First Famous Prize is a consistent competitor.

© Coady Photography Ltd.

By Andrea Caudill

ALBUQUERQUE, NM–OCTOBER 16, 2025–Veteran trainer Buckey Stockwell of Camrose, Alberta, is set to saddle First Famous Prize in the Adequan Derby Challenge Championship (G3) this coming Saturday, October 18 at The Downs at Albuquerque as part of the AQHA Challenge Championships card, which is set to give out $1 million in purses to the American Quarter Horses racing that evening.

Stockwell is one of the top trainers in Alberta and has been at his job for 48 years now, and his filly is seemingly is taking notes on consistency.
In her 11-race career, she has only twice been worse than second; this year she has only lost one race, and that was a head defeat against older horses.

In June, she won the Adequan Century Mile Derby Challenge, and then in September she won the Canada Cup Derby, capturing both of the big derbies she was eligible for. She has earned $100,486 to date.

This will be her second appearance at the Challenge Championships, as she contested last year’s John Deere Juvenile Challenge Championship (G2).

Stockwell has settled her in at the Downs at Albuquerque and let her adjust; his wife, Beverly, is caring for the horses still home in Alberta.

"(First Famous Prize) is doing good," Stockwell said. "She’s easy to train. Take her anywhere and she’s at home. She’s on her groceries and really eating good."

Bred by the legendary Weetona Stanley, the filly is by One Famous Eagle and out of the Desirio mare Fancy First Prize. She most recently raced for Commotion Creek Contracting and WT Ranches, Inc.

"She’s just a real nice mare to be around, easy to gallop, likes to work, likes to get out of the gate good. She’s just a pretty solid horse," Stockwell said.

While Stockwell admits that at age 81 he has thoughts of retiring, that hasn’t happened yet.

"That’s the thing," he said. "If I had a real bad year, it’d be easier to quit, but the horses run better every year so it’s hard to quit."

With good horses like First Famous Prize filling the barn, a real bad year is pretty unlikely.

"It looks like I’ll be back next year," he said with a laugh.

Among the horses First Famous Prize is set to face is Bottle It Up, who was second in last year’s John Deere Juvenile Challenge Championship, and Two Two 22, who enters the race fresh off a big win in the September 28 Adequan Will Rogers Derby Challenge.

Two Two 22 races for champion owners West Texas Racing Partners and is trained by another veteran trainer, Mike Joiner. The bay gelded of Flying Cowboy 123 has shown talent – including a second in the Texas Classic Juvenile – and is poised for another big effort.

"I like the Challenge deal," Joiner said. "It works good for some of those horses, especially going around the turn, the ones that haven’t quite made enough to wade into the handicaps but are out of conditions. You’re guaranteed to get to run and improving and maybe win one of them deals and get to the finals – then that’s great."

Don't miss the Challenge Championships on Saturday at The Downs at Albuquerque!

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