AQHA Challenge stakes actions will head Monday's card at Horseshoe Indianapolis on Monday, September 16.

© Coady Media

By Stallionesearch / Louanne Wainscott

SHELBYVILLE, IN–SEPTEMBER 13, 2025–Stakes action takes center stage at Horseshoe Indianapolis on Monday, September 16, with three AQHA Challenge Finals slated back-to-back.

The evening begins with the $26,273-added Cox Ranch Distaff Challenge Finals in race nine, continues with the $30,000-added John Deere Juvenile Challenge Finals in race ten, and concludes with the $39,363-added Adequan Derby Challenge Finals in race eleven. Each winner will secure a coveted berth in the AQHA Challenge Championship Finals at Albuquerque Downs on October 18.

Race Nine – Cox Ranch Distaff Challenge Finals ($26,273 added, 400 yards, 6:15 p.m.)
A field of eight older fillies and mares will square off in the opening stakes of the night. Headlining is the consistent filly Can D Girl (8-5), who enters off a sharp campaign that includes a win in the $60,000 Sandy Ridge Cherokee Stakes and a trial victory to qualify for the Horseshoe Indianapolis QHRAI Derby. Though she finished fifth in that Derby final, she has proven reliable with seven in-the-money finishes from ten starts, including four wins and earnings of $89,093.

Sired by Uncle D out of This Candy Says Bye by Pyc Paint Your Wagon, Can D Girl was bred in Oklahoma by Cavenaugh Quarter Horses, LLC and purchased for $11,000 at Heritage Place by owner Angel Ventura. Trained by Jessica A. Vazquez and conditioned with the help of Giovani Vazquez-Gomez, she will break from post four under Luis E. Luna Diaz, aiming not only for the purse but also a ticket to the Championships.

Race Ten – John Deere Juvenile Challenge Finals ($30,000 added, 350 yards, 6:43 p.m.)
Eight promising 2-year-olds line up in the juvenile division, with Wr Hott Shott installed as the heavy 3-5 morning-line favorite. Trained by Tim Eggleston for owner Raymond A. Whitmire, the One Famous Eagle gelding comes into the race off a strong second-place finish in the $172,000 Heartland Futurity. A two-time winner in four starts with earnings of $54,786, Wr Hott Shott was bred in Oklahoma by Whitmire Ranch and will have Luis E. Luna Diaz aboard from post five.

Looking to play spoiler is Mr Boombastic (9-2), a Dulce Sin Tacha colt owned by Carlos Ramos and bred in Oklahoma by Mr. & Mrs. L. Judd Morse. Purchased for $22,000 at Heritage Place, Mr Boombastic has two wins from three starts, with his lone blemish coming after a troubled trip that led to a fifth-place placing. Trained by Ricardo Martinez and ridden by Martin Munoz, he will break from post two and looks to prove he belongs among the top juveniles.

The John Deere Juvenile promises a showcase of rising talent, with a berth to the Championships on the line.

Race Eleven – Adequan Derby Challenge Finals ($39,363 added, 400 yards, 7:11 p.m.)
The evening wraps with the 400-yard Adequan Derby Challenge Finals, featuring seven talented sophomores. The likely one to beat is Cowboy On the Fly (7-5), who brings class and consistency into the event. Winner of last year’s $269,000 Governors Stakes, the gelding has already proven himself this season with a runner-up effort in the $34,000 Paul Martin Stakes.

By Flying Cowboy 123 out of Don’t Bug the Tres by Tres Seis, Cowboy On the Fly was bred in New York by Edward R. Walsh and is owned and trained by Anthony F. Cunningham. With three wins, four runner-up finishes, and a third in 12 starts, he has earned $190,973 and will look to add to that total from post six with Luis D. Martinez in the saddle.

The Adequan Derby Challenge should deliver a thrilling finish, with the winner taking home the lion’s share of the purse and securing a spot in the $150,000-added Adequan Derby Challenge Championship at Albuquerque.

The Horseshoe Indianapolis can be watched on Q-Racing Video.

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