The Sunday card at Miles City Racetrack is set to deliver an action-packed afternoon as a twelve-race program gets underway at 2:00 PM, highlighted by the Dan Lockie Quarter Horse Derby Trials.

© Bucking Horse Sale

By Stallionesearch / Louanne Wainscott
 

MILES CITY, MT–May 2, 2026—The Sunday card at Miles City Racetrack is set to deliver an action-packed afternoon as a twelve-race program gets underway at 2:00 PM, highlighted by the Dan Lockie Quarter Horse Derby Trials. A total of thirty-eight sophomores will take center stage across five trial heats, contested at 300 yards in races three through seven, each chasing a spot among the ten fastest qualifiers who will return for the May 16 final.

Trainer Jess R. Matt holds a commanding presence throughout the trials, sending out ten three-year-olds two in each heat, making him the leading conditioner on the grounds. His barn is loaded with contenders, headlined by In the Vee, who is slated to compete in the opening trial and is installed as the 5-2 morning line favorite. The gelding brings a proven résumé into the trials, having capped his juvenile season with victories in the WABRA Wyoming Bred Futurity and the Bucking Horse Sale Futurity. With five wins from eight starts and earnings of $145,734, he enters his sophomore campaign as a serious threat.

Sired by Junior June Bug and out of the Brindis Por Cayenne mare Brindis Secret, the Wyoming-bred races for owner Eddie Jenson and will break from post three under jockey Jacob Cardenas.

Another major player from the Matt Barn is Mv Paint Me Jess, who will line up in race five, the third trial heat, also as a 5-2 morning line favorite. The gelding boasts an impressive record that includes a victory in the Ron Cook Accredited Wyoming Bred Futurity, as well as qualifications to both the WABRA Wyoming Bred Futurity and the Energy Downs Futurity. With three wins from seven starts and earnings of $124,832, he has already demonstrated consistency at a high level.

By Jess Paint Me and out of the Separatist mare Separate Encounter, he was bred in Wyoming by Ron and Laurie Moosman and will leave from post five with Jacob Cardenas again in the irons.

With depth across all five trial heats and a dominant presence from one of the leading barns, the Dan Lockie Quarter Horse Derby Trials promise to showcase a competitive and talented group of three-year-olds. As these sophomores launch their derby campaigns, the stage is set for breakout performances, tight finishes, and the emergence of contenders aiming to secure their place in the estimated $50,000 final.

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