Hallmarke, piloted by Christian Cardenas, wins the $40,000 Downs Fall Quarter Horse Distaff the Downs at Albuquerque on Saturday.

© Coady Media

ALBUQUERQUE, NM–OCTOBER 26, 2024–After a slow start this season, Hallmarke seems to have found her stride. The five-year-old mare won her second consecutive stakes race on Saturday with a photo-finish victory in the $40,000 Downs Fall Quarter Horses Distaff at the Downs at Albuquerque.

Trainer James J. Gonzalez named jockey Christian Cardenas to ride Hallmarke in the 400-yard Distaff. The heavy favorite took the lead at first call and held on for a head victory over Elegant Dynastia and Manuel Gutierrez. Hallmarke's stablemate Razimitaz, with Joseph Belloc, Jr. in the irons, was only a neck behind for third. Hallmarke's first-place finish paid $4.60 for the win on 6/5 odds.

Hallmarke started the season with two second-place finishes, one in the Cherokee Overnight Stakes. Her next two starts were fifth-place finishes in the BOCO Overnight Stakes and Sam Houston 250 Stakes.

In September, she secured her first win of the year in the Balloon City Stakes [G2]. Following that, she won tonight's Distaff, which increased her lifetime earnings to $168,609 after receiving a winner's share of $23,200.

The winning connections of Hallmarke accept the $40,000 Downs Fall Quarter Horse Distaff trophy at The Downs At Albuquerque on Saturday. © Coady Media

The daughter of Duponte has lit the board 18 of 28 starts with seven wins, four of which were in stakes competition. Last year, she won the Cherokee Overnight Stakes, placed second in the Sam Houston 250 Stakes and BOCO Overnight Stakes, third in the Mother's Day Stakes, fourth in the Delta Downs Distaff Challenge Stakes, and was a finalist in the Race Track Chaplaincy Of American Stakes.

Owner Laney Fowler purchased Hallmarke for $17,000 in the 2022 Heritage Place Fall Mixed Sale. She also purchased Razimitaz at the same time for $13,000. Bobby D. Cox bred both horses. Hallmarke is out of the First Down Dash mare Zenergy and Razimitaz is from the Pyc Paint Your Wagon mare Fast N Fancy.

Fernando Lopez conditions runner-up Elegant Dynastia for owner Zach Stevenson, who purchased her for $29,000 in last year's Heritage Place Fall Mixed Sale. The four-year-old daughter of FDD Dynasty has three wins from 22 starts and $58,602 in the bank. Flag Ranch bred Elegant Dynastia in Oklahoma out of Ja Jess Elegance by Mr Jess Perry.

Gonzalez also trains Hallmarke, who has three wins and earnings of $49,818.

The remaining order of finish is Cat Got A Diamond, Cartel N Sass, Pink Kiss, Hot Girl Summer B, Jessapolliticalgirl, Bossa Neauva and Fervents Spirit.