Trial winner A Perfert Legacy Df, who turned in the fastest performance of the August 15 trials, has been installed as the 3-1 morning-line favorite for Sunday's $203,050 Gillespie County Fair Futurity at Gillespie County Fairgrounds.
The 350-yard futurity for 2-year-old Quarter Horses will headline Sunday's 10-race program as Race 10, with an approximate post time of 4:45 p.m. (CDT). The 10 finalists advanced from trials conducted August 15.
A Perfert Legacy Df, a son of leading second-crop sire Dulce Sin Tacha from the Streakin La Jolla mare Legacys A Streakin, will break from post 7 for owner and trainer Heber Deyta-Melendez with Brian Barraza aboard. Bred in Oklahoma by Donald J. Friesen, the brown colt was a $67,000 Heritage Place purchase. He enters the final with a 1-1-1 record from three starts and earnings of $9,980.
A Perfert Legacy Df delivered his best effort in the trials, breaking on top and drawing away by 2 1/4 lengths to win the 10th trial in :17.597. The performance earned him a 97 speed index and was his first career victory. Earlier this year, he finished second in a Sam Houston Race Park trial and third in his career debut at SunRay Park.
The 4-1 second choice, Mr Jet Fees, brings the most extensive résumé among the three morning-line favorites. Owned by Faithful Cowboy LLC and trained by Jimmy Guerra, the Texas-bred gelding will be ridden from post 9 by champion jockey Rodrigo Vallejo. Iris M. Buchanan bred the son of champion Ec Jet One from the Panther Mountain mare Fee Lion. A $18,000 TQHA Yearling Sale graduate, Mr Jet Fees has won three of six starts and earned $34,704.
Mr Jet Fees won his August 15 trial by one-half length over Prize Time Girl in :17.830, earning an 91 speed index. He previously won a Firecracker Futurity trial at Gillespie and a maiden at Delta Downs before finishing fourth in the $164,000 Gillespie County Fair Firecracker Futurity on July 19. He has won two of his three starts over the Gillespie 350-yard course.
Flight History, listed at 5-1 from post 5, gives trainer Kash Reed and owner No Judge II LLC another accomplished trial winner. Champion jockey Francisco Calderon will ride the California-bred daughter of leading sire Favorite Cartel out of Seperate Flight, by Separatist. Bred by Steve D. Burns, DVM, Flight History was a $30,000 Heritage Place purchase. She has won two of three starts and earned $11,400.
Flight History won the ninth trial August 15, holding off Yegua Ranchera by a neck in :17.831 for an 91 speed index. The filly also won a 350-yard trial at The Downs at Albuquerque in May before encountering trouble and finishing eighth in another trial there in June. Both of her career victories have come at 350 yards.
El Derecho, Notoryous Lead $126,250 Gillespie County Fair Derby
One race earlier, undefeated-in-2026 El Derecho has been made the 5-2 morning-line favorite for the $126,250 Gillespie County Fair Derby. The 350-yard Race 9 for 3-year-olds is scheduled for approximately 4:20 p.m. (CDT). The finalists qualified through trials held August 16.
Owned by Kalinos Racing LLC and trained by Ben Olaveson, El Derecho has been perfect in three starts this season and will break from the rail under Luis Vivanco. The Texas-bred son of world champion sire Freighttrain B out of Apollitical Regard, by Apollitical Jess, was bred by Cox-Lane LLC and sold for $50,000 at Heritage Place. He has won three of nine career starts and earned $29,885.
El Derecho won the 10th derby trial August 16 by one-half length over Coweta Corona in :17.846, earning an 80 speed index. The victory followed consecutive wins at Retama Park and Sam Houston Race Park, giving the gelding three straight victories after going winless in six starts at 2.
The 3-1 second choice Notoryous may pose the biggest threat. The son of champion sire One Famous Eagle will start from post 9 for owner LA Racing Stables LLC and trainer Samuel Mendoza, with Nestor Duran aboard. Bred in Texas by Bobby D. Cox from the multiple graded stakes producing Mr Eye Opener mare Eye Popping, Notoryous was a $300,000 Ruidoso Select Yearling Sale purchase. He has compiled three wins and five seconds from nine starts while earning $53,355.
Notoryous was impressive in the ninth trial, leading throughout to defeat Toby Two by one-half length in :17.637 while posting a 96 speed index. He has won two of four starts this season and earlier finished fourth in the Grade 1 Los Alamitos Winter Derby after running second in his trial.
Mako Shark Watters, the 5-1 third choice, enters off a decisive trial victory. Sunset Well Service Inc. owns and bred the Texas-bred son of multiple stakes sire Muddy Watters out of Ms Flashy Eyes, by Mr Jess Perry. Arnold Lewis trains the gray gelding, and Oliver Martinez has the riding assignment from post 7. Mako Shark Watters has won three of 12 career starts and earned $51,565, including two victories from six starts this season.
Mako Shark Watters broke sharply and cruised to a one-length victory in the eighth derby trial in :17.912. Earlier this season, he won a Texas-bred allowance at Sam Houston and finished third in the $44,000 Silver Bullet Stakes at Retama Park. He has made four starts at Gillespie, winning once and placing third once.
Two Additional Stakes Highlight Undercard
Sunday's card also features two additional Quarter Horse stakes. Race 7, the $30,000 Gillespie County Fair Oaks, is a 330-yard event for fillies and mares 3 and older. The 10-horse field includes 3-1 morning-line favorite Di Kvn Waven, a five-time winner with $317,337 in career earnings, along with 7-2 Jes Relentless and 4-1 Political Looker. Di Kvn Waven enters off a runner-up effort to Shes Ec To Tempt in an August 8 derby trial at Retama Park, while Jes Relentless was second in the $36,000 Gillespie County Fair Association Dutchman Stakes in her most recent start.
Race 8, the $35,000 Hill Country Classic Stakes, brings together seven older runners at 400 yards. Multiple graded stakes winner Kas Prietito is the 9-5 morning-line favorite after finishing second in the Grade 2 TQHA Classic Stakes at Retama. The 4-year-old has earned $152,206 and earlier this season won both the Grade 2 Sam Houston Classic and Grade 2 Willie Hickman Memorial. Also prominent are 5-2 Eyeza Candy Cartel, winner of both of his 2026 starts, and 3-1 Paint Me Onis, a $159,649 earner who was runner-up in the Grade 2 Harris County Stakes at Delta Downs in June.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Would you like more industry news delivered directly to your inbox? Click here to sign up.