Racing Preview

The 2-year-old Quarter Horses take the stage at Ajax Downs this Wednesday, September 30 in two Trials for the upcoming $55,000-added Alex Picov Memorial Futurity. The fastest 10 times from the pair of 400-yard Trials will advance to the final on closing day of the season, October 21.

The Picov Futurity Trials are part of a nine-race card at Ajax Downs with first race post of 12:55 p.m.

Youngsters from the Carol, Jaime, and Bryn Robertson team are formidable entrants in each Trial. Undefeated Had To Be Valiant has had a short vacation since she won the Ontario Bred Futurity in July, and she will be a popular choice by the public in race 3, the first Trial. One of her main challengers will be Cold Hard Chief, owned by Katie Browne and trained by Jason Pascoe. Cold Hard Chief was fourth in the Ontario Sires Stakes Futurity after a slow start, and he figures to appreciate the longer distance.

The second Trial, race 4, is led by Stolen Ivory S Dash, an easy winner of the Ontario Sires Stakes Futurity for the Robertsons. The flashy gelding is the only winner in the field, but stakes-placed Baref Hurricane Rush, owned and bred by Earl Foster, was a close second to Had to Be Valiant in her most recent start and looms a contender.

Will Rogers Downs will showcase a stakes-packed Monday afternoon program, highlighted by the $75,000 Mystery Futurity and three AQHA Challenge stakes races.

The Sunday afternoon program at Hipódromo de las Américas will feature seven trial heats for the Futurity Desafío Crianza Mexicana-RG3, with Mexico-bred Quarter Horse juveniles racing for a place in the $136,811 final.

The Saturday evening card at Albuquerque Downs will feature nine races, with the first post at 6:05 p.m. The spotlight will be on a talented group of older New Mexico-breds in the $70,000 First Moonflash Maturity.

Saturday afternoon at Sweetwater Downs promises a major day for juvenile Quarter Horse racing, featuring an 11-race program highlighted by a pair of lucrative futurity finals and two $25,000 consolation stakes. First post is set for 1:00 p.m.

The spotlight will shine brightly on Iowa-bred Quarter Horses Saturday afternoon at Prairie Meadows, where a five-race stakes showcase will feature some of the state’s top juveniles, sophomores and older runners. The action begins at 4:00 p.m., with more than $479,000 in stakes purses on the line across the first five races of the program.

Prairie Meadows is set for a stakes-packed Friday evening, with a 14-race program bringing together some of the region’s top Quarter Horses and first post scheduled for 5:00 p.m.

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.

Paint and Appaloosa juveniles will step into the spotlight Thursday afternoon at Lone Star Park, where a competitive field of eight lines up for the $15,000 TPHBA I’m Single Juvenile Stakes.

Some of the top older horses at AJAX DOWNS are in action this Wednesday, September 23, making their final start before a date in the prestigious Alex Picov Memorial Championship on Thanksgiving Monday, October 12.

Thursday afternoon at Albuquerque Downs, the road to one of New Mexico’s richest juvenile races takes center stage, as a loaded 12-race card will feature 115 New Mexico-bred two-year-olds competing in trials for the New Mexico State Fair Q.H. Futurity.

Paint and Appaloosa juveniles will take center stage Monday afternoon at Will Rogers Downs, where a ten-race card is set to begin at noon. The program will include three trials for the Grade 1 Pot O Gold Futurity, along with the Grade 1 $22,500 Cricket Bars Appaloosa Futurity.

The starting gates are officially swinging open for the start of the 2026 American Quarter Horse Association racing season at Cherokee Casino Will Rogers Downs. The 28-day meet runs through Nov. 17, bringing higher purses and some of the region’s fastest Paint, Appaloosa and Quarter Horses back to the Claremore track.

The opening weekend of the fall meet at Lone Star Park continues Saturday night with a 12-race program and a talented group of Texas-breds set to take center stage in the Restricted Grade 3, $50,000-added Dr. Glenn Blodgett Stakes.

The road to the WABRA Futurity takes center stage Saturday afternoon at Sweetwater Downs, where 46 Wyoming-bred juveniles will race the clock in five trial heats for a chance to return for one of the meet’s biggest events.

The Sunday afternoon card at Sweetwater Downs will feature 11 races, with the first post at 1:00 p.m. The afternoon will be full of excitement, highlighted by the $45,018 Cox Ranch Fillies and Mares Regional Distaff Challenge and five trial heats featuring 47 Wyoming-bred juveniles racing the clock for a chance to return to one of the meet’s biggest events.

The Saturday afternoon card at Blackfoot will feature eight races, with the first post at noon. The afternoon will be highlighted by two stakes events, the $10,000 Guaranteed Donnie Wheeler Memorial Derby and the $5,000 Guaranteed Quarter Horse Maturity, with Relay Racing also on full display between races throughout the card.

Undefeated Grade 1 winner Cv Fdddinasty Shan leads a stellar 10-horse lineup into Sunday night’s Grade 2, $270,000 PCQHRA Breeders Futurity at Los Alamitos. Owned by J. Francisco Diaz and trained by Lindolfo Diaz, the standout gelding solidified his spot at the top of the division by setting the fastest qualifying time of :17.680 over 350 yards during trials night on August 23.

Texas racing returns under the lights Friday evening as Lone Star Park opens its fall meet with a nine-race program highlighted by the $10,000-added TPHBA Maiden Juvenile.