First Speeding Bullet picked an ideal spot to earn her first career victory Monday afternoon, drawing away to an impressive 2 3/4-length score in the $32,000 Cricket Bars Appaloosa Futurity at Will Rogers Downs.

Sent off as the 1.40-1 favorite under jockey Roman Cruz, First Speeding Bullet took command early and widened her advantage through the stretch to complete the 350 yards in :18.035, earning an 81 speed index over a fast racing surface. An 11 mph crosswind was reported for the race.

First Speeding Bullet earned $11,236 for owners Racin RNS and Adriana Ruiz. Jesus Ruben Ruiz trains the 2-year-old dark bay or brown filly, who was bred in Oklahoma by Michael Moss. She is by Hes Bulletproof from Allies Apollo, by Apollo.

The victory improved First Speeding Bullet's career record to six starts with one win, two seconds, and two thirds and earnings of $22,810. She entered Monday's final after finishing second in the Remington Park Appaloosa Futurity earlier this season.

Jess Say Bye overcame a troubled start to finish second, 2 3/4 lengths behind the winner, earning $6,808 for owner and breeder Jeff Adams. The filly bobbled at the break and encountered traffic before rallying between horses late to get up by a head for the runner-up position.

Dee Keener trains Jess Say Bye, who was ridden by Ramiro Haro Garcia. The Oklahoma-bred daughter of Capo de Capi is out of Jess Cuz, by Freighttrain B. With Monday's effort, Jess Say Bye has now earned $11,899 from three starts with one win and one second. She was also a finalist in the Remington Park Appaloosa Futurity.

Union Willy finished another head back in third and collected $5,104 for owner and breeder Pete Crane. Trained by Dee Keener and ridden by Bryan Ernst, the 2-year-old gelding chased the winner through mid-stretch before being outkicked for second.

Union Willy is by first-crop Quarter Horse sire El Camino Cl from Desert Empress, by Divo. Monday's third-place effort increased his career earnings to $7,704 from four starts, with one third-place finish. He was previously a finalist in the Remington Park Appaloosa Futurity.

The $32,000 race distributed $11,2336 to the winner, $6,806 to second, and $5,104 to third.

Also-rans were Kembers Moon Pop and Knockouts Eyes, who dead-heated for fourth, followed by Missileer, Hearts of Jettastic, and Dashin Deacon.

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Bad Boy 123 SI 96, a Grade 2-performing son of leading sire Flying Cowboy 123, has been retired from racing and will begin his stallion career at Anderson Equine, LLC in Tularosa, New Mexico, for the 2027 breeding season.

Owned by Triple R Racing, the 2-year-old sorrel will stand for a fee of $2,500, plus a $500 booking fee. Bad Boy 123 will be eligible for the New Mexico-bred program.

Bad Boy 123 retires with a record of one win and two seconds from three career starts and earnings of $139,020. His biggest performance came when he finished second in the $655,100 Sam Houston Futurity (G2).

A son of two-time champion Flying Cowboy 123 SI 101, Bad Boy 123 represents one of Quarter Horse racing's most successful young sire lines. Flying Cowboy 123 earned $965,811 during his racing career, highlighted by a victory in the Texas Classic Futurity (G1).

Through four crops of racing age, Flying Cowboy 123 has sired 61 stakes winners, three champions and earners of more than $26.9 million from 573 starters.

His leading runners include two-time champion Cowboys Gun Z SI 101, winner of the All American Futurity (G1) and earner of $1,678,945; two-time champion Lethal Cowboy 123 SI 99, winner of the Los Alamitos Two Million Futurity (G1) with earnings of $1,547,872; and champion Flying Joy 1 SI 102, winner of the All American Oaks (G1).

Flying Cowboy 123 is also the sire of 2026 All American Futurity (G1) winner Cowboys Flying SI 111, who has earned $2,062,793, and Grade 2 winner Cardiac Cowboy SI 102, an earner of $491,689.

Bad Boy 123 is out of the outstanding racemare Three Past Six SI 102, a daughter of champion sire Tres Seis. Three Past Six won four of eight career starts and earned $160,040. She won the Sunland Park Winter Derby (G2), finished second in the Hobbs America Derby (G2), and was third in the Ruidoso Futurity (G1). She also qualified for the Rainbow Futurity (G1).

The maternal family adds additional black type. Bad Boy 123's second dam, Coincidentally SI 101, by Victory Dash, was a stakes performer who earned $42,575 and finished third in the Heritage Place Derby (G1). She is also the dam of stakes-placed Not Holding Back SI 96.

The extended family includes Fast Preacher Man SI 101, an earner of $143,391 who finished third in the Louisiana QHBA Futurity (G1), as well as stakes winners Cash Is Easy SI 97 and Dash To A TD SI 89.

The combination gives Bad Boy 123 a pedigree pairing Flying Cowboy 123 with a Grade 2-winning Tres Seis mare who was also Grade 1-placed during her racing career.

Bad Boy 123 will stand at Anderson Equine, LLC, 654 Riata Road, Tularosa, New Mexico 88352. Breeders may contact Brian Anderson at (406) 579-2621 or brianandersoncsr@gmail.com, or Lisa Anderson at (406) 579-1540 or lisaandersoncsr@gmail.com.

For additional information on Bad Boy 123, including his complete race record, pedigree, and stallion information, CLICK HERE.

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Im A Pretty Mess, a stakes-placed daughter of multiple stakes sire Tarzanito, has been installed as the 8-5 morning-line favorite for Saturday night's $20,000 Cox Ranch Distaff Challenge Stakes (G3) at Lone Star Park.

The 400-yard event for Challenge enrolled fillies and mares, 3-year-olds and older, is carded as Race 11 with an approximate post time of 10:25 p.m. CT. Eight fillies and mares are entered.

Also at stake is a berth to the $125,000-est. Grade 1 Cox Ranch Challenge Championship to be run during the AQHA Challenge Championship Night at Downs at Albuquerque on October 17.

Im A Pretty Mess, breaking from post 3 under JR Ramirez Jr., brings one of the strongest recent efforts into the race. The 3-year-old Louisiana-bred filly finished second to Shakers No Secret in the $59,000 Retama Championship Challenge (G3) at 440 yards on August 21 after leading into the final stages.

She was beaten only a half-length and earned a 102 Speed Index. One start earlier, she finished third against older horses in a 400-yard allowance at Retama Park.

Im A Pretty Mess has won two of six career starts with a second and a third and earnings of $35,504. Both victories came during her 2-year-old campaign, including a 400-yard futurity at Evangeline Downs. She is one-for-two at Saturday's 400-yard distance.

SLC Racing LLC owns the 8-5 favorite, who is trained by Shae Cox and will be ridden by Ramirez. Bred by Joshua R. Henderson, Im A Pretty Mess is from Eagle Diva, by One Famous Eagle. She was a $24,000 LQHBA Yearling Sale graduate.

Paint This Rose, the 2-1 second choice from post 8, brings considerably more experience into the Distaff. The 5-year-old mare has compiled a 2-8-1 record from 21 starts and earned $72,098. She has finished first or second in 10 of those starts.

Paint This Rose was second in consecutive Remington Park allowances earlier this year, including a nose loss to Mystery V on April 9. She crossed the wire first in another Remington allowance May 16 but was declared a non-starter and disqualified. In her two subsequent stakes appearances at Fair Meadows, she finished fourth in the Golden Driller Stakes and sixth in the Belles Stakes.

The mare also has previous experience in this race, finishing fourth, beaten one length, in last year's Lone Star Distaff Challenge after encountering trouble at the start.

Aaron Newsom owns Paint This Rose, who is trained by Kevin Willis and will be ridden by Mario Delgado. Bob and/or Jerry Gaston bred the Texas-bred daughter of Pyc Paint Your Wagon from First Tea Rose, by First Down Dash. She sold for $37,000 at the Heritage Place sale.

Lettibefirst, at 5-1, completes the top three choices on the morning line. The 4-year-old mare has won twice from 17 career starts with two seconds and two thirds while earning $43,668. She has made five starts this season, winning once and finishing second once for earnings of $19,761.

Her biggest performance this season came June 13 at Arapahoe Park, where she rallied to win the $19,000 Pen Pal Stakes at 350 yards by a half-length while earning an 102 Speed Index. In her most recent start, she encountered trouble leaving the gate and finished sixth in the $31,000 Arapahoe Park Distaff Challenge at Saturday's 400-yard distance.

Owned and trained by Zachary Quezada, Lettibefirst will be ridden by Raul Ramirez Jr. Armando Jaquez bred the New Mexico-bred daughter of Walcott from Dashing Lili, by First Down Dash. No sale information is listed in the program.

The remainder of the field includes Mitoles Princess at 10-1, One Magic Eagle at 12-1, Dynastys Girl at 20-1, Pairadice City at 8-1 and Bm Candi Royale at 12-1. The program's mutuel ratings also list Im A Pretty Mess, Paint This Rose, Lettibefirst and Pairadice City in that order.

The Cox Ranch Distaff Challenge is part of Saturday night's Quarter Horse stakes program at Lone Star Park.

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Some of the top older horses at AJAX DOWNS are in action this Wednesday, September 23, making their final start before a date in the prestigious Alex Picov Memorial Championship on Thanksgiving Monday, October 12.

A strong card of nine Quarter Horse races gets Wednesday underway at 12:55 p.m. (EDT).

The track's High Point Older Horse is Peighntmeadiamond, an Ontario-sired and bred 4-year-old who headlines the featured eighth race, a 350-yard allowance dash. The tall bay gelding is undefeated in four races this season, including wins in the Ontario Sires Stakes Maturity and Ontario Bred Maturity.

Owned by Richard Wincikaby and trained by Joe Tavares, Peighntmeadiamond and regular rider Brian Bell meet stakes winners Pretty Runaway, General Skywalker, and Runaway Fate, plus stakes-placed A Shades Of Cold in the feature.

In race 5, Championship nominees Snow Moose and Nadir square off in a 110-yard Gridiron Gallop. Snow Moose, the 2023 Horse of the Year trained by Jason Pascoe, comes off a victory on Sept. 16, while Nadir, from the Joe Tavares barn, was second by a head in the $102,000 Cherokee Overnight Stakes at 440 yards at Sandy Ridge Racetrack in Ashland, Kentucky, on Sept. 6.

Snow Moose's stablemate, the filly Kissin Ella and stakes winner The Batmann, trained by Scott Reid, compete in race 7, also a 110-yard test, and could make their way to the Championship.

Coming Up on Thanksgiving Monday, October 12, is Pumpkin Day, benefitting the United Way. The first 250 kids will receive a pumpkin to decorate, plus there will be giveaways, a Turkey vs. Chicken race with jockeys in costumes, and tons of family fun including a huge Quarter Horse racing card.

For more information on how you can become a Quarter Horse owner, contact the Quarter Racing Owners of Ontario about the First Line Racing Syndicate at (905) 426-7050.

To read the latest news about racing at Ajax Downs, get the latest dates and events, or reserve a picnic table on one of our bigger days ($25), visit our website, www.ajaxdowns.com. You can watch and wager on Ajax Downs racing trackside and up close to the action or through www.HPIBet.com.

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