Foxy Cowgirl, piloted by Angel Ramirez, won the Grade 3 Cox Ranch Canterbury Park Distaff Challenge on Thursday.

© Coady Media

By Leann Noguera, StallioneSearch

SHAKOPEE, MN–JULY 24, 2025– Foxy Cowgirl proved untouchable on Thursday night, powering to a dominant wire-to-wire victory in the $38,148 Grade 3 Cox Ranch Canterbury Park Distaff Challenge at Canterbury Park. The 400-yard sprint for Challenge-enrolled fillies and mares three years old and up secured her a coveted spot in the Cox Ranch Distaff Challenge Championship (G3) on October 18 at The Downs at Albuquerque.

Breaking alertly under jockey Angel Ramirez, Foxy Cowgirl assumed immediate control from the inside post and never looked back. She drew clear with authority to win by 11/4 lengths, stopping the clock in 19.903 seconds and earning a 99 speed index. As the 6-5 post-time favorite, the effort returned $4.40 to win.

The 4-year-old sorrel filly by Flying Cowboy 123 is campaigned by the partnership of Paul Luedemann, Corey Wilmes, and Cole Morehead. She was bred in Iowa by Christine Hovey out of Foxy Millie, by Valiant Hero.

Trained by Ed Ross Hardy, the win improved her career line to 6-2-2 from 12 starts. The $19,074 winner's share of the purse pushed her earnings to $168,203. The victory marked her first score of the 2025 season after two allowance race attempts earlier at Remington Park,

The winning connections of Foxy Cowgirl accept the $38,148 Grade 3 Cox Ranch Canterbury Park Distaff Challenge winning trophy Thursday. © Coady Media

She took two months off before coming to Canterbury Park to race.

“She runs better with a layoff,” said Hardy. “We are doing the challenge races, which fit right in the schedule. We had her down there at Remington and worked her pretty hard. It paid off.”

Foxy Cowgirl, who previously won the Jim Bader Futurity as a juvenile and the Future of Iowa Stakes at three, now adds graded black type to her resume.

“She’s a pretty solid filly,” continued Hardy. “We have run her in state-bred races in Iowa, but thought we should try something different. We paid late to be a challenge-nominated horse, and it worked out.”

Runner-up Sendmecandyandarose showed grit in her stakes debut. Breaking well under Cristian Esqueda, she held second after bidding midway and finished 1¼ lengths behind the winner.

The four-year-old brown daughter of Kvn Corona was bred in Oklahoma by Stacy Hill and Vicki Tebow. She is out of Send Me This Wagon, by Pyc Paint Your Wagon.

Stacy Charette-Hill conditions Sendmecandyandarose for owners Buckway Ranch LLC and Tebow Racing. A $40,000 repurchase at the 2022 Heritage Place Yearling Sale, she now boasts $61,640 in earnings from 12 starts with three wins and 3 seconds.

Five Bar Fantasy, a consistent 6-year-old mare, completed the trifecta. She broke cleanly and rallied to grab third under Kelsi Harr, finishing a head behind the runner-up. By Five Bar Cartel and out of Ja Fantasy, by Mr Jess Perry, the chestnut mare was bred in Oklahoma by S Bar S.

Purchased for $16,500 at the 2020 Heritage Place Yearling Sale, Five Bar Fantasy races for Tailored for Gold Stables, and is trained by Jerry Livingston. She has earned $86,366 with four wins, 5 seconds, and five thirds from 24 starts. This marked her third appearance in the Canterbury Park Distaff Challenge, with second- or third-place finishes in each.

The remaining order of finish in the six-horse field was Famous Tools in fourth, Beep Beep Rev Rev in fifth, and Eos Keep Dreamin in sixth. Bv Miss Mona was scratched by the stewards.

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