Coronas First Cowboy, the fastest qualifier for the Grade 2 Sam Houston Futurity, enters Saturday night's final after winning his trial and will break from post seven under jockey Luis L. Vivanco for owner Antonio Mercado and trainer Marc E. Jungers.

© Jack Coady Photography

By Louanne Wainscott, StallioneSearch

HOUSTON, TX–JUNE 08, 2026–The curtain will fall on the 2026 Sam Houston Quarter Horse Meet Saturday evening with a spectacular twelve-race program closing the season. First post is set for 6:05 p.m., and by night's end, more than $1.3 million in purses will be distributed as the Grade 2 Sam Houston Futurity, Grade 3 Sam Houston Derby, and Sam Houston Oaks headline an action-packed card.

The stakes-filled evening will also feature the Jesse Yoakum Memorial Stakes, Willie Hickman Memorial Stakes, Governors Cup Marathon Stakes, Sam Houston 550 Stakes, Miss Sam Houston Stakes, and Sam Houston 250 Stakes, creating a championship atmosphere as Texas horsemen and women compete for some of the richest prizes of the season.

The spotlight shines brightest in race twelve, where the ten fastest qualifiers from the May 23 trial heats return for the Grade 2, $655,100 Sam Houston Futurity. The field of talented juveniles is scheduled to go off at approximately 11:14 p.m. and will sprint 350 yards in pursuit of one of Texas racing's most coveted titles.

Leading the field is the fastest qualifier, Coronas First Cowboy, who earned his spot in the final by winning the second trial heat by a head in a determined finish. The colt has won three of four career starts and previously qualified for the Grade 1 $541,000 Texas Breeders Futurity, where he finished fifth. Owned by Antonio Mercado, who purchased him for $62,000 at the TQHA Yearling Sale, the colt has already earned $39,490.

The Texas-bred son of Flying Cowboy 123, out of the Corona Cartel mare Coronas First Diva, was bred by Paragon Farms, LLC. Trained by Marc E. Jungers, he will break from post seven with jockey Luis L. Vivanco.

One of the most compelling storylines in the Futurity centers on jockey Nestor Duran, who qualified five runners for the final. His mount, Dk Bonita Jess, recorded the third-fastest qualifying time after winning her trial by a neck. The talented filly has compiled an impressive record of two wins and a second-place finish in three starts, including a runner-up effort in the Grade 2 $313,000 Louisiana Downs Futurity.

Owned by CH Horse Racing, LLC, and purchased for $120,000 at the Ruidoso Select Yearling Sale, Dk Bonita Jess has earned $62,211. A daughter of Apollitical Jess out of the Corona Cartel mare Marney Jo, she was bred in Mexico by Cuadra La Presita and is trained by Miguel Pizana. She will leave from post two with Duran aboard.

The Grade 3, $234,500 Sam Houston Derby is race eleven and is scheduled for approximately 10:47 p.m. The ten finalists return from the May 21 trial heats to contest 400 yards in one of the meet’s premier sophomore events.

Royalist enters the final as the horse to beat after a strong late surge in his trial, winning by a neck and setting a new track record. The colt has won both starts this season and has finished in the money in several major events, including a qualification for the Grade 2 $308,000 Evangeline Downs Futurity during his juvenile campaign.

Owned by Hector Reina, who purchased him for $120,000 at the Los Alamitos Yearling Sale, Royalist has earned $49,259. The California-bred son of Corona Cartel, out of the One Famous Eagle mare Zigfield Follies, was bred by Veronica Gail Kawananakoa and is trained by Ben Olaveson. Luis L. Vivanco will ride him from post six.

The stakes action among the three-year-old fillies begins in race ten with the $176,250 Sam Houston Oaks. The ten fastest qualifiers from the May 21 trials will return to compete over 400 yards, with post time set for approximately 10:20 p.m.

Bludz Valiant Policy established herself as the standout in the trials with a commanding 4½-length victory in the opening heat, securing the fastest qualifying time. The filly has been flawless in 2026, winning both starts this season after qualifying for the Grade 2 $422,000 Dash for Cash Futurity during her two-year-old campaign.

Owned and bred in Texas by Three Bar T Quarter Horses, Bludz Valiant Policy has earned $56,720 and has four wins from six starts. The daughter of Apollitical Blood, out of the Tres Seis mare Bp Tres Policies, is trained by Ben Olaveson and will be ridden by Luis L. Vivanco from post two.

As the final night of the Sam Houston meet unfolds, the card highlights the depth of Texas Quarter Horse racing, from rising two-year-old stars to accomplished three-year-old contenders. With championship honors, lucrative purses, and a memorable season finale on the line, the stage is set for an unforgettable night as Sam Houston Race Park closes another successful chapter in Texas racing.

The races at Sam Houston Race Park can be watched on Q-Racing Video.

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