BY MICHAEL CUSORTELLI SUNLAND PARK, NM–MARCH 12, 2025–Ring A Ling Ding, a recent maiden winner in his official career debut, heads a group of 129 2-year-olds entered in Sunday's West Texas Futurity (G2) trials at Sunland Park. The 10 fastest qualifiers from Sunday's 13 300-yard trials will meet in the $100,000-added final on April 5. Ring A Ling Ding will be ...

BY MICHAEL CUSORTELLI

BOSSIER CITY, LA–MARCH 10, 2025–GBH Fiscal Toni, a graded stakes winning 4-year-old son of The Fiscal Cliff, is one of nine state-bred aged sprinters entered in Saturday's 350-yard, $30,000 Mr Jess Perry Stakes (R) at Louisiana Downs.

GBH Fiscal Toni is trained by Jose Sanchez for owners Marco X. Ramirez, Gary Hartstack and John Bond. The sorrel gelding ...

LOS ALAMITOS, CA–MARCH 10, 2025–The 870-yard division returned to Los Alamitos with races on Saturday and Sunday night. The fifth race on Saturday night was the first 870 race at the Orange County oval since January 2021 making Sergio Morfin’s To Speight Her the first winner at this distance in over four years.

With the 870 event marking a possible consistent return of these races, here’s a look in no particular order at 10 AQHA distance champion who left their mark in major distance races at Los Alamitos.

Griswold – Perhaps the greatest 870 runners of all-time, ...

BY MICHAEL CUSORTELLI

OKLAHOMA CITY, OK–MARCH 6, 2025–Beltane and Cyber Star, a pair of homebred 2-year-olds trained by Dee Keener for owner Kelly Yother Equine of Culver City, California, will make their official career debuts in this weekend's 300-yard Oklahoma Futurity (G2) at Remington Park.

A total of 117 juveniles are entered in 16 heats to be contested, eight on Friday and eight on Saturday. The five fastest qualifiers from each night of trials will meet in the March 22, $500,000-est. Oklahoma Futurity final.

Beltane and Cyber Star are both coming off of noteworthy wins in recent training races. A daughter of freshman sire Cyber Monday, Beltane posted the fastest winning time from the schooling races of February ...

BY MICHAEL CUSORTELLI BOSSIER CITY, LA–MARCH 6, 2025–A total of 115 state-bred 2-year-olds are entered in this year's Mardi Gras Futurity (G2) trials, to be run Saturday and Sunday at Louisiana Downs. Saturday's seven heats are headed by Valentina Niebes, a gray daughter of the multiple stakes sire Paint Me Perry racing for Rene Adan Rodriguez. Valentina Niebes prepped for her official career debut with a half-length victory in a February 4 training race, as the filly covered her 220-yard distance in :12.434 under jockey Jorge J. Garcia. Valentina Niebes drew post 3 and ...

SELMA, TX–MARCH 4, 2025–Hotsgirl, a $190,000 Ruidoso Select Yearling Sale graduate, will make her career debut on Wednesday when she heads the last of eight training races to be contested over 250 yards at Retama Park.

The training races begin at noon (CST). Parking and admission are FREE. All ages are welcome. This is a non-wagering event.

Trainer John Stinebaugh has tapped jockey Ali Rivera to ride the daughter of leading sire Favorite Cartel for owner Lana Merrick-Bailey from post-position ...

BY MICHAEL CUSORTELLI

BOSSIER CITY, LA–MARCH 2, 2025–Wednesday's seven-race program at Louisiana Downs will be dominated by trials for the Mardi Gras Derby (R) and Mardi Gras Oaks (R) for state-bred sophomores.

Eighteen 3-year-old fillies are entered in three 400-yard Mardi Gras Oaks trials. San Lorenzo Jezz, a homebred daughter of the Apollitical Jess stallion American Hussle racing for Rogelio Marquez Jr., is coming off of a 2-year-old season during which she earned $361,531 from five races and scored a head victory in the 350-yard, $654,000 ...

OKLAHOMA CITY, OK–FEBRUARY 28, 2025–The 2025 racing season gets underway Thursday, March 6 at Remington Park. The Opening Night program was compiled this morning in the racing office with 10 races, featuring seven trials for the Oklahoma Paint & Appaloosa Futurity.

A total of 112 horses were entered for an average field size of 11.2 per race. Total purses for the first night of 50 this spring reached $110,000. The seven trials carry purses of $6,000 each. The richest race of the evening is ...

BY MICHAEL CUSORTELLI

SUNLAND PARK, NM–FEBRUARY 28, 2025–BV Bridgette Cartel, a graded stakes winning daughter of Big Daddy Cartel owned by the Tungsten Racing Partnership, will make her sophomore season debut in Sunday’s 350-yard, $90,000 Sunburst Stakes-RG3 for New Mexico-bred 3-year-old fillies at Sunland Park.

A $28,000 yearling purchase at the 2023 New Mexico-Bred Sale at Ruidoso Downs, BV Bridgette Cartel ended her juvenile campaign with a wire-to-wire, half-length victory in the December 15, $341,000 New Mexico Classics Futurity-RG2 at Zia Park. Ramon Mendoza trains ...

LOS ALAMITOS, CA–FEBRUARY 27, 2025–Train B Taka, second in the Grade 1 Los Alamitos Winter Derby and winner of the Holiday Handicap on this meet’s opening night, returns to action on Sunday evening to highlight the 400-yard trials to the Grade 2, $235,600 El Primero Del Año Derby.

A total of 29 males will compete in the four derby trials with the horses with the 10 fastest times advancing to the El Primero final on Sunday, March 23. The list of derby hopefuls will include 13 sophomores with Grade 1 stakes racing experience.

Owned by Cheryl Stokes, Armando Arreola and Tungsten Racing Partnership, Train B Taka has enjoyed ...

LOS ALAMITOS, CA–FEBRUARY 27, 2025–Ten Grade 1 stakes finalists led by Los Alamitos Two Million Futurity qualifiers Ohana Spirit and Apolitical Chilitas are among the 29 sophomore fillies that will race in the trials for the Grade 1, $430,000 Los Alamitos Oaks here on Saturday night.

The nine-race program will also feature a $31,016 carryover in the Pick Six with the sequence starting in race number four. With the new money expected to be wagered in the Pick Six on Saturday, the total pool could be well over $125,000. There will be four Oaks trials each to be contested at 400 yards. The fillies with the 10 fastest times will advance to ...

BY MICHAEL CUSORTELLI SUNLAND PARK, NM–FEBRUARY 25, 2025–Daou, a son of champion FDD Dynasty and graded stakes winner Donelli and the fastest qualifier, is one of a dozen sophomores entered back in Saturday's 400-yard, $158,060 West Texas Derby (G3) at Sunland Park. Trained by Fred Danley for owner J & SM Inc., Daou made his season debut with a half-length victory in the second of five West Texas Derby trials on February 8. The bay gelding was a $270,000 purchase at the 2023 Ruidoso Select Yearling Sale. Daou drew post 2 and will be ridden by Christian Cardenas. Other ...

OKLAHOMA CITY, OK–FEBRUARY 25, 2025–Three days of training races have been scheduled for Remington Park this week–Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. Trainer Matt Whitekiller is looking for an answer to the question of whether he can pass his former boss, legendary, late, great Lewis Wartchow, in the record books this meet in one category.

Trainer Trey Wood is the answer to another question – whose barn door will swing open the widest on Tuesday, as he has entered 19 horses in 14 training races that begin at 11 a.m. That is the starting time for all three days of these schooling events for 2-year-old Quarter Horses, Paints, and Appaloosas preparing for their career debuts. The actual 2025 race meet for these breeds begins at Remington Park on Thursday, March ...

LOS ALAMITOS, CA–FEBRUARY 21, 2025–Owned by a partnership, Hott Favorite, a Fulton Quien Sabe Ranches Lp-bred colt, became the most expensive horse to ever race in the Los Alamitos Maiden Stakes trials on the way to also qualifying to the $97,500 Stakes final (not black type) on February 2.

Purchased as a yearling for $725,000, the Texas-bred will now look to shine again when heading the field to the $97,500 Maiden Stakes final on Sunday ...

LOS ALAMITOS, CA–FEBRUARY 20, 2025–Rockin With Energy and Miss Isao Jqm both enjoyed stakes wins on the evening of January 5.                 

On that night, Parsons Family Limited Partnership’s Rockin With Energy established herself as the top mare on the grounds with a hard-fought victory in the Grade 1 Charger Bar Handicap at 400 yards. The Parsons Rock filly broke like a flash and led every step while holding off gamely local newcomer First Time For ...

OKLAHOMA CITY, OK–FEBRUARY 19, 2025– Due to the winter storm impacting the state of Oklahoma and the frigid temperatures, the schooling races set to run at Remington Park this Friday, February 21, will move to Tuesday, February 25.

CLICK HERE to view or download the draw and get more details about the horses entered.

The track will be open for training this upcoming Saturday, Sunday, and Monday. Training hours for Saturday will be ...

BY MICHAEL CUSORTELLI

PHOENIX, AZ–FEBRUARY 18, 2025–Seven 3-year-olds, led by early favorite Sweet Fire Wes, are entered in Saturday's 350-yard, $40,000 Desert Classic Derby at Turf Paradise for sophomores sired by participating stallions.

A homebred daughter of the Walk Thru ...

SELMA, TX–FEBRUARY 18, 2025–No less than six (6) six-figure summer sale yearlings are expected to make their career debut on Wednesday when Retama Park will host its second-day training races for newly minted juveniles.

Contested over a distance of 250 yards, the races will begin at noon (central) at the Selma, Texas facility. Parking and admission are FREE. All ages are welcome. This is a non-wagering event.

Trainer Marc Jungers will saddle $350,000 Ruidoso Select Yearling Sale graduate Favoritetang in Race 9—the colt by leading sire Favorite Cartel races for the Favoritetang ...

LOS ALAMITOS, CA–FEBRUARY 13, 2025–Trainer Scott Willoughby enters the Los Alamitos Winter Series weekend with a chance to become only the sixth trainer with 100 Quarter Horse stakes wins at the Orange County oval.

Willoughby’s first chance at the milestone comes on Saturday night with Ed Allred’s Norco in the Grade 1 Los Alamitos Winter Derby. Then, on Sunday, Willoughby will saddle top contender London Toby in the running of the Grade 1, $135,750 Brad McKinzie Los Alamitos Winter Championship. ...

LOS ALAMITOS, CA–FEBRUARY 13, 2025–Armando Arreola, Cheryl Stokes and Tungsten Racing Partnership's Train B Taka will look to make it a perfect four for four since arriving in Southern California when he heads the field to the Grade 1, $173,350 Los Alamitos Winter Derby to be held here on Saturday night.                               

Ridden by Edwin Escobedo for trainer Marc Jungers, Train B Taka will enter the 400-yard final after a stellar yet hard-fought head victory when ...

BY MICHAEL CUSORTELLI

SUNLAND PARK, NM–FEBRUARY 12, 2025–Graded stakes winners White Lightenin and Just En King will make their next starts in Saturday's 350-yard, $90,000 Pepsi Cola Stakes (RG2) for New Mexico-breds at Sunland Park.

White Lightenin is a 5-year-old son of Eye Am King trained by James Gonzales III for owners Denis and Julie Schoenhofer. He made his ...

by Richard Linihan

OKLAHOMA CITY, OK–FEBRUARY 12, 2025–Trainer Stacy Charette-Hill sent stakes winner Lipstick Lou to the racetrack Tuesday morning for her first workout here in preparation for the upcoming American Quarter Horse, Paint and Appaloosa season that begins Thursday, March 6.

Lipstick Lou, a 4-year-old Oklahoma-bred Quarter Horse filly by Jess Louisiana Blue, out of the Red Storm Cat mare Paint Your Lips Red, earned her first stakes victory on July 7, 2024, in the $99,375 Prairie Meadows ...

BY MICHAEL CUSORTELLI BOSSIER CITY, LA–FEBRUARY 11, 2025-–Ten state-bred fillies and mares, led by morning-line favorite Jes Winnin Cartel, are entered in Saturday's 330-yard, $30,000 Billy Montgomery Stakes (R) at Louisiana Downs. A 5-year-old daughter of Five Bar Cartel owned by San Juana Montano, Jes Winnin Cartel is coming off of a 2024 season during which she won two stakes, including the August 17, 350-yard Audubon Stakes (R) for state-bred distaffers at Fair Grounds Racecourse in New Orleans. Noe Rolando Sanchez III trains the brown mare. Jes Winnin Cartel drew post 5 and ...

By Richard Linihan

OKLAHOMA CITY, OK—FEBRUARY 11, 2025—One of last year’s top upsetters at the Remington Park American Quarter Horse, Paint, and Appaloosa race meet was Markus Aurelius in the Grade 1, $51,120 Remington Park Distance Championship at 870 yards.

That 5-year-old gelding hit the track Tuesday for his return to action in a morning workout for trainer Clint Crawford.

Crawford just gave the stakes winner a ...

by Richard Linihan

OKLAHOMA CITY, OK–FEBRUARY 7, 2025–As is often the case, the top two trainers in history for Paints and Appaloosas, Dee Keener and Matt Whitekiller, have the most entries for opening day of training races scheduled for Wednesday at 11 a.m. at Remington Park.

Keener has entered 16 horses for the first schooling races, nine Paints and seven American Quarter Horses, while all 15 of Whitekiller’s entries are Paints. The first five races of the ...

BY MICHAEL CUSORTELLI SUNLAND PARK, NM–FEBRUARY 6, 2025–Forty-five sophomores, led by graded stakes winners Harken and Karmalites, are entered in Saturday's 400-yard West Texas Derby (G3) trials at Sunland Park. A sorrel son of Eye Am King trained by Jesus M. Soto for owner Alepony LLC, Harken earned $260,422 from seven starts during ...

LOS ALAMITOS, CA–FEBRUARY 5, 2025–When Vanessa Rice acquired the Marino Marini maiden filly Met At The Dance in 2020 it was to add the 3-year-old to her equestrian warmblood breeding program in Cave Creek, Arizona.

Since then, Met At The Dance has become a mother, producing a 2022 Belgian warmblood named Quiet Riot, but has also returned to racing, making 26 starts over the past three years at Los Alamitos. And if her current form is any ...

SELMA, TX–FEBRUARY 3, 2025–Sixty-seven juveniles, including five six-figure summer sale graduates, will make their career debut on Wednesday when Retama Park hosts 12 training races for newly minted 2-year-old American Quarter Horses.

To be contested over 250 yards, the schooling races are non-parimutuel. They give young horses valuable experience while they prepare for their two-year-old racing season. First post is Noon (CST).

Go Valiant Knight, a $170,000 Ruidoso Select graduate, will start from the 3 post in Race 2 for owner Valenzuelas Racing Stables and trainer Jose Sanchez, ...

BOSSIER CITY, LA–FEBRUARY 1, 2025–Highly anticipated action for the 2025 2-year-old crop of American Quarter Horses will get under way on Tuesday when Louisiana Downs will host 16 schooling races for juveniles nominated to the Grade 2 $400,000-est.Louisiana Downs Futurity and the restricted Grade 2 $600,000-est. Mardi Gras Futurity.

To be contested over 220 yards, the schooling races are non-parimutuel races. They give young horses valuable experience while they prepare for their two-year-old racing season.

A pair of five-figure Louisiana-bred LQHBA Yearling Sale graduates will face off in Tuesday's last race (16). 

Trainer Lanny Keith will saddle $62,000 sale ...

LOS ALAMITOS, CA–JANUARY 31, 2025–Five divisions to the $97,500 Los Alamitos Maiden Stakes for 3-year-olds will headline the eight-race program on Sunday night. Thirty-six runners will be in action in these trials, with the sophomores with the 10 fastest times advancing to the final on Sunday, February 23.              

Don’t let the name of Maiden Stakes fool you, there are plenty of top runners participating in these ...

BY MICHAEL CUSORTELLI SUNLAND PARK, NM-–JANUARY 29, 2025–Track Starr, a stakes-placed daughter of Big Daddy Cartel owned by Backdoor Thoroughbreds, drew the rail post for Sunday's 400-yard, $182,755 Shue Fly Stakes (RG2) for New Mexico-bred sophomores. A $50,000 purchase at the 2023 Ruidoso Select Yearling Sale, Track Starr is coming off of a juvenile campaign during which she earned $17,445 from six races and ran second, 1 1/2 lengths behind winner Pavel, in the November 24, 350-yard New Mexico Classics Juvenile Stakes (R) at Zia Park. James Gonzales III trains the gray ...

BY MICHAEL CUSORTELLI

SUNLAND PARK, NM–JANUARY 28, 2025–KJ Desparado, American Quarter Horse racing's all-time leading money earner, will make his 6-year-old season debut in Sunday's 440-yard, $350,000 Championship at Sunland Park (G1).

A homebred son of world champion Apollitical Jess trained by Wes Giles for owners John Lee, Kathy Lee and Ruben Mares, KJ Desparado sports a career bankroll of $3,270,109 from 28 races. The brown gelding is coming ...

LOS ALAMITOS, CA–JANUARY 24, 2025–Ed Allred’s London Toby, the winner of the 2024 Brad McKinzie Los Alamitos Winter Championship, and Guns Up Racing’s Jess Good Wine, the runner-up in last year’s Grade 1 Champion of Champions, are among the top aged horses that will be in action in Sunday’s trials to this year’s $135,750 Brad McKinzie at Los Alamitos.

There are 11 older runners in the trials, so only one will not advance to the 400-yard final on Sunday, February 16. ...

LOS ALAMITOS, CA –JANUARY 22, 2025–Brown Coffeee, the runner-up in the Grade 1 Los Alamitos Two Million Futurity, Favorite Jesshawk, the winner of the Governor’s Cup Futurity, and six other finalists to Grade 1 futurities in 2024 are among the 23 sophomores that will race in the trials to the $175,350 Los Alamitos Winter Derby on Saturday night.

There are eight races on tap for Saturday night, with derby trials set for races 6, 7, and 8. Each trial will be ...

BY MICHAEL CUSORTELLI SUNLAND PARK, NM–JANUARY 16, 2025–Flashtoglory and Maka Roon, a pair of mares who ended their 2024 campaigns with stakes wins, will make their 5-year-old season debuts in Saturday's 400-yard, $90,000 Lou Wooten/Sydney Valentini Stakes (RG2) for New Mexico-bred distaffers at Sunland Park. A homebred daughter of champion First Moonflash owned and trained by David Meridyth, Flashtoglory is coming off of a three-quarter length victory in the 400-yard, $200,000 New Mexico Filly & Mare Championship (RG1) at Zia ...

SUNLAND PARK, NM–JANUARY 8, 2025–RC Corona King, a gelded son of Eye Am King racing for Jose R. Riojas, will make his 5-year-old season debut in Sunday's 400-yard, $90,000 Red or Green Stakes (RG2) for New Mexico-breds at Sunland Park.

RC Corona King ended his 4-year-old campaign with a half-length victory in the December 15, 440-yard New Mexico Classics Championship (RG2) at Zia Park. The gelding earned $292,746 from 10 races last year, and his three wins included a neck victory in the September 8, 440-yard First Moonflash ...

BY MICHAEL CUSORTELLI

SUNLAND PARK, NM–JANUARY 7, 2025–Thirty-four state-bred newly turned 3-year-olds, led by multiple graded stakes winner Pavel, are entered to make their next starts in Saturday’s 400-yard Shue Fly Stakes (RG2).

A gelded son of Czar Cartel MV owned and trained by Jorge Luis Sanchez Jr., Pavel is coming off of a juvenile campaign during which he won three stakes, including the April 6, $355,000 New Mexican Spring Futurity (RG2) at Sunland Park, and the May 18, $234,000 New Mexico ...

LOS ALAMITOS, CA–JANUARY 3, 2025– Robert Tyburski's red-hot mare Streaks Of Power is among the headliners in a deep and talented group entered in the Grade 1, $100,000 Charger Bar Handicap on Sunday at Los Alamitos.

A full field of 10 outstanding mares will be in action in a race that has produced the last three AQHA champion aged mares in Kiss Thru Fire in 2021 and 2022 and Famous Shining Star in 2023.

The 2025 running of the Charger Bar will be headed by the Power Jam (TB) mare Streaks ...

LOS ALAMITOS, CA–DECEMBER 31, 2024–Gentry Farms’ Beach Walk and M & G Farms’ Terra Fina could be headed for great sophomore seasons in 2025 if the tremendous potential they showed during their respective juvenile campaigns is any indication.

The two fillies will now look to get their new year started the right way when they head a strong group of young runners in the featured seventh race – a $12,000 allowance event for fillies at 300 yards - on Saturday at Los Alamitos.

Trained by Juan Aleman, Beach ...

BY MICHAEL CUSORTELLI

PHOENIX, AZ–DECEMBER 28, 2024–SM Jess Corona, a son of champion Kvn Corona and the fastest qualifier, is one of 10 sophomores entered back in Tuesday's 400-yard, $30,000-added AQRA Turf Paradise Derby at Turf Paradise Racetrack.

Trained by Adan Farias for owner Santos Montemayor, SM Jess Corona boasts a two-race win streak, ...

BY MICHAEL CUSORTELLI

PHOENIX, AZ–DECEMBER 24, 2024–Jessaprimadonna, a 6-year-old One Sweet Jess mare leased and trained by Laurie Ferguson, drew the rail post for Saturday's 350-yard, $40,000 Mike Hastings Memorial Stakes for distaffers at Turf Paradise.

Jessaprimadonna will be facing fillies and mares off of her neck victory in the November 29, 300-yard Wayne ...

LOS ALAMITOS, CA–DECEMBER 23, 2024–The new Los Alamitos racing season gets underway on Saturday night with an 8-race program set for approximately 6 p.m.

The feature event on the card will feature seven 2-year-olds making their final start as juveniles in the $20,000 Holiday Handicap at 350 yards.

All seven horses in this race have enjoyed at least one victory during their young career. Asscher, who is one of the nation’s top fillies, won the Holiday Handicap last year.

The Holiday will be headed by Melany and Ron ...

LOS ALAMITOS, CA–DECEMBER 20, 2024–Juniors Quarter Horses’ Ready For It, who finished second in the first derby of the season, the Grade 1 Los Alamitos Winter Derby, on February 17, will now look to close out his sophomore campaign with a victory as the fastest qualifier to the Grade 2, $158,150 Southern California Derby at Los Alamitos on Sunday night.

The Southern California Derby is the 10th and final race on the meet’s closing day program. The program will feature a mandatory payout in the Pick 6, which consists of races 5-10. First post is 5 p.m. ...

PHOENIX, AZ—DECEMBER 18, 2024—Sweet Fire Wes has been set at 3-1 as the morning-line favorite in the $45,000 AQHA Quarter Horse Futurity at Turf Paradise on Monday, December 23.

Then, 2-year-olds are set to make their final appearance as juveniles in the 350-yard event at the Arizona racetrack.

Adolfo Celaya will saddle Sweet Fire Wes for owner-breeder Fernando Canales. The daughter of multiple stakes sire Panama West she was the third fastest qualifier after winning her November 30th trial by a ...

LOS ALAMITOS, CA–DECEMBER 19, 2024–The closing weekend of the 2024 racing season will include three outstanding stakes races.

The meet’s closing night on Sunday will be headed by the Grade 2 Southern California Derby while the Saturday racing action will include the $25,000 A Ransom Handicap for 3-year-olds and $30,000 First Down Dash Handicap for 3-year-olds and upwards on Saturday ...

BY MARTHA CLAUSSEN

OPELOUSAS, LA–DECEMBER 19, 2024–To win a seven-figure futurity is what each breeder, owner, trainer and jockey hope for. On Saturday, December 21 at Evangeline Downs, the dream will come true for a Louisiana-bred 2-year-old and his or her connections with a victory in the LQHBA Louisiana Million Futurity (RG1).

The finalists exited trials on November 29 with the ten-fastest 400-yard times advancing to the championship. San ...

BY MARTHA CLAUSSEN

OPELOUSAS, LA–DECEMBER 19, 2024–Also on Saturday, Ajs Louisiana Chick is the 5-2 morning line favorite for the 400-yard, $50,000 ...

BY MARTHA CLAUSSEN

OPELOUSAS, LA–DECEMBER 18, 2024–The first of nine stakes on the final night of the 2024 Evangeline Downs Quarter Horse meet is the $35,000 Leverne Perry Stakes for accredited Louisiana-bred Quarter Horses, 3-year-old and upward.

A competitive field of ten will sprint 250 yards, led by Onemorewildtrain, owned by Jose Carlos Lopez and trained by Leonel ...