Friday evening at North Dakota Horse Park will feature a seven-race program beginning at 6:00 p.m., spotlighting the next generation of North Dakota-bred Quarter Horses.

© North Dakota Horse Park

By LouanneWainscott, StallioneSearch

FARGO, ND–JULY 16, 2026–Friday evening at North Dakota Horse Park will feature a seven-race program beginning at 6:00 p.m., spotlighting the next generation of North Dakota-bred Quarter Horses. Ten juveniles will compete in two trial heats for the NDQHRA Quarter Horse Futurity Trials, with the top eight fastest times earning a return trip to the $25,000-added NDQHRA Quarter Horse Futurity Finals on July 25.

The two trial heats will be contested over 350 yards in races three and four, where every fraction of a second will be crucial as the youngsters race against both their rivals and the clock for a spot in the championship final.

The opening trial, race three, is led by Effort Sixes, the 8-5 morning-line favorite. The promising filly enters the trials after winning her trial heat and finishing second in the Rusty Wilson Memorial Futurity. Although she has made only four career starts, her recent performances suggest she is developing into one of the leading contenders among the North Dakota-bred juveniles.

Bred in North Dakota by Joe H. Peltier, Effort Sixes is a daughter of Cartels Sixes, out of the Proudest Effort mare Lizs Effort. She races for her trainer, Kaleb P. Shipman, who will send her from post four with Scott A. Bethke in the saddle.

The second trial, race four, features Travelin Prince as the 7-5 morning-line favorite. The gelding earned his place in the Rusty Wilson Memorial Futurity Finals with an impressive four-length trial win, then finished fifth in the final. He now returns, looking to rebound with a strong performance and secure his place in the NDQHRA Quarter Horse Futurity Finals.

With only eight qualifying spots available from the two trial heats, every stride will matter as North Dakota's top juvenile Quarter Horses battle for a shot at the $25,000-added NDQHRA Quarter Horse Futurity championship. Friday night's trials promise an exciting evening of racing as these young runners take the next step toward one of the state's premier events for North Dakota-breds.

 

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