Making his first start of the season, Paul Blanchard, Guadalupe Bujanda, Jose Antonio Flores, and Santos Montemayor’s Mask Mandate delivered a stunning performance at Los Alamitos, upsetting heavy favorite Lethal Cowboy 123 by a half-length in the Grade 1, $75,000 Go Man Go Handicap at 400 yards on Sunday night. Sent off at 18-1 odds, the 5-year-old gelding rewarded his backers with a $38.60 win payout.

Ridden by Irving Lara for trainer Jose Flores, Mask Mandate broke sharply from the outside post eight and continued with quick turn of foot throughout. Chasing the early flyer Astronomical 123 during the first half of the race, he eventually surged ahead and was never challenged from there while crossing the wire in :19.782. He earned $41,250 for the victory to boost his career earnings to $184,085.

The son of Favorite Cartel out of the champion aged mare Quirky has a knack for delivering special victories for Flores. Bred in California by Steve D. Burns, Mask Mandate previously gave Flores his 100th career stakes win at Los Alamitos when he captured the 2024 Governor's Cup Derby. Though the gelding had not visited the winner’s circle since that Derby score, he remained competitive in top company, including a placing in the Grade 2 Golden State Derby.

Mask Mandate had not started since competing in the First Down Dash Handicap last December, but he signaled his readiness with a sharp 350-yard gate work in :17.80 on August 5.

"All my respect to every horse in this race," Flores said after the win. "I know how hard it is to win these races and I know how special it is to win them. We've had different issues with him. He's always had the talent. He's out of a great mare and a great stallion. I'd like to thank (Dr. Burns) for breeding such a good horse. I'd like to thank my partners on him for always having patience and being so patient with me over the years. Sometimes things don't work out the way we want them to, but today they did. I'm so happy for the whole team—my barn works very hard—and it feels good to win the Go Man Go again."

Flores noted that the August 5 drill gave him plenty of confidence entering Sunday’s feature.

"When he worked :17.80 and did it so easy, I was very pleased with the horse," Flores added. "I knew he had the talent and today he showed it. He got a great outside post, he drifted out a little bit but corrected himself and finished so strong. He was awesome. People said, 'You should be in shock,' but I'm not in a whole lot of shock. I'm super happy. I remember that he won the Governor's Cup so easy."

Lethal Cowboy 123, sent off as the 1-2 favorite, finished second after a hard-charging effort. Ridden by Edwin Escobedo for trainer Marc Jungers, the millionaire champion was in contention throughout but never led the race. He broke third behind Astronomical 123 and Mask Mandate, and after moving ahead of Astronomical 123, he was still left chasing the eventual winner. Lethal Cowboy 123 finished strong in the late stages to secure the $16,875 runner-up check, bringing his career bankroll to $1,547,872.

Making his Grade 1 debut, Jo Rae Burns’ Astronomical 123 delivered a tremendous performance to finish third. Guided by Martin Arriaga for trainer Michael Casselman, the 4-year-old gelding broke second behind Mask Mandate and took the lead for the next 250 yards. Though overtaken in the final part of the race, the two-time local stakes winner held on well to earn $9,375 for third.

Rounding out the order of finish were Winners Share in fourth, followed by Invasive, two-time Go Man Go winner Scoops Dynasty, Defending Champ, and Special Batch.

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Hes Innocent continued his strong second-crop season Wednesday when his daughter Shesainnocentpiloto posted the fastest qualifying time from six trials for the $266,250 BOCO Futurity at Sandy Ridge.

Shesainnocentpiloto won the fourth trial by a half-length in :17.645, earning a 106 speed index while recording her third consecutive victory. Bred in Louisiana by Grant Farms LLC, she is out of the Mr Piloto mare Famous Flying Piloto.

The victory improved Shesainnocentpiloto's record to three wins and one second from five starts with earnings of $41,820. She will return for the $266,250 BOCO Futurity final on Sept. 6.

Her performance adds to a growing list of stakes success this season for Hes Innocent. Earlier this month, Er Innocent Party captured the $211,800 Ron Cook Accredited Wyoming Bred Futurity on Aug. 8 at Wyoming Downs.

The victory was worth $97,428 and increased Er Innocent Party's career earnings to $124,850 from four starts. He has won three of those starts and finished third in the 307HR Wyoming Bred Futurity.

Other stakes performers this season include Innocent Down Perry SI 101 ($35,334), who finished third in the Golden Spike Derby; Hes Pullin Gs ($13,545), who placed third in both the Bitterroot Derby and Idaho Bred Derby; and Shezinnocent SI 95 ($40,048), a finalist in the Flashy Hemp Stakes.

The recent success has helped Hes Innocent climb to #4 among the nation's leading second-year sires by earnings. A multiple stakes sire from his first two crops to race, his runners are averaging nearly $14,000 per starter.

Hes Innocent's numbers are even stronger by win percentage. He currently ranks as the #1 leading 2-year-old sire by win percentage, with 14 winners from 29 starters for a 48% win rate, and the #1 leading second-year sire by win percentage, with 19 winners from 37 starters for a 51% win rate.

Hes Innocent stands at Louisiana Center for Equine Reproduction.

For breeding information, contact Stephen Deville, Breeding Manager, at 225-202-2104 or the farm office at 337-407-0708. Visit www.laequine.com or email laceroffice@gmail.com.

Shakers No Secret added another graded stakes victory to his record Friday night with a determined win in the $58,718 AQHA Retama Park Championship Challenge (G3).

Ridden by Raul Ramirez Jr., Shakers No Secret broke sharply from the outside before moving into second and taking command late. The six-year-old gelding drove clear to defeat Im A Pretty Mess by a half-length, completing 440 yards in :21.869 for a 104 speed index.

Shakers No Secret is owned by Abel Lopez, Ethan Lopez and Manny Dutchover and trained by Marc Jungers. Bred by Garlyn Shelton, the $14,000 Heritage Place Yearling Sale graduate is sired by Five Bar Cartel and out of the No Secrets Here mare Shaker Secret.

Coming off a victory in the King William Stakes (G3) in June, Shakers No Secret improved his record to 42-12-10-6. The $28,185 winner's share boosted his career earnings to $893,110.

The accomplished gelding's stakes record also includes victories in the Championship at Sunland Park (G1), AQHA Challenge Championship Stakes (G1) and West Texas Maturity (G3).

Im A Pretty Mess finished second under J.R. Ramirez Jr. The three-year-old filly broke sixth but quickly surged to the front and led into the final stages before being overtaken by Shakers No Secret. She completed the distance in :21.963 for a 102 speed index.

Owned by SLC Racing LLC and trained by Shae Cox, Im A Pretty Mess was bred by Joshua Henderson and is a $24,000 LQHBA Yearling Sale graduate. She is sired by Tarzanito and out of the One Famous Eagle mare Eagle Diva. Her female family includes Dam of Distinction Jess Sass Me ($110,503) and champions Jess Walking Thru ($447,266) and Sass Me Blue ($296,378).

Im A Pretty Mess now has a record of 6-2-1-1 with earnings of $35,504.

Eagles Up crossed the wire in third under Luis Vivanco. The four-year-old colt raced fifth early before making a bid and improving to third, finishing in :22.069 for a 98 speed index.

Owned and bred by Jumonville Farms and trained by Marc Jungers, Eagles Up sold for $32,000 at the Heritage Place Yearling Sale before later bringing $75,000 at the Heritage Place Fall Mixed Sale. He is sired by champion One Famous Eagle and out of the winning Walk Thru Fire mare U R Blue.

Eagles Up is a half-brother to Mardi Gras Derby winner Jess U R Blue ($147,791), while his second dam is world champion and four-time champion Blues Girl Too ($2,032,328). He now has a record of 16-5-3-4 with earnings of $176,240.

Still seeking his first stakes victory, Eagles Up has placed in several major events, including runner-up honors in the EVD Futurity (G2) and third-place finishes in the EVD Derby and Sam Houston Derby (G3).

Dr Pepper 123 finished fourth, followed by Defours in fifth. Klass Action and Sightseeing Beauty dead-heated for sixth, followed by Apollitical Jackie.

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A championship afternoon of Quarter Horse racing is scheduled for Sunday, August 23, at Hipódromo de las Américas. The 10-race program will feature nine stakes or special events and will conclude with the XLII Futurity Subasta Selecta (RG2), Abelardo Gallegos Fernández.

The first post is scheduled for 2:00 p.m., with the program building toward the $298,402 Futurity Subasta Selecta in the tenth race. The 350-yard final brings together 10 of Mexico’s top 2-year-olds following qualifying trials on August 1 and 2.

The afternoon will peak in race ten with the XLII Futurity Subasta Selecta (RG2), with Abelardo Gallegos Fernández as the jockey. A field of 10 Mexican-bred 2-year-olds will race 350 yards for a total purse of $298,402, with approximately $216,984 allocated to horsemen.

KC Flyin Jess has been installed as the 5-2 morning-line favorite after an impressive qualifying performance. The Krash Cartel gelding broke sharply and powered away to win his August 1 trial by 2 3/4 lengths in 17.55 seconds. That victory followed his June 28 win in the Futurity Garañones and improved his record to three wins and one second from five starts. He has earned $64,946.

Bred by Abelardo Gallegos Fernández and racing for Cuadra Alpuyeca, KC Flyin Jess is trained by Antonio Garcia Carranza. Angel Santillan will ride from post 1.

Among his strongest rivals is the undefeated DK Mirnalda. The Danny Cartel filly is perfect in three career starts and has earned $70,508. She won the Futurity Mexico in May and returned on August 1 to win her 350-yard Futurity Subasta Selecta trial by 1 1/2 lengths.

Bred by Cuadra La Presita and racing for Cuadra San Martin, DK Mirnalda is trained by Luis Enrique Cruz Solis. Juan Diego Marquez will guide her from post seven.

The field also includes DK Reyna De Oro, who enters the final with a three-race winning streak. She won her qualifying trial in 17.37 seconds. Peligrosita Eagle will also draw attention after recording a 17.28-second trial victory by 2 1/4 lengths.

The ninth race will be the final major event before the Futurity, featuring the approximately $23,460 XIV Futurity Alberto Bailleres Consolation. The 350-yard race is for eligible Mexican-bred 2-year-olds ranked 11th through 20th in the Futurity Subasta Selecta trials.

The second-fastest qualifier, DK Tsunami Cartel, will not compete in the Consolation.

RG Magic Heart, the 5-2 morning-line favorite, will attract plenty of attention from the rail. The Swingin Corona gelding has won three of four starts and enters off a strong victory in his August 2 Futurity trial. He completed 350 yards in 17.67 seconds and pulled away to win by 2 1/2 lengths.

RG Magic Heart also won two qualifying races earlier this season and has earned $15,584. Bred by Criadero San Sebastian and owned by Rancho Las Gaviotas, he is trained by Alfredo Rabanal Salinas. Mario Alberto Lopez Marmolejo will ride him.

The stakes action kicks off immediately in the opening race, the XIV Clásico Salvador Oñate. The approximately $17,617 event will bring together five Mexican-bred Quarter Horses, 3-year-olds and older, for a 350-yard test.

The second race will feature the approximately $15,147 XIV Clásico Salomé Gallegos. The 350-yard event is restricted to Mexican-bred 2-year-olds who finished from 56th through the final eligible position in the August 1 and 2 Futurity Subasta Selecta trials.

The third race is the Premio Abelardo Gallegos Fernández, an approximately $13,335 allowance race for Mexican-bred Quarter Horses, 3-year-olds and older, meeting the race’s non-winners conditions. The field will sprint 220 yards.

The fourth race will feature 2-year-old fillies in the approximately $12,590 XIV Clásico Héctor Roldán Arreola. Seven maidens will compete over 330 yards, each seeking her first career victory.

The fifth race is the XIII Clásico Everardo Múzquiz Elguezábal, with an approximate purse of $16,051. Mexican-bred Quarter Horses, ages 3 and older, will compete at 330 yards.

The sixth race will feature the XII Clásico Jacinto Garduño. The approximately $12,590 event is for Mexican-bred 2-year-olds who remain maidens and have not posted a Speed Index of 71 or higher. The field will sprint 250 yards.

Attention returns to the Futurity Subasta Selecta qualifiers in race seven, the approximately $20,543 XIV Clásico Arcadio Espinosa. The 350-yard race is for eligible Mexican-bred 2-year-olds ranked 21st through 55th in the August 1 and 2 trials.

The eighth race will feature the XIV Clásico Carlos Antonio Sosa Valencia. The approximately $14,186 event will bring together Mexican-bred 2-year-old maidens for a 330-yard race.

With established stakes performers, undefeated juveniles, and several of Mexico’s fastest young Quarter Horses competing on the same program, Sunday’s card will showcase the depth of Mexican racing. The stakes action will begin with the Clásico Salvador Oñate and continue throughout the afternoon before the country’s leading 2-year-olds meet in the Futurity Subasta Selecta (RG2), where one juvenile will leave Hipódromo de las Américas with one of the season’s most important victories.

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