Ride Em Cowboy, piloted by Luis Valenzuela, wins the $23,000 AQRA Presidents Open Spring Juvenile at Turf Paradise on Thursday by 1 1/2-lengths.

© Coady

PHOENIX, AZ–APRIL 25, 2024–Luis Valenzuela guided Ride Em Cowboy to his first career win by 1 1/2-lengths in the $23,000 AQRA Presidents Open Spring Juvenile at Turf Paradise on Thursday afternoon.

On the inside Just Take Off and Mr Barbaro clashed heads out of the gates allowing Ride Em Cowboy to take the lead and keep it from wire-to-wire. The son of first-crop sire champion Tell Cartel clocked a :16.061 running time against a 9 mph headwind. The 300-yard victory paid $6.60 to win on 9/2 odds.

Ride Em Cowboy's first out of his career was in the AQRA Turf Paradise Presidents Open Futurity trials where he finished eighth. His time did not make it back to the finals which put him in the Juvenile finals where he scored his first victory. The $14,030 winner's share of the purse increased his earnings to $14,180.

Bred and owned by Ralph and Carrie Fales of Arizona, Ride Em Cowboy is out of Cowgirl N Up by Texas Icon. The two-year-old gelding is conditioned by trainer Matt Fales.

After regaining momentum from his bumped start, Mr Barbaro with Joseph Belloc in the irons, crossed the wire in second by a neck over Carteldownnsassy. The son of Mr Jess Perry has $4,750 in earnings.

Rigoberto Guillen saddled Mr Barbaro for owner/breeder Balgo Racing Team, Inc. The two-year-old colt was bred in California out of the Corona Cartel mare Star In The East.

Third place finisher Carteldownnsassy, ridden by Oscar Andrade Jr, was purchased by her current owner J Lazy Six Ranch for $30,000 in last year's Heritage Place Winter Mixed Sale.

Carteldownnsassy was bred in Maryland by Pleasant Valley Ranch out of the First Down Dash mare First Down N Sassy. The daughter of Corona Cartel is conditioned by Leonel Gonzalez.

Against All The Odds, Havasu Landing and Just Take Off complete the order of finish. Ps Power Perry was scratched by the vet.