Cowboys Gun Z, under Francisco Calderon wins the Refrigerator Championship-G1 on Saturday.

© Ernesto Salinas, Jr. / StallioneSearch

By Leann Noguera, StallioneSearch

GRAND PRAIRIE, TX–NOVEMBER 15, 2025–Cowboys Gun Z delivered a reminder of his class and toughness on Saturday night at Lone Star Park, shrugging off an early stumble and powering home to win the $120,000 Refrigerator Championship Stakes-G1.

The 4-year-old gelding stopped the clock in 21.301 seconds for 440 yards into a 5 mph headwind, earning a 99 speed index and banking $66,000 for West Texas Racing Partners.

Breaking from the far outside, Cowboys Gun Z lost his footing for a stride, but Francisco Calderon quickly gathered him up. Once he leveled out, the bay gelding surged to the front and controlled the race from there, widening late to win by 1¼ lengths.

The winning connections of Cowboys Gun Z accept the Refrigerator Championship trophy.
© Dustin Orona Photography

By Flying Cowboy 123, he is out of Cf Smokin Gun, by Tres Seis, and was bred in Oklahoma by Running C Ranch LLC. A $125,000 purchase at the 2022 Ruidoso Yearling Sale, he now carries a record of five wins and three seconds from 12 starts with $1,670,517 in the bank.

The Mike Joiner trainee—already an All American Futurity-G1 winner and the 2023 champion two-year-old gelding—added his second victory from two starts this season.

Hes A Jet One found his best stride in the final yards, launching a late rally to secure second and $20,400. The sorrel gelding by Ec Jet One is out of Shez Dead Serious, by Swingin Jess, and was bred in Texas by his owner, Pete A. Scarmardo.

Ridden by Edwin Escobedo and trained by John Stinebaugh, the $62,000 repurchase from the 2021 TQHA Yearling Sale entered the race with nine wins, eight seconds and five thirds from 33 starts with $355,290 earned. A four-time stakes winner, he has won the TQHA Classic Stakes-G2 in back-to-back years and earlier in his career scored victories in both the B.F. Phillips Jr Stakes-G3 and the Dr. Glenn Blodgett Stakes.

Ridden by Nestor Duran, Ima Chili held his ground through the lane to finish third, worth $12,000. The bay gelding by Chilitos is out of Im Not Hillary, by Executive Menace, and was bred in Texas by Sarah Huskey. Owned by Darrell Hooper and trained by Zachery Rios, he entered the race with 18 starts, eight wins, three seconds, four thirds and $154,323 in earnings.

Ima Chili is a five-time stakes winner, including the B.F. Phillips Jr Stakes-G2, Dr. Glenn Blodgett Stakes, Silver Bullet Stakes, Sam Houston 250 Stakes, and TPHBA Juvenile.

Behind the top three, Rgs Gold Wagon finished fourth, followed by Relentless Eagle in fifth. Dashing Tres crossed in sixth, with Apollitical Ike seventh and Defours eighth. Kj Wildthang finished ninth, and As Moonflash completed the field in tenth.

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