Overcoming a stutter-step start and some jostling, Peighntmeadiamond asserted his superiority once again as Ajax Downs' top older horse with a powerful win in the September 23 featured race.

The exciting Ontario-bred 4-year-old heads to the Alex Picov Memorial Championship on Oct. 12 undefeated in five races this season for owner Richard Wincikaby, trainer Joe Tavares, and jockey Brian Bell.

Wednesday was a big day for Tavares and Bell as they swept the last three races on the nine-race card. Lights Dynasty, owned by Tavares, won race 7 at 110 yards for his fourth win of the season, followed by Peighntmeadiamond's win in a 350-yard allowance race.

Open A New Corona, who won the Princess Derby last month, won the day's finale at 220 yards, her fourth victory of the year.

Peighntmeadiamond's win got off to a rocky start when he was a bit slow out of the gate, and Runaway Fate to his outside shifted inwards, causing a pinball effect. Bell just waited until there was clear sailing between rivals before sending Peighntmeadiamond through.

"The three [General Skywalker] came out, and the five [Runaway Fate] came in," said Bell. "We just had to open up a little bit of a zip code, and once I got him free, he started running from there."

Meanwhile, Pretty Runaway had built up a clear lead and appeared to be on her way to victory when Peighntmeadiamond burst past to win by a neck in a time of 17.723. His speed index was an impressive 101. Pretty Runaway held second over Runaway Fate.

A son of Ontario stallion Peighnt Your Fate from the Thoroughbred mare Swingwiththering, Peighntmeadiamond was bred by Wincikaby and Katie Browne.

Earlier on the Wednesday card, Snow Moose, the 2023 Horse of the Year, won his final prep race for the Picov Championship in a 110-yard Gridiron gallop for owner Milena Kwiecien, trainer Jason Pascoe, and jockey JB Botello.

Racing continues at Ajax Downs next Wednesday, Sept. 30, with a 12:55 (EDT) first race post time.

Coming up on Thanksgiving Monday, October 12 is Pumpkin Day, benefitting the United Way. The first 100 kids will receive a pumpkin to decorate, plus there will be giveaways, a Turkey vs. Chicken race with jockeys in costumes, and tons of family fun with a huge Quarter Horse racing card.

For more information on how you can become a Quarter Horse owner, contact the Quarter Racing Owners of Ontario about the First Line Racing Syndicate at (905) 426-7050.

To read the latest news about racing at Ajax Downs, get the latest dates and events, or reserve a picnic table on one of our bigger days ($25), visit our website, www.ajaxdowns.com. You can watch and wager on Ajax Downs racing trackside and up close to the action or through www.HPIBet.com.

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Flying Cowboy 123 reached rare territory this week when his 2026 progeny earnings surpassed $10 million, making him only the second AQHA Racing sire in history to reach the milestone during a single calendar year.

Through September 23, the son of all-time leading sire Apollitical Jess has been represented by 396 runners, 165 winners and 24 stakes winners this season, with earnings of $10,002,478, according to the latest AQHA leading sire statistics.

Even more remarkable is the timing. Flying Cowboy 123 reached the $10 million plateau with more than three months remaining in 2026.

The existing single-year benchmark belongs to his own sire, Apollitical Jess, whose progeny earned $10,264,258 in 2022. That season, Apollitical Jess was represented by 280 runners, 137 winners, and 28 stakes winners.

Flying Cowboy 123 enters the final quarter of 2026 just $261,780 short of Apollitical Jess' 2022 total, putting the record within striking distance as major fall stakes and championship races remain on the calendar.

Leading Flying Cowboy 123's record-setting season is Cowboys Flying SI 111, whose earnings have reached $2,062,793. The 2-year-old gelding out of Cartels Lady, by Carters Cartel, has won six of six races this season, including the $3 million All American Futurity (G1), TQHA Sale Futurity (RG1), and Texas Breeders Futurity.

Flying Cowboy 123's extraordinary 2026 season is particularly notable, given that he has only four crops of racing age.

His current sire summary lists 672 foals of racing age, 573 starters, and 340 winners, with 61 stakes winners. His runners have earned more than $27 million, averaging $47,181 per starter, while compiling a 2.32 Average Earnings Index.

His 2-year-olds have been especially dominant. From 254 current 2-year-old foals, Flying Cowboy 123 has 209 starters, 84 winners, and eight stakes winners, with earnings exceeding $6.46 million.

Through four crops to race, his lifetime 2-year-old progeny earnings have topped $18.14 million.

Flying Cowboy 123's rapidly expanding list of leading runners already includes three individual millionaires.

In addition to Cowboys Flying, he is the sire of Cowboys Gun Z SI 101, winner of $1,678,945 and an AQHA Racing Champion Two-Year-Old and Champion Two-Year-Old Gelding. Cowboys Gun Z won the All American Futurity (G1) and Refrigerator Championship Stakes (G1).

Another son, Lethal Cowboy 123 SI 99, has earned $1,547,872 while becoming an AQHA Racing Champion Two-Year-Old, Champion Two-Year-Old Gelding and AQHA Supreme Race Horse. His victories include the Los Alamitos Two Million Futurity (G1), Golden State Million Futurity (G1) and Vessels Maturity (G1).

Other major performers include Ask Her To Fly SI 102, an earner of $610,175 and runner-up in the All American Futurity (G1); Flying Joy 1 SI 102, an AQHA Racing Champion Two-Year-Old Filly and winner of $525,212; Cardiac Cowboy SI 102, winner of $491,689; and Electrifying Cowboy SI 104, winner of $419,203.

Flying Cowboy 123's lifetime statistical record includes 25 graded stakes winners, 36 additional black-type/stakes winners, and 41 black-type/stakes placers. His progeny include six Grade 1 winners, 10 Grade 2 winners, and nine Grade 3 winners.

The stallion has also been represented by three AQHA Racing Champions.

A 2016 sorrel stallion by Apollitical Jess and out of Hot Cash 123, by Takin On The Cash, Flying Cowboy 123 earned a 101 speed index and was named the AQHA Racing Champion Two-year-old Colt, AQHA Racing Champion Three-year-old Colt during his own racing career. He entered stud in 2020.

The Oklahoma-bred stallion is owned by Lainie Whitmire and stands at Lazy E Ranch in Guthrie, Oklahoma. His 2027 stud fee has not been announced.

Flying Cowboy 123 has been a leading sire with every crop to reach the races and was the leading first-crop sire of all time.

Now, only six years after entering stud, he has joined his legendary sire in one of the most exclusive statistical categories in Quarter Horse racing history.

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Im A Pretty Mess, a stakes-placed daughter of multiple stakes sire Tarzanito, has been installed as the 8-5 morning-line favorite for Saturday night's $20,000 Cox Ranch Distaff Challenge Stakes (G3) at Lone Star Park.

The 400-yard event for Challenge enrolled fillies and mares, 3-year-olds and older, is carded as Race 11 with an approximate post time of 10:25 p.m. CT. Eight fillies and mares are entered.

Also at stake is a berth to the $125,000-est. Grade 1 Cox Ranch Challenge Championship to be run during the AQHA Challenge Championship Night at Downs at Albuquerque on October 17.

Im A Pretty Mess, breaking from post 3 under JR Ramirez Jr., brings one of the strongest recent efforts into the race. The 3-year-old Louisiana-bred filly finished second to Shakers No Secret in the $59,000 Retama Championship Challenge (G3) at 440 yards on August 21 after leading into the final stages.

She was beaten only a half-length and earned a 102 Speed Index. One start earlier, she finished third against older horses in a 400-yard allowance at Retama Park.

Im A Pretty Mess has won two of six career starts with a second and a third and earnings of $35,504. Both victories came during her 2-year-old campaign, including a 400-yard futurity at Evangeline Downs. She is one-for-two at Saturday's 400-yard distance.

SLC Racing LLC owns the 8-5 favorite, who is trained by Shae Cox and will be ridden by Ramirez. Bred by Joshua R. Henderson, Im A Pretty Mess is from Eagle Diva, by One Famous Eagle. She was a $24,000 LQHBA Yearling Sale graduate.

Paint This Rose, the 2-1 second choice from post 8, brings considerably more experience into the Distaff. The 5-year-old mare has compiled a 2-8-1 record from 21 starts and earned $72,098. She has finished first or second in 10 of those starts.

Paint This Rose was second in consecutive Remington Park allowances earlier this year, including a nose loss to Mystery V on April 9. She crossed the wire first in another Remington allowance May 16 but was declared a non-starter and disqualified. In her two subsequent stakes appearances at Fair Meadows, she finished fourth in the Golden Driller Stakes and sixth in the Belles Stakes.

The mare also has previous experience in this race, finishing fourth, beaten one length, in last year's Lone Star Distaff Challenge after encountering trouble at the start.

Aaron Newsom owns Paint This Rose, who is trained by Kevin Willis and will be ridden by Mario Delgado. Bob and/or Jerry Gaston bred the Texas-bred daughter of Pyc Paint Your Wagon from First Tea Rose, by First Down Dash. She sold for $37,000 at the Heritage Place sale.

Lettibefirst, at 5-1, completes the top three choices on the morning line. The 4-year-old mare has won twice from 17 career starts with two seconds and two thirds while earning $43,668. She has made five starts this season, winning once and finishing second once for earnings of $19,761.

Her biggest performance this season came June 13 at Arapahoe Park, where she rallied to win the $19,000 Pen Pal Stakes at 350 yards by a half-length while earning an 102 Speed Index. In her most recent start, she encountered trouble leaving the gate and finished sixth in the $31,000 Arapahoe Park Distaff Challenge at Saturday's 400-yard distance.

Owned and trained by Zachary Quezada, Lettibefirst will be ridden by Raul Ramirez Jr. Armando Jaquez bred the New Mexico-bred daughter of Walcott from Dashing Lili, by First Down Dash. No sale information is listed in the program.

The remainder of the field includes Mitoles Princess at 10-1, One Magic Eagle at 12-1, Dynastys Girl at 20-1, Pairadice City at 8-1 and Bm Candi Royale at 12-1. The program's mutuel ratings also list Im A Pretty Mess, Paint This Rose, Lettibefirst and Pairadice City in that order.

The Cox Ranch Distaff Challenge is part of Saturday night's Quarter Horse stakes program at Lone Star Park.

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A place in the La Fiesta finals will be on the line Friday afternoon at Albuquerque Downs, where 111 Quarter Horses are set to compete across a 12-race card. First post is scheduled for 1:30 p.m.

The opening nine races feature 83 juveniles in the Downs at Albuquerque La Fiesta Quarter Horse Futurity Trials. The ten fastest qualifiers will return October 18 for the $350,000 La Fiesta Quarter Horse Futurity.

Renikas Cowgirl adds another contender to the Futurity trials after Tungsten Racing Partnership paid the $20,000 supplemental fee. She drew the first heat and is listed at 7-2 on the morning line.

Flying Cowboys Candy enters the third race as the 5-2 morning-line favorite. The colt qualified for the Grade 1 $3 million All American Futurity in his most recent start, where he was crowded and checked late. He had previously finished second in both the $100,000 Rainbow Juvenile and the $203,000 Four Corners Futurity. With two wins and four runner-up finishes, he has earned $184,757 for CHR Racing, which purchased him for $39,000 at the Ruidoso Select Yearling Sale.

Bred in Oklahoma by PV Quarter Horse Farms, LLC, Flying Cowboys Candy is by Flying Cowboy 123 out of the Cartels Candy Man mare Candy Cartel Candy. Tony E. Cedilla trains the colt, who will leave from post seven with Christian Cardenas aboard.

Pyc Dollars Cowboy is the 5-2 morning-line favorite in the opening heat. The gelding has been away from the races since finishing fourth in his Rainbow trial. He prepared for Friday’s return with a 220-yard gate work in :12.69 on September 4. He has won two of four starts and earned $158,265 for Homero Hermilo Campa-Mireles, who purchased him for $65,000 at the Heritage Place Yearling Sale.

The Oklahoma-bred son of Flying Cowboy 123 is out of the Pyc Paint Your Wagon mare Pyc Dollars and was bred by Matthew Eck. Marco A. Flores trains Pyc Dollars Cowboy, who drew the rail with Sergio Becerra, Jr. riding.

The focus shifts to the $250,000 La Fiesta Quarter Horse Derby Trials for races ten through twelve. Twenty-eight sophomores will race for ten places in the October 18 final.

Two Derby entrants joined the trials through $20,000 supplemental payments. Terry Mesu is listed at 9-2 in race ten, while Ravos Rail is the 5-2 morning-line favorite in race eleven. Ravos Rail has made one start this season, rallying to finish third by half a length in his Rainbow trial. A Grade 1 All American Futurity finalist last year, he has a win, two seconds and a third from five career starts, with earnings of $91,400 for R and C Partnership. The partnership purchased the Freighttrain B colt, out of the FDD Dynasty mare Mavara Vegas, for $100,000 at the Ruidoso Select Yearling Sale.

Apolitical Valor brings the highest earnings among the Derby trial entrants into the final heat, race twelve, where he is the 5-2 morning-line favorite. The gelding has earned $265,462 for MJR Investments, Ltd. He qualified for the $100,000 All American Invitational this season and finished evenly after being bumped at the start. Last year, he finished third in the Grade 3 Mr Master Bug Stakes and reached the finals of both the Grade 1 Ruidoso Futurity and the Grade 3 La Fiesta Futurity, the latter as its fastest qualifier.

Bred in Oklahoma by Canadian River QH, LLC, Apolitical Valor is by Apollitical Jess out of the Valiant Hero mare Belle of Valor. Renee K. Wilson trains him, and Jacob Enriquez will ride from post six.

With emerging juveniles chasing a first major final and accomplished 3-year-olds seeking another, Friday’s card gives fans a full afternoon of racing against the clock.

The races at Lone Star Park can be watched on Q-Racing Video.

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