Tachas Secret successfully defended her title in the $79,516 Hoosier Park Classic Stakes ([R]) Wednesday evening at Horseshoe Indianapolis, holding off Mr Michel by a head in a tight finish over 400 yards.

Breaking sharply from the inside under jockey Fernando Morin, Tachas Secret quickly established herself on the front end and held safe through the wire. The 6-year-old mare completed the 400 yards in :20.097, earning an 88 speed index while racing into a 10 mph headwind.

Tachas Secret earned $45,320 for owners Marla K Robinson Family Trust and Duke Racing. Ricardo Martinez trains and bred the Indiana-bred daughter of Habits Secret from Sin Tachas Angel, by Pyc Paint Your Wagon.

“She (Tachas Secret) is just a freak,” noted Duke, who, along with his wife Stefanie, has a farm nearby and is successful in both racing and barrel horses. “She is sound, and she gives it every race. She is something special.”

The victory marked the second consecutive Hoosier Park Classic win for Tachas Secret and improved her career record to 15 wins, six seconds and two thirds from 30 starts with earnings of $642,242. Her stakes résumé also includes two wins each in the Born Runner Stakes and Horseshoe Indianapolis Classic Stakes, along with victories in the Bradford Stakes, Bob Woodard Memorial Classic Stakes, Blue River Derby, and Miss Roxie Little.

For Duke Racing, it was a one-two punch on the day with Tachas Secret joining Heza Classy Cowboy, the winner of the Sterlie Bertram Memorial. It was their fifth win as owners on the year to be ranked in fourth on the list of leading Quarter Horse owners in 2026.

“It is amazing to win both of these races today,” added Duke. “We appreciate everything Horseshoe Indianapolis does for us and all the racing opportunities we have. This is a dream come true to have horses like this.”

Duke Racing and Martinez are not done for 2026. They will be back for the seventh annual Indiana Champions Day set for Saturday, October 24. The day includes purses over the $1.6 million mark, with nearly $1 million of that earmarked for Quarter Horse racing. The first post is set for 12 p.m. for Indiana Champions Day.

Mr Michel battled through a bumped start before finishing strongly to take second by a head over Nachor Secret. The 7-year-old gelding earned $16,480 for owner Alberto Valadez. Claudio Barraza trains the son of champion Kiss My Hocks from Lovemelikethat, by Likenothinyoueversaw, and Edgar Diaz had the riding assignment. Mark Michel bred the gelding.

Mr Michel was a $200,000 RNA at the 2025 Heritage Place Winter Mixed Sale. He has won 18 of 37 career starts, with eight seconds and one third, while earning $789,455. His stakes victories include the Leo Stakes (G1), SLM Big Daddy Stakes (G2), Miss Roxie Little Futurity, Gary Baber Memorial, QHRAI SSA Auction Derby, two runnings of the Bradford Stakes, the Bob Woodard Memorial Classic Stakes and three editions of the Indiana Championship Stakes.

Nachor Secret finished another half-length in front of fourth-place finisher Escondido Gold to earn $8,240 for owner, breeder and trainer Ricardo Martinez. Martin Munoz rode the 5-year-old gelding by Habits Secret from Eyes A Favorite, by Favorite Cartel. Nachor Secret was bumped between rivals at the start but continued on strongly, missing second by a head.

Nachor Secret has compiled eight wins, five seconds, and three thirds from 19 career starts and has earned $318,617. His stakes victories include the Harley Greene Derby, Born Runner Classic, and Bob Woodard Memorial Classic.

Escondido Gold finished fourth, followed by Ap Miss Lunas Tide, Jess A Riot, and Beach First.

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With the 2026 racing season entering its final months, Golden Boi, Cyber Monday, and Kj Mucho Macho Man have emerged as the respective leaders among AQHA's first-, second-, and third-year sires by money earned, highlighting a group of young stallions beginning to establish themselves in the Quarter Horse breeding industry.

Burns Ranch's Golden Boi holds a commanding advantage among first-year sires with $1,403,417, while Lazy E Ranch's Cyber Monday leads a much tighter second-year race with $2,909,300. Among third-year sires, Haddad Ranch's Kj Mucho Macho Man tops the standings with $2,051,613.

The three divisions also showcase the continuing influence of some of the breed's leading sire lines. Golden Boi and Cyber Monday are both sons of Favorite Cartel, while Kj Mucho Macho Man is by Apollitical Jess.

Following is a closer look at the Top 10 sires in each of the three young-sire divisions through October 4.

Golden Boi Holds Commanding Lead Among 2026 First-Year Sires

Burns Ranch stallion Golden Boi has established a commanding advantage among AQHA's leading first-year sires by money earned in 2026, becoming the only freshman sire to surpass $1 million in progeny earnings through October 4.

Golden Boi, a 2019 son of Favorite Cartel, leads the first-year sire standings with $1,403,417 in progeny earnings, more than $1.1 million ahead of his nearest rival.

The Burns Ranch stallion has been represented by 72 starters and 32 winners, both easily the highest totals among the Top 10 first-year sires. His first crop has also produced one stakes winner.

Leading the way for Golden Boi is El Huracano V, whose $632,670 in earnings accounts for nearly half of his sire's total progeny earnings.

Sitting second is Cox Stallion Station's Inspyre, a 2019 son of Corona Cartel. Inspyre has progeny earnings of $284,082 from nine winners among 21 starters. His leading earner is Nuclear Arsenal at $132,220.

Only $12,456 separates second and third in the freshman sire standings.

Dunn Ranch's In Hott Pursuit, a 2019 son of One Famous Eagle, ranks third with $271,626. He has been represented by 43 starters and 17 winners, with Zazas Hasta Luego leading his runners at $30,652.

Docs Dusty Cartel, a 2019 son of Coronado Cartel standing at Charette-Hill Racing, occupies the fourth position with $173,006. Despite having only seven starters, he has sired three winners. His leading earner, Whiskey Doc, has banked $138,813.

Fly The Coup, a 2018 son of Favorite Cartel, rounds out the Top 5 with $140,263. Five of his six starters are winners, giving him the highest winner-to-starter percentage among the Top 10 first-year sires. Flashin Firefly leads his runners with earnings of $64,397.

Spring Hill Farms' Ajs Tres Of Paint, a 2019 son of Apollitical Jess, ranks sixth with $106,931. He has three winners from 13 starters and is one of only three stallions in the Top 10 to have sired a stakes winner. Jc Perseus is his leading earner at $39,833.

Speed Dynasty, a 2018 son of FDD Dynasty, is seventh with $72,079. He has three winners from seven starters, including stakes winner Eclipse 2024, his leading earner at $29,754.

WestWin Farms' Smithworks, a 2019 APHA son of Painted Turnpike, ranks eighth with $61,486. He has three winners from 12 starters, led by Turning Point Usa at $11,941.

Zerlotti Genetics Ltd.'s El Tartanero Jess, a 2018 son of Apollitical Jess, occupies the ninth position with $52,306. He has had only two starters, including winner First Tartanero Jess, who has earned $48,890.

Completing the Top 10 is La Feliz Montaña Ranch stallion Elmer, a 2018 son of FDD Dynasty. His 12 starters have produced two winners and earnings of $50,643, led by Thats Amoree at $18,998.

Favorite Cartel and Apollitical Jess each have two sons represented among the Top 10. Favorite Cartel is represented by leader Golden Boi and fifth-ranked Fly The Coup, while Apollitical Jess is represented by Ajs Tres Of Paint and El Tartanero Jess. FDD Dynasty also has two sons on the list in Speed Dynasty and Elmer.

With the final months of the racing season still ahead, Golden Boi has established himself as the clear leader of the 2026 freshman sire class, fueled by a deep first crop and the standout performance of El Huracano V.

Cyber Monday Leads Tight 2026 Second-Crop Sire Race Over Dulce Sin Tacha

Cyber Monday continues to hold the top spot among AQHA's leading second-year sires by money earned in 2026, but Dulce Sin Tacha remains within striking distance as the young stallions head into the final months of the racing season.

According to statistics updated October 4, Cyber Monday, a 2018 son of leading sire Favorite Cartel standing at Lazy E Ranch, leads the second-crop standings with $2,909,300 in progeny earnings.

Cyber Monday has been represented by 180 starters and 74 winners this year, including three stakes winners. His leading earner is Fall Classic, who has earned $530,970.

Sitting just $241,340 behind the leader is Granada Farms' Dulce Sin Tacha, whose runners have earned $2,667,960 this season.

The 2018 son of Jess Good Candy has had 115 starters, 47 winners, and a division-leading five stakes winners. His chief earner, Gf Shes Sinful, has banked $708,275.

The numbers illustrate a distinctly different profile for the two leading second-crop sires. Cyber Monday holds the advantage in total starters, winners, and earnings, while Dulce Sin Tacha has produced more stakes winners from fewer starters.

There is a sizeable gap between the top two and the rest of the division.

Eagles Fly Higher, a 2016 son of One Famous Eagle standing at Louisiana Center For Equine Reproduction, ranks third with $636,252. He has sired 22 winners from 64 starters and two stakes winners, led by Eagle On a June Bug with earnings of $115,870.

Another Louisiana Center For Equine Reproduction stallion, Hes Innocent, occupies the fourth position. The 2018 son of Hes Relentless has 20 winners from 37 starters, two stakes winners and progeny earnings of $560,932. Er Innocent Party is his leading earner at $124,850.

Spring Hill Farms' San Lorenzo rounds out the top five with $521,740. The 2018 son of Coronas Leaving You has been represented by 23 winners from 82 starters and one stakes winner. Fullmoonovrmanhattan, with $34,400, is his leading earner for 2026.

Burns Ranch stallion Mental Error, a 2017 son of Favorite Cartel, ranks sixth with $383,528. His 60 starters have produced 14 winners and one stakes winner, with Ca Mental Cartel leading his runners at $52,640.

B Cause Im A Hero, standing at Anderson Equine, LLC, is seventh with $264,694 from only 14 starters. The son of Valiant Hero has five winners and one stakes winner, headed by Mw Bcause Im Alive at $106,149.

H Bar O LLC's Pa Cha Ching, by Tempting Dash, ranks eighth with $220,695 despite having only five starters. Two are winners, including stakes winner Karma Cha Ching, whose $135,490 represents more than half of his sire's 2026 progeny earnings.

Kiss Me Anywhere, a son of Kiss My Hocks, is ninth with $187,831. He has three winners from seven starters, led by stakes winner Rebas First Kiss at $101,194.

Completing the Top 10 is Anderson Equine, LLC's Love The Way You Fly. The 2017 son of Furyofthewind has six winners from 17 starters, one stakes winner and progeny earnings of $142,817. Fly Like the Witch is his leading earner at $28,380.

With nearly three months remaining in 2026, Cyber Monday and Dulce Sin Tacha have established a commanding advantage over the rest of the second-crop sire class, setting up a two-stallion race for the year's leading second-year sire title.

Kj Mucho Macho Man Leads 2026 Third-Crop Sire Standings

Kj Mucho Macho Man has surpassed the $2 million mark in progeny earnings to lead AQHA's third-year sires by money earned in 2026, holding a $316,529 advantage over fellow Apollitical Jess son Chilitos as the season enters its final months.

According to statistics updated October 4, Kj Mucho Macho Man, a 2017 son of leading sire Apollitical Jess standing at Haddad Ranch, leads the third-crop standings with $2,051,613 in progeny earnings.

Kj Mucho Macho Man has been represented by 82 starters and 34 winners this year, while his six stakes winners are the most among the Top 10 third-year sires. His leading earner is Kj Meduzza, who has earned $605,092.

Sitting second is Dunn Ranch's Chilitos, another 2017 son of Apollitical Jess, whose runners have earned $1,735,084 this season.

Chilitos has been represented by 120 starters and 49 winners, both the highest totals among the Top 10, along with four stakes winners. His chief earner, Chile Gato, has earned $260,965.

Uncle D, a 2017 son of Corona Cartel standing at Cavenaugh Quarter Horses, ranks third with $1,429,647. He has 45 winners from 115 starters and one stakes winner. Uncle Redheads, with earnings of $87,923, is his leading 2026 earner.

Robicheaux Ranch Inc.'s Gold Heart Eagle V occupies the fourth position with $1,122,408 in progeny earnings. The 2017 son of One Famous Eagle has been represented by 112 starters, 43 winners and two stakes winners. Valiant Heart Z leads his runners with $91,443.

Tell Cartel, a 2017 son of Favorite Cartel standing at Fales Ranch, rounds out the Top 5 with $1,097,863. His 72 starters have produced 35 winners and four stakes winners, led by Point Blank Range with earnings of $189,413.

The standings tighten considerably between fourth and fifth, with just $24,545 separating Gold Heart Eagle V and Tell Cartel.

Burns Ranch stallion Mpshinning, a 2016 son of Mr Piloto, ranks sixth with $736,847. He has produced 24 winners from 42 starters and three stakes winners. Zionsville is his leading earner at $73,450.

Jess Different, a 2017 son of Mr Jess Perry standing at Cox Stallion Station, is seventh with $501,560. He has 15 winners from 32 starters and two stakes winners, headed by Hes Cross Firing at $68,931.

Bolt Of Fire, a 2015 son of Walk Thru Fire, ranks eighth with $280,830. The deceased stallion's 43 starters have produced 11 winners and one stakes winner, with Fire Bolt B leading his runners at $73,119.

Wright Farms' Phq Apollitical Jess gives his sire Apollitical Jess a third representative among the Top 10 third-crop sires. The 2017 stallion ranks ninth with $239,300 from six winners and 35 starters. His lone stakes winner and leading earner, Paddy Powers, has earned $64,119.

Completing the Top 10 is EG High Desert Farm's A Mere Felix, a 2017 son of Favorite Cartel. He has 13 winners from 28 starters, including two stakes winners, and progeny earnings of $228,173. Favorite Jesshawk is his leading earner at $56,910.

Kj Mucho Macho Man's position atop the standings is strengthened by both his $2 million-plus progeny earnings and his division-leading six stakes winners. However, with nearly three months remaining in 2026, Chilitos remains within striking distance as the two sons of Apollitical Jess battle for the year's leading third-year sire title.

Apollitical Jess also has a significant presence throughout the third-crop standings, with three sons—Kj Mucho Macho Man, Chilitos, and Phq Apollitical Jess—among the Top 10. Favorite Cartel is represented by two sons, Tell Cartel and A Mere Felix.

Statistics through October 4, 2026.

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Js Freightrain took command in mid-stretch and held sway to win the $28,143 Cox Ranch AQHA Distaff Challenge (G3) Sunday afternoon at Will Rogers Downs.

Ridden by Ruben Castro, Js Freightrain completed the 400 yards in :19.516, earning a 104 speed index. The 4-year-old filly defeated Flying Bandida by 1 1/2 lengths, with Carpe Diem Baby another 1 3/4 lengths back in third.

Js Freightrain is trained by Samuel Mendoza for owner Marisol Alvarado. Bred in Oklahoma by Leonardo Alcala, she is by Freighttrain B and out of champion As And Js, by Apollitical Jess. She is a half-sister to Js On Fire ($265,454), winner of the Boyd Morris Stakes (RG2), and As Moonflash ($135,859), winner of the Retama Championship Challenge (G3).

The victory improved Js Freightrain's record to nine wins, two seconds and two thirds from 18 starts. The $13,790 winner's share boosted her career earnings to $297,843.

Earlier this season, Js Freightrain scored back-to-back stakes victories in the Easy Date Stakes (G2) and Rocky Heinzig Stakes.

Flying Bandida and jockey Ramiro Garcia finished second for owners Shari Burger and Vickie McBee and trainer Jason Olmstead. The 4-year-old filly chased the winner and gained ground late but could not close the gap.

Bred by Shari Burger, Flying Bandida is by Flying Cowboy 123 and out of the PYC Paint Your Wagon mare Meaningful Memories. Coming off a runner-up finish in the Prairie Meadows Distaff Challenge (G3), she now has a record of 26-6-8-3 with earnings of $220,581. She opened her 2026 campaign with a victory in the Decketta Stakes (G2).

Carpe Diem Baby, a $9,000 TQHA Yearling Sale graduate, finished third under Ruben Delarosa Jr. for owner/breeders Shane and Brooke Snow and trainer Janessa Muniz. The 3-year-old filly broke alertly and vied along the inside before yielding to the top two.

By Buzzinga and out of the Separatist Baby mare Baby Separatist, Carpe Diem Baby now has a record of 13-1-3-2 with earnings of $25,703. Still in search of her first stakes victory, she was a finalist in the Sam Houston Oaks earlier this season.

Aj Gold Player, Alliekat Dynasty, Fly N Cowgirl and Socially Fun completed the order of finish.

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Steve Holt and Jeff Jones’ homebred superstar Empressum, the 2022 AQHA World Champion and two-time winner of the Grade 1 Champion of Champions, will make his 2026 Los Alamitos debut when he leads a stellar lineup in the Grade 1, $100,000 Robert Boniface Los Alamitos Invitational Championship at the classic 440-yard distance on Saturday night.

Empressum, who also won the Los Alamitos Championship in 2023, will be joined by a cast that includes 2026 Grade 1 stakes winners Favorite Jesshawk, Lethal Cowboy 123, Mask Mandate, and Up For Everything. The star-studded field will also feature Norco, winner of the Grade 1 Los Alamitos Super Derby last year and, along with Empressum, the only other horse in the field who ran in last year’s Champion of Champions.

Mayor Humdinger and Defending Champ, both major stakes winners at Los Alamitos, along with razor-sharp standouts KJ Born To Be Wild and Lethal Lobo, complete the 10-horse lineup. The winner of the Los Alamitos Championship will earn a presumptive berth to the Grade 1 Champion of Champions, to be held at Los Alamitos on Saturday, December 12.

To be ridden by Rodrigo Sigala Vallejo and trained by Kristen Watanabe, the now 8-year-old Empressum arrives with an incredible record of 26 wins from 42 starts and earnings of $2,701,248. His victories include Champion of Champions titles in 2022 and 2024 and, most recently, this year’s running of the Grade 1 Debbie Schauf Remington Park Invitational Championship.

He has won 14 other stakes races during his outstanding career, including three consecutive Vessels Maturity wins from 2022 to 2024 and Go Man Go Handicap wins in 2022 and 2024. As a 3-year-old in 2021, he also won the Texas Classic Derby, Rainbow Derby, and Ruidoso Derby—all Grade 1 contests.

Sired by Apollitical Jess and out of the First Down Dash mare Crazy Down Corona, Empressum’s most recent Grade 1 trophy came in one of the closest finishes of his career, when he prevailed by a nose in the $258,000 Debbie Schauf Remington Park Invitational Championship at 440 yards on May 30.

The Oklahoma-bred gelding rallied from off the pace to get up in the final strides, defeating multiple Grade 1-winning millionaire KJ Desparado by a nose in a blanket finish that saw the top four runners separated by only a head. The victory earned Empressum a presumptive berth to the 2026 Champion of Champions—a race he has competed in each of the past four years, dating back to his 2022 victory.

Caliche Walls Venture, LLC, Alan Isbell, Lance Bland, and Jimmy Barton’s Lethal Cowboy 123, winner of this year's Vessels Maturity and an AQHA champion as well, faced Empressum in the Debbie Schauf at Remington Park and now hopes to outfinish the great 8-year-old in this quarter-mile contest.

The 4-year-old gelding by Flying Cowboy 123 has competed exclusively in Grade 1 stakes events this season, with his Vessels victory earning him a presumptive berth to the Champion of Champions for the first time. The Marc Jungers-trained millionaire was also second to Favorite Jesshawk in the Grade 1 Brad McKinzie Los Alamitos Winter Championship and second to Mask Mandate in the Go Man Go. He also finished second in the Leo Stakes at Remington Park before finishing out of the money in the Debbie Schauf.

To be ridden by Edwin Escobedo, the Veronica Gail Kawananakoa-bred Lethal Cowboy 123 has won seven of 10 starts at Los Alamitos. Across all tracks, he has won 11 of 19 starts with earnings of $1,547,872. As a 2-year-old, he won both the Grade 1 Los Alamitos Two Million Futurity and the Grade 1 Golden State Million Futurity locally. Following Lethal Cowboy 123’s 3/4-length win in the Vessels Maturity, Jungers elaborated on his trainee’s local success:

“He’s a Cal-bred. He was born here. We bought him here at the Los Alamitos Equine Sale. The climate suits him well. He eats well, he does well here, and the guys from the team that take care of him are just impeccable. They take care of him well and treat him like a king, and he shows off for them out here when we ask him to.”

Mask Mandate and Favorite Jesshawk will both look to score their second Grade 1 wins of the season. Making his first start of the season on August 23, Paul Blanchard, Guadalupe Bujanda, Jose Antonio Flores, and Santos Montemayor’s Mask Mandate won the Go Man Go at 18-1 odds to earn the second stakes win of his career.

The winner of the Governor’s Cup Derby in 2024, Mask Mandate is by Favorite Cartel out of the champion aged mare Quirky and has been a top overall performer in stakes events. In addition to his two victories, he finished second in the Grade 2 Golden State Derby two years ago and was third in last year's Independence Day Handicap.

“He's always had the talent,” trainer Jose Flores said. “He's out of a great mare and a great stallion. I remember that he won the Governor's Cup so easy.”

Irving Lara will ride Mask Mandate, who has earned $184,085 across 17 career starts.

Owned and bred by EG High Desert Farms, Favorite Jesshawk returns to action for the first time since winning the Brad McKinzie on March 8. After edging Lethal Cowboy 123 by a nose in the Brad McKinzie, the 4-year-old by A Mere Felix has been building up for this 440-yard race, posting three timed workouts —including a 350-yard gate work in :18.3. The winner of the 2024 Grade 1 Ed Burke Million Futurity and 2025 Golden State Derby, Favorite Jesshawk rarely posts blazing morning works, making his :18.3 drill a very solid clocking.

Martin Arriaga gets the return call on Favorite Jesshawk for his new trainer Francisco Rodriguez, who will be seeking his first Grade 1 stakes victory. Favorite Jesshawk has compiled seven wins from 19 career starts for $471,439.

Ed Allred’s Norco and Up For Everything, both from the barn of trainer Scott Willoughby, will be looking to repeat strong victories in their most recent outings. Up For Everything was a comfortable winner by a neck in the Restricted Grade 1 Spencer Childers California Breeders Championship Handicap, while Norco made his 2026 debut with a very impressive 1 3/4-length victory in the meet’s fastest 350-yard time (:17.35) on September 13. Up For Everything also owns the meet's fastest 300-yard time of :15.26, set on April 12.

As for Norco, the son of Favorite Cartel had an eye-catching effort in last year's Champion of Champions, showing plenty of early speed in the 440-yard event to lead early and hold his own against a field that included eventual 2025 AQHA World Champion FDD Dreams.

Here is a look at the rest of this outstanding field:

• Mayor Humdinger: Winner of the Sgt Pepper Feature and runner-up in the RG2 Governor's Cup Derby in 2026; winner of last year's RG1 Governor's Cup Futurity.
• Defending Champ: Winner of the Governor’s Cup Derby in 2025 and runner-up in the Grade 2 Golden State Derby.
• KJ Born To Be Wild: Runner-up in the Texas Classic Derby and third in the All American Derby in 2025; third in this year's G2 Mr Jet Moore.
• Lethal Lobo: Impressive winner in his Los Alamitos debut on September 13 and third in the 2025 All American Futurity/Derby.

The field from the rail out is as follows; Mask Mandate, Defending Champ, Norco, Lethal Lobo, Up For Everything, Empressum, KJ Born To Be Wild, Favorite Jesshawk, Lethal Cowboy 123, and Mayor Humdinger.

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