Pops First Lady, ridden by Nestor Duran, wins the $60,681 AQHA Texas Challenge Championship Stakes on Friday night at Retama Park.

© Coady Photography

SELMA, TX–AUGUST 16, 2024– Pops First Lady started the season just missing with a second place finish in the Decketta Stakes [G2], then placed fourth in the Easy Date Stakes [G2], both at Remington Park. She's seemed to have found her groove, though, winning her second consecutive stakes in the $60,681 AQHA Texas Challenge Championship Stakes on Friday night at Retama Park.

After piloting her to victory in the Selma Stakes earlier in the Retama Park season, trainer Juan Diaz Jr named Nestor Duran as rider again for Pops First Lady in the 440-yard Challenge Championship.

Pops First Lady broke third from the gates but quickly took the lead at first call and kept it to the wire. The post-time favorite defeated Shakers No Secret, ridden by Jose Alvarez, by 3/4 lengths, clocking a 98-speed index into a ten mph headwind. The finishing time was 21.938 seconds, and it paid $4.80 to win on a $2.00 wager. Dm Moonpie, piloted by Luis Vivanco, came in third 3/4-lengths behind the top two.

Pops First Lady has nine career wins, three stakes wins, including the 2022 Easy Date Stakes [G3] and Junos Request Stakes, and eight black finishes. The daughter of Apollitical Jess has improved her race record to 9-8-5 from 27 starts, and the $27,913 payday increases her earnings to $411,428.

The winning connections of Pops First Lady accept the $60,681 AQHA Texas Challenge Championship Stakes trophy at Retama Park on Friday. © Coady Photography

Bred by Gary Kurz and Double M Racing, Pops First Lady was a $30,000 Ruidoso Select Yearling graduate in 2019.

Ruse Ranch, LLC owns the six-year-old Texas-bred mare out of Shazoom mare Shazooms Pop Pop, who is a half-sister to stakes winner and new track record setter Jodies Pop Pop.

Trainer Marc Jungers saddled runner-up Shakers No Secret for owner Able Lopez, Ethan Lopez, and Manny Dutchover. The four-year-old son of Five Bar Cartel has seven career wins with $293,174 in earnings, including last year's West Texas Maturity [G3]

Garlyn O. Shelton of Texas sold Shakers No Secret for $14,000 in the 2021 Heritage Place Yearling Sale. He is out of Shaker Secret by No Secrets Here.

Third-place finisher Dm Moonpie is bred and owned in Texas by Donna Mushinski. Kie Mushinski trains the five-year-old son of Moonin The Eagle. He has four career wins, including this year's Willie Hickman Memorial Stakes, with $169,392 in the bank, and is out of Dm Bella Mia by Prime Talent.

Defours, Captain Tlc Aw, Uncle Eds Idea, Elegant Blues Girl, and Ms Fdd complete the order of finish. Leavinematthebar and Volcash were scratched.