Cartel Cowgirl 123 won the 13th of 15 trials by two lengths to set the fastest qualifying time on Day 1.

© Coady Media

By H. David Smith, StallioneSearch

ALBUQUERQUE, NM—JUNE 26, 2026— Cartel Cowgirl 123 surged to the top of the leaderboard Friday after posting the fastest qualifying time on the opening day of trials for the Grade 1, $1,000,000 Rainbow Futurity at The Downs at Albuquerque.

A total of 15 trials were contested over 400 yards, with the five fastest qualifiers from Friday earning provisional berths toward the July 12 final. The remaining five finalists will be determined from 15 additional trials scheduled for Saturday, June 27.

Cartel Cowgirl 123, a Texas-bred daughter of leading sire Flying Cowboy 123 from the Corona Cartel mare Famous Cartel Lady, dominated the 13th trial by two lengths while stopping the timer in 19.625, the fastest clocking of the afternoon.

Cyber Paint, under jockey Gilberto Linares, posted the second fastest time in trial #14. © Coady Media

Owned and bred by Johnny Trotter, the sorrel filly was saddled by James J. Gonzales II and ridden by Joseph Belloc Jr. After breaking sharply in her career debut, she quickly took command and drew away impressively to record the fastest qualifying effort of Day 1.

"She ran great—still a little green but there’s a lot of improvement that we can do on her," jockey Joseph Belloc, Jr. said. "I believe that she can improve for the finals."

Cartel Cowgirl 123 went off at 16-1 odds and paid $34.60, $13.60 and $12.60.

Cyber Paint secured the second-fastest qualifying mark with a 19.672 victory in the 14th trial. The bay gelding by leading third-crop sire Cyber Monday out of Pyc Face Paint, by Pyc Paint Your Wagon, races for Richard Young, Joe David Yates and Zack Stinebaugh and was bred in Kentucky by Gentry Farms.

El Huracano V, under champion jockey Francisco Calderon, posted the third fastest time in trial #4.
© Coady Media

Trained by Zackary Stinebaugh and piloted by Gilberto Linares, Cyber Paint overcame an outside post, came in at the start, drifted out through the stretch, and still pulled clear by one-half length.

"When we were waiting in the paddock, there was a solid tailwind, then it became a headwind, then there was no wind at post time," Stinebaugh said. "We’ll take it."

The gelding, purchased for $30,000 at the 2025 Ruidoso Select Yearling Sale, picked up his second consecutive win in four starts this year.

Sephoraa 157 (#5) was moved to first over Gbh Cowboy (#2) to get the fourth fastest time in trial #15.
© Coady Media

Valeriano Racing Stables LLC's homebred El Huracano V delivered one of the most dominant performances of the afternoon in the fourth trial, winning by three lengths in 19.742. The brown gelding by leading first-crop sire Golden Boi out of Bellissima Chocolata, by Valiant Hero, was trained by Raymond G. Valerio and ridden by Francisco Calderon.

Sent off as the heavy favorite, El Huracano V broke alertly and quickly separated himself from the field, proving much the best. A homebred for Valeriano Racing Stables LLC, El Huracano V was not offered at public auction and entered the trials off a second-place effort in the May 30 Grade 1 Heritage Place Futurity at Remington Park. He has earned $212,670.

The final trial of the afternoon produced two of the day's fastest clockings; however, the winner was DQ'd for interference and placed fourth. Sephora 157 was moved to first after finishing a game second by just a nose while earning the fourth-fastest qualifying time of 19.774. This was her second career win in four starts, and she was fourth in the Four Corners Futurity on May 16.

Blueyy, under jockey Louis Martinez, garnered the fifth qualifying time in trial #11. © Coady Media

The Flying Cowboy 123 filly out of Lola 157, by Kiss My Hocks, races for Tack Neugebauer and was bred by Blake Isom. Trained by Wesley T. Giles and ridden by Gabriel Medrano, the filly was purchased for $40,000 at the 2025 Ruidoso Select Yearling Sale before rallying strongly to secure a berth in the Rainbow Futurity final despite her narrow defeat. z

Blueyy rounded out the top five qualifiers after covering the 400 yards in 19.776 in the 11th trial. The filly by five-time world champion sire FDD Dynasty from the Mr Jess Perry mare Amore La Blue races for La Feliz Montana Ranch LLC and was bred by Silver Racing Farm LLC.

Trained by Daniel R. Ruiz Amaya and ridden by Luis Martinez, Blueyy sold for $90,000 at the 2025 Ruidoso Select Yearling Sale before breaking her maiden and earning the fifth-fastest qualifying time on Friday.

For a list of today's five qualifiers, with times, sires, dams, owners, breeders, trainers, and jockeys, CLICK HERE.

The second five fastest qualifiers from each day of trials receive preferred invites to the $100,000 Rainbow Juvenile, which will also be contested on Sunday, July 12. For a list of those horses, CLICK HERE.

The Grade 1 Rainbow Futurity carries a purse of $1 million and is scheduled for July 12 at The Downs at Albuquerque. The second five finalists will be determined following tomorrow's (Saturday) Day 2 trials.

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