O Sawyer, under jockey Daniel Garcia, won the $40,765(US) John Deere Century Mile Juvenile Challenge for Challenge-enrolled 2-year-old Quarter Horses on Saturday.

© Sarah Haynes

By H. David Smith, StallioneSearch

EDMONTON, AB—JULY 19, 2025—O Sawyer delivered a wire-to-wire performance over a muddy Century Mile racetrack to win the $40,765(US) John Deere Century Mile Juvenile Challenge for Challenge-enrolled 2-year-old Quarter Horses.

The black gelding surged from the gate and never looked back in the 350-yard regional final, stopping the clock in 18.132 seconds under a 15-mph tailwind and earning a Speed Index of 87.

Bred, owned, and trained by Wesley T. Oulton of Alberta, O Sawyer is a 2-year-old son of leading Canadian sire First Timber out of the Separatist mare Lets Get Going.

Piloted by jockey Daniel Garcia, the gelding responded gamely to pressure in mid-stretch and held firm through the wire to claim the winner’s purse of $19,567(US). A finalist in the Sales Stakes Futurity last month, O Sawyer has banked $23,888 in five starts.

In addition to the winner’s share of the purse, O Sawyer earned a berth to the $140,000-est. John Deere Juvenile Challenge Championship (G2), scheduled for October 18 at Albuquerque. O Sawyer returned $11.00 to win, $6.20 to place, and $4.20 to show.

Hez D Man, a brown gelding by second-crop sire Uncle D out of Ll Talitha by Dealagame, closed stoutly from mid-stretch under jockey Oscar Hernandez to finish three-quarters of a length behind in second.

Trained by Buckey Stockwell and bred by Morgan Luhoff, Hez D Man races for owners Commotion Creek Contracting and WT Ranches, Ltd. The Alberta-bred colt earned $ $8,356US) for the effort and paid $6.20 and $3.20.  He was also second in the Sales Stakes Futurity and has earned $18,300.

Finishing third was Warning Shott, a gray filly by second-crop sire Mpshinning and out of the Separatist mare Seperate Flight, bred by Steve D. Burns, DVM in California. Racing for owner Jerry Stojan and trained by William Leech, Warning Shott rallied three-wide late under jockey Ricardo Moreno to secure third-place honors, earning $4,077(US). She was a $11,000 purchase from the 2024 Los Alamitos Mixed Equine Sale and returned $4.20 to show.

Also-rans in the eight-horse field were West Southwest in fourth, Snow Boss fifth, Strike Eagle sixth, Dashing Cruise seventh, and One Sweet Cruise eighth.

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