One Sweet Boss (#3), with Leonardo Rodriguez aboard, noses out Five Bar Jess Cartel (#4) to win the $40,000 Opelousas Stakes-RG3 on Saturday at Evangeline Downs.

© Hodges Photography

By Leann Noguera, StallioneSearch

OPELOUSAS, LA–OCTOBER 11, 2025–After two previous attempts, One Sweet Boss finally captured his first Opelousas Stakes-RG3 victory in a photo finish Saturday night at Evangeline Downs. The seven-year-old gelding edged Five Bar Jess Cartel by a nose in the $40,000 feature for Accredited Louisiana-bred Quarter Horses.

One Sweet Boss completed the 400-yard race in 20.227 seconds with an 84 speed index under jockey Leonardo Rodriguez. The effort returned $13.20 to win at 5/1 odds and earned $24,000 for owner-breeder Flying K Ranch LLC.

Trained by Phillip Calais Jr., One Sweet Boss fought tenaciously from start to finish, fending off a hard-charging Five Bar Jess Cartel in the final strides to secure his long-awaited breakthrough.

Saturday’s victory marked his first win of the season and third career stakes triumph, adding to earlier graded victories in the 2023 Miss Polly Classic Stakes-G2 and 2024 Mid City Stakes-G3. One Sweet Boss had previously finished second in the 2024 edition of the Opelousas Stakes-RG3 and sixth in 2022.

Earlier this year, he finished second in the Louisiana Classic Stakes-G2, and fourth in both the Miss Polly Classic Stakes-G3 and HDJ Butler Stakes. From 38 career starts, the seasoned gelding has recorded 9 wins, 5 seconds, and 6 thirds, with total earnings of $245,705.

One Sweet Boss is sired by One Sweet Jess and out of Starlight Bess, by Rakin in the Cash.

Runner-up Five Bar Jess Cartel closed strongly in the final yards but came up just short under Ubaldo Luna for trainer John Norwood Jr. and owner Fausto Mendoza. The five-year-old son of Five Bar Cartel finished in 20.232 seconds, also earning an 84 speed index.

Out of Jess Tempting to Fly, by Tempting Dash, he was bred in Louisiana by Gerard Hebert. The multiple stakes winner, who captured the Mr Jess Perry Stakes earlier this season at Louisiana Downs, has 8 wins, 5 seconds, and 5 thirds from 32 starts, with $201,659 in career earnings.

Post-time favorite Pk Pure Rogue, last year’s Opelousas Stakes-RG3 champion, set the early pace but weakened late to finish third, a neck behind the leaders. Ridden by Jorge Garcia for trainer Barbara Alcantara and owners Barraza Brothers and Sons Racing LLC, the five-year-old brown gelding stopped the timer in 20.388 seconds.

By Heza Fast Rogue and out of Kinky Boots, by Agouti, he was bred by Phatt Kat Ranch and purchased for $9,200 at the 2021 LQHBA Yearling Sale. A six-time stakes winner, Pk Pure Rogue’s 2025 season includes victories in the Louisiana Classic Stakes-G2, Miss Polly Classic Stakes-G3, and BOCO Overnight Stakes. From 33 starts, he has earned $352,535.

Tjs Dynasty and Lil Too Dirty completed the order of finish.

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