Big Ted, under jockey Sergio Becerra, Jr, dominated the $50,000 Zia Quarter Horse Juvenile at The Downs at Albuquerque on Sunday.

© Coady Media

By H. David Smith, StallioneSearch

ALBUQUERQUE, NM—JULY 19, 2026—Tungsten Racing Partnership's Big Ted continued his outstanding juvenile campaign Sunday, drawing away through the final strides to post a convincing 2¾-length victory in the $50,000 Zia Quarter Horse Juvenile Stakes at The Downs at Albuquerque.

The bay gelding stopped the timer in 19.256 for 400 yards, earning a 97 speed index over a fast track with a five-mile-per-hour headwind.

Conditioned by Omar Vargas and ridden by Sergio Becerra Jr., Big Ted brushed the start before quickly taking command and steadily widening his advantage to earn the $21,000 winner's share of the purse.

The winning connections of Big Ted accept the Zia Juvenile stakes trophy. © Coady Media

Bred in New Mexico by Jaime Cervantes, the son of Tf Im That Guy out of Shez Jessa Scooter, by Heza Motor Scooter, improved his career record to six starts with four wins, one second and one third while boosting his bankroll to $123,889. He was second in the New Mexico Breeders' Futurity(RG2), and third in the New Mexican Spring Futurity (RG2) earlier this year.

Out Post rallied to finish second, 2¾ lengths behind the winner while holding off Toppa The Moon by a neck for the runner-up spot. The sorrel gelding by leading sire Eye Am King out of Tangled Vines, by Dash Ta Fame, races for Rancho El 48, LLC, Denis Schoenhofer, Julie A. Schoenhofer, and Wallace Lynn Landrum. Bred by MJ Farms and trained by Rodolfo Valles, Out Post was ridden by Joseph Belloc Jr. and earned $9,000, increasing his career earnings to $9,900. He was a high-priced $400,000 purchase at the 2025 Ruidoso New Mexico Bred Yearling Sale.

Another neck back in third was Toppa the Moon, who battled throughout before securing the show award for owners Scott Branson and Jimmy Vasquez. The sorrel gelding, by Prospect To The Top out of MJ Moon Chick, by First Moonflash, was bred by Jimmy Vasquez, trained by David Gomez-Barraza, and ridden by Oscar Andrade Jr.. His third-place finish was worth $5,000, raising his career earnings to $23,938. Toppa the Moon was cataloged as a $9,500 RNA (reserve not attained) at the 2025 Ruidoso New Mexico Bred Yearling Sale.

The remainder of the field finished in the following order: Jess Good Times (4th), Big Avery (5th), Tempered Daddy (6th), JBP Lovestruck (7th), Bedawee Cartel (8th), Seacret Society (9th), and Sheza Fast Flash (10th).

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