Under jockey Gilberto Linares, El Rayo J (#9) won the $130,600 G.C.F.A Firecracker Futurity Sunday afternoon at the Gillespie County Fairground.

© Jenny Barton

By H. David Smith, StallioneSearch

FREDERICKSBURG, TX—AUGUST 10, 2025—El Rayo J closed powerfully in the final yards to capture the $130,600 G.C.F.A. Firecracker Futurity at Gillespie County Fairground on Sunday, covering 350 yards in 17.617 seconds with a 95 speed index.

Running into a headwind of 5 mph on a fast track, the sorrel gelding surged past early leader Cm Dashing Cartel to win by three-quarters of a length.

Bred in California by Jaime H. Gomez, El Rayo J is a 2-year-old son of leading sire Favorite Cartel out of J Best Boogie, by Docs Best Card. Owned by AA Farms, LLC and trained by Miguel Castillo, the gelding was guided to victory by jockey Gilberto Linares. The win was worth $45,710 for his connections.

A $115,000 Heritage Place Yearling graduate who was fourth in the Sam Houston Juvenile two races back, El Rayo J has earned $60,862 in four career starts.

Cm Dashing Cartel, a Louisiana-bred son of One Dashing Eagle out of Ellas Cartel, by Carters Cartel, held second after breaking on top and leading most of the way.

Bred by Cory Ron Mouton, he races for Diamond R Investment Farms LLC and Lauro Garcia Jr., with Jose Espinosa handling training duties and Noe Castaneda in the irons. The runner-up earned $19,590 for the effort to boost his earnings to $44,130 after two wins in four starts.

Finishing third was heavy favorite The Texas Hammer, a Texas-bred son of The Fiscal Cliff out of Bodacity, by Bodacious Dash. Bred and owned by Shadow Cross Farms, and trained by Hector R. Osorio, he was ridden by Gaspar Garcia.

The Texas Hammer earned $13,060 after breaking outward from his outside post and closing late to finish just a nose behind the runner-up. A winner of three of five starts, The Texas Hammer has banked $59,176.

El Rayo J returned $14.80 to win, $8.00 to place, and $7.40 to show. Cm Dashing Cartel paid $10.00 to place and $6.60 to show. The Texas Hammer returned $3.00 to show.

In the field of nine, Mako Shark Watters ran fourth, followed by Unlimited Candy, Ignyte, Toxic Dynasty, Virgils Cash, and She The Ceo, in that order. El Rey Juanito was scratched. 
 

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