Fall Classic (#2) gets the nod over El Huracano V (#9) and One Fancy Cowboy (#4) in Oklahoma's richest horse race, the Grade 1 $1,158,940 Heritage Place Futurity Saturday at Remington Park.

© Emily Paulk / StallioneSearch

By H. David Smith, StallioneSearch

OKLAHOMA CITY, OK—MAY 30, 2026—Fall Classic outdueled a determined El Huracano V in the final strides to capture the Grade 1 Heritage Place Futurity Saturday night at Remington Park, earning the winner’s share of the $1,158,940 purse in one of the nation’s premier Quarter Horse races for 2-year-olds.

The brown gelding by leading second-crop sire Cyber Monday from the Mr Jess Perry mare Lady Bellaqua stopped the timer in 17.738 seconds for 350 yards over a fast track, prevailing by a head in a blanket finish. The race was contested stride-for-stride throughout, with Fall Classic gaining the decisive nod at the wire.

Bred in Missouri by Jim Streelman or Bill Dale, Fall Classic is owned by Christopher A. Villatoro and trained by James Gonzales III. Christian Cardenas had the riding assignment aboard the gelding, who earned $486,755 for the victory. Fall Classic was purchased for $47,000 at the 2025 Heritage Place Yearling Sale and improved his bankroll to nearly $509,000 with a perfect 3-for-3 record.

Fall Classic gave trainer JGonzales his second win in the Heritage Place Futurity. He won with Kempton in 2024. He was elated with the performance of Fall Classic, who made all the hard work in training worth it, even though he was not the easiest young 2-year-old to work with at the start.

"Unreal night, any time you get the chance to participate in races like this, it is an unreal feeling, and to win them, it is way different,” said Gonzales III. "At the end of the day, this is why we do this, for feelings like this.

"He always showed glimpses of talent, but he was a colt and didn’t really want to pay attention. So we did a little brain surgery on him (gelded him), he just really flipped the switch, and he’s never looked back. He’s turned into a phenomenal horse, and now he’s a Grade 1 winner."

Fall Classic's dam is a sister to AQHA Racing Champion 3-Year-Old Filly Miss Racy Jess and half-sister to Champion Aged Mare One Sweet Racy.

El Huracano V finished a game second, just a head behind the winner. The brown gelding by leading first-crop sire Golden Boi out of Bellissima Chocolata, by Valiant Hero, was bred in Oklahoma by Valeriano Racing Stables LLC. Bellissima Chocolata is a daughter of the five-time champion All American Futurity(G1) winner Hearts Wide Open.

The winning connections of Fall Classic accept the Heritage Place Futurity stakes trophy on Saturday at Remington Park. © Emily Paulk / StallioneSearch

He races for Valeriano Racing Stables LLC, is trained by Jesus Nunez, and was ridden by Francisco Calderon. The runner-up earned $197,020, boosting his earnings past $206,000.

One Fancy Cowboy completed the trifecta, another neck back in third. The sorrel colt by leading sire Flying Cowboy 123 from the Favorite Cartel mare Pieology was bred in Oklahoma by Pieology Partnership.

Owned by Jerry Deville Jr., trained by Jose Lopez, and ridden by Bryan Candanosa, One Fancy Cowboy collected $139,073. He sold for $57,000 at the 2025 Ruidoso Select Yearling Sale. A finalist in the Oklahoma Futurity(G2) in March, he has earned $166,760 in four starts.

Demarus finished fourth, followed by Curls Favorite Jet in fifth, Bett the Limit in sixth, Kiss My Nine Eleven in seventh, Ivorys Version in eighth, and Light Her Up in ninth. Centrafuge was scratched from the race after qualifying for the final.

The Heritage Place Futurity attracted a standout field of juveniles that emerged from the trials earlier this month, and the final lived up to expectations as the top three finishers were separated by only a head and a neck at the finish.

Fall Classic’s victory added a major futurity title to the resume of his sire, second-crop sire Cyber Monday, while providing Villatoro and Gonzales III with the richest win of the 2026 Quarter Horse season.

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