Hasten (#1), under jockey Jose Enriquez, battles stablemate Baby Daddy Cartel (#4) to win the $365,140 Zia Quarter Horse Futurity (RG1) at The Downs at Albuquerque on Sunday.

© Coady Media

By H. David Smith, StallioneSearch

ALBUQUERQUE, NM—JULY 19, 2026—Hestan withstood a determined late charge from heavily favored stablemate Baby Daddy Cartel to score a neck victory in Sunday's $365,140 Zia Quarter Horse Futurity (RG1) at The Downs at Albuquerque, giving trainer Omar Vargas and owner Tungsten Racing Partnership a dominant one-two-three sweep in New Mexico's premier futurity for state-bred 2-year-olds.

Breaking alertly from the rail, Hestan established the lead immediately and, despite drifting out through the lane, had enough left to repel Baby Daddy Cartel in the final strides.

Ridden by Jose Enriquez, the sorrel gelding completed the 400 yards in 19.087, earning a 103 speed index over a fast track with a 5 mph headwind. The victory was worth $153,359, pushing the son of Eye Am King out of Donelli, by Big Daddy Cartel, to three wins from four starts and career earnings of $170,209.

The winning connections of Hasten accept the Zia Quarter Horse Futurity stakes trophy. © Coady Media

Bred in New Mexico by MJ Farms, Hestan races for Tungsten Racing Partnership and Rancho El 48, LLC, is trained by Omar Vargas, and brought $200,000 at the 2025 Ruidoso New Mexico-Bred Yearling Sale. He defeated Baby Daddy Cartel by a neck.

Sent off as the 7-10 favorite, Baby Daddy Cartel made a sustained bid throughout the stretch but could not overhaul his stablemate, settling for second, 1 1/2 lengths ahead of the rest of the field. The gray gelding earned $65,725, increasing his bankroll to $255,414. The son of multiple stakes sire Big Daddy Cartel out of Startedwithawhisper, by First Moonflash, was bred by Paul P. Cervantes and races for Tungsten Racing Partnership. He is also trained by Omar Vargas and was ridden by Noe Garcia Jr.

Completing the Vargas-trained trifecta was Daddys China, who broke awkwardly, bumped at the start, and bore out during the stretch before holding third, another head in front of fourth-place Acrylic. The gray filly earned $36,514, boosting her career earnings to $54,700. Owned by Tungsten Racing Partnership and Fierro EJ Racing Stables, LLC, Daddys China was bred in New Mexico by MJ Farms. The daughter of Big Daddy Cartel out of Ima China Rush, by Rushago, was ridden by Jose Ortiz and sold for $42,000 at the 2025 Ruidoso New Mexico-Bred Yearling Sale.

The Vargas barn's sweep underscored the remarkable influence of Big Daddy Cartel in the New Mexico breeding program. While Hestan is by Eye Am King, he is out of a Big Daddy Cartel mare, and both the runner-up and third-place finisher are direct sons and daughters of the perennial leading New Mexico sire.

The remaining order of finish was: Acrylic (4th), Bogarts Brown Sugar (5th), Imma Dandy (6th), Sand and Sea (7th), and Bigg Twist (8th). Miss Desirio 16, and Shafer were scratched. Following the race, the rider of Imma Dandy lodged a foul claim against the rider of Daddys China for alleged stretch interference, but the stewards made no change to the official order of finish.

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