blond, a stakes winner during the 2016 meet, is one of eight sprinters entered in Sunday’s 300-yard, $15,000 Dash For Speed Stakes at Arapahoe Park. A homebred 4-year-old daughter of Make It Anywhere trained by Zachary Quezada for owner A and D Racing, Shiner Blond returns to Arapahoe from Remington Park in Oklahoma City, where the mare ran ninth in the 400-yard, $53,000 Merial Oklahoma Distaff Challenge (G3) on May 14. Shiner Blond earned $16,709 from five outs last season and scored a ...

OKLAHOMA CITY, OK—MAY 27, 2017—Remington Park features a special Memorial Day racing program with multiple stakes events for Oklahoma-bred American Quarter Horses. The $61,800 FL Lady Bug Stakes features 2-year-olds, including Ima China Rush, this season’s Oklahoma Futurity winner. Owned and bred by Sherry Gilmore of Sallisaw, Okla. ...

SHELBYVILLE, IN—MAY 26, 2017— It will be a battle to the wire between two standout Indiana sired Quarter Horses Saturday, May 27 when the field enters the starting gate for the eighth running of the $84,200 Born Runner Classic. WH Design by Dash and Beach Cartel, who shared honors in 2016 as the Quarter Horse Association of Indiana (QHRAI) ...

BY MICHAEL CUSORTELLI SOUTH JORDAN, UT—MAY 26, 2017—Two sets of futurity trials are part of Saturday’s 12-race program at Laurel Brown Racetrack near Salt Lake City, Utah. Saturday’s 350-yard Beehive Futurity trials have drawn 61 juveniles. Sb Hoonigan, a stakes-winning son of first crop sire Jr Dynasty Mountain trained by Alvaro Torres for owner Steve Berry, drew post 6 in the seventh of eight trials. Sb Hoonigan is coming off of a head victory in the 300-yard, $74,000 Hadley/Giles Memorial Futurity at Weber Downs in Ogden, Utah. Sb Hoonigan will be ridden by Jesus Canales. The homebred gelding’s seven opponents in the seventh heat ...

BY MICHAEL CUSORTELLI SHELBYVILLE, IN—MAY 25, 2017—Beach Cartel, a homebred 5-year-old gelding racing for Sheri Miller, drew post 9 for Saturday’s 400-yard, $84,200 Born Runner Classic Stakes (R) for state-breds at Indiana Grand. Beach Cartel made his season debut with a victory in a 400-yard, $20,000 open-condition allowance for Indiana-breds on May 5. The Escondido Beach gelding earned $98,290 from six outs in 2006, and his four ...

BY MICHAEL CUSORTELLI SHAKOPEE, MN—-MAY 25, 2017—A total of 25 3-year-olds, led by John G. Johnson’s Faster Than Hasta, has been entered in Saturday’s 400-yard Gopher State Derby trials at Canterbury Park. Trained by Robert Johnson, Faster Than Hasta will be making his season debut from post 4 in the last of three trials. A bay son of ...

BY MICHAEL CUSORTELLI VINTON, LA—MAY 23, 2017—Brave Heart Won, a 4-year-old son of Apollitical Jess campaigned by Dwayne Saucier and trainer Michael Taylor, will make his season debut in Saturday’s 350-yard, $25,000 Develop A Plan Stakes (G3) at Delta Downs. Brave Heart Won is coming off of a sophomore season during which the sorrel gelding earned $303,410 from seven outs and ran third in both the $2.415-million All American Derby (G1) at Ruidoso Downs and $363,000 Texas Classic Derby (G1) ...

RUIDOSO DOWNS, NM—MAY 22, 2017— The top-two finishers in last year’s Grade 1, $3-million All American Futurity — Imperial Eagle and The Marfa Lights — highlight the 12 trials to the Grade 1, $800,000 Ruidoso Derby on Sunday afternoon at Ruidoso Downs. The 10-fastest qualifiers from the 400-yard trials gain eligibility to the Ruidoso Derby. The next 10 fastest qualifiers have preference to race in the $100,000 Mr Jess Perry. Both races are on June 10. First post time on Sunday is ...

BY MICHAEL CUSORTELLI FARMINGTON, NM—MAY 22, 2017—A field of eight New Mexico-breds, headed by morning-line favorite Seis Menudos, has been entered in Friday’s 400-yard, $40,000 Jimmy Drake Stakes (R) at SunRay Park. A 6-year-old Southern Corona gelding trained by Michael Megariz III for owner Eloy Humberto Pena, Seis Menudos will be making his first start since March 4, when he scored ...

BY MICHAEL CUSORTELLI HOUSTON, TX—MAY 21, 2017—Samuel Martinez’s Barefoot Beach, stakes-placed twice at the current meet, will be seeking her first stakes win of the season in Monday’s 300-yard, $15,000 Sam Houston Distaff at Sam Houston Race Park. Trained by reigning champion trainer Judd Kearl, Barefoot Beach will be shortening in distance off of her second-place finish, a neck behind winner Brookside, in the 400-yard, $28,000 Merial Texas Distaff Challenge on April 22. The 4-year-old daughter of ...

LOS ALAMITOS, CA—MAY 21, 2017—im Walker’s Champion of Champions winner Zoomin For Spuds, the AQHA champion 3-year-old gelding last year, drilled 220 yards from the gate in an impressive :12.10 clocking under jockey Jesus Rios Ayala on Saturday morning at Los Alamitos. Zoomin For Spuds worked in ...