Cowboys Flying Stays Perfect With $3 Million All American Futurity (G1) Victory

Cowboys Flying remained perfect in six career starts Monday when the 2-year-old gelding overcame a slow start and powered away to a two-length victory in the $3 million All American Futurity (G1) at The Downs at Albuquerque.

The richest race in Quarter Horse racing capped the Labor Day program, with Cowboys Flying completing the 440 yards in :20.623, earning a 109 speed index over a fast racing surface with a 10 mph tailwind. With Sunday's victory, the $50,000 supplement to the trials posted the fastest All American Futurity time in history.

Sent off as the 3-10 favorite under jockey Nestor Duran, Cowboys Flying was away a step slowly but quickly recovered, closed with a rush and drew clear to prove much the best. The victory was worth $1,260,000, pushing his career earnings to $1,822,793.

"I was behind but I knew what type of horse I was riding so I knew he was going to finish strong, so I just stayed calm and he went for another gear and finished strong", Duran said after the race.

Trainer Marco Adair Chavez-Gutierrez conditions the undefeated son of leading sire Flying Cowboy 123 for Jerry Deville and Jaime Cardenas’ Double J Racing. Bred in Texas by Dr. Tommy Hays, Cowboys Flying is out of Cartels Lady, by Carters Cartel. He was a $53,000 purchase at the 2025 TQHA Yearling Sale.

Cowboys Flying has now won all six career starts, earning $1,822,793. His three stakes victories include the All American Futurity (G1), TQHA Sale Futurity (RG1), and Texas Breeders' Futurity.

“If he comes back healthy, we’re headed to the Texas Classic Futurity at Lone Star Park,” Deville said in the winner’s circle. “We are grateful to God and our team for working so hard so that we could have fun today.”

Ask Her To Fly produced a solid late bid to capture second by a nose over Chile Gato, earning $540,000 for runner-up honors.

Trainer Jason L. Olmstead conditions the Flying Cowboy 123 filly for owner A. Randall Geiselman. Randy Geiselman bred Ask Her To Fly, who is out of Ask The Question, by Teller Cartel. Ramiro Haro Garcia had the riding assignment.

Monday's effort improved Ask Her To Fly's career record to eight starts, three wins, two seconds and one third, with earnings of $700,175. In addition to her runner-up finish in the All American Futurity (G1), she was third in the Ruidoso Futurity (G2) and a finalist in the Rainbow Futurity (G1).

Chile Gato finished another one-half length ahead of Blueyy for third and collected $300,000. Champion jockey Francisco Calderon rode the colt for trainer Jed H. Vane and owner-breeder Omar Paredes.

A son of leading third-crop sire Chilitos, Chile Gato is out of Famous Phoebe, by Dash Ta Fame. He has now earned $305,800 from two career Quarter Horse starts, with one victory and one third-place finish.

Blueyy finished fourth, followed by Happy Flying Bird, Think Twice Perry, Flying Cowboys Candy, and Leaving London. The stewards posted an inquiry following a foul claim involving Flying Cowboys Candy, Think Twice Perry, and Happy Flying Bird for alleged interference in deep stretch, but no change was made to the order of finish. Jess A Bad Lil Cat, and Tempting Lu were veterinarian scratches.

Today’s stakes races marked the end of the Ruidoso Downs racing season at Downs of Albuquerque. The Triple Crown series will be held at Lone Star Park in Grand Prairie, Texas, in 2027.

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