Friday afternoon at Arapahoe Park, the spotlight will shine on the next generation of Quarter Horse talent as eighteen juveniles compete in three trial heats for the Cherry Creek Futurity.

© Arapahoe Park

By Louanne Wainscott, StallioneSearch

AURORA, CO–JUNE 17, 2026–Friday afternoon at Arapahoe Park, the spotlight will shine on the next generation of Quarter Horse talent as eighteen juveniles compete in three trial heats for the Cherry Creek Futurity. The seven-race program begins at 1:00 p.m., with the young contenders racing in the opening three events in pursuit of a spot in the $97,000 Cherry Creek Futurity final, scheduled for July 5.

Among the leading contenders is Tahitis French Kiss, the 8-5 morning-line favorite and the lone trial entrant for trainer Haley N. Hobbs. The promising filly has already shown her talent in three career starts. After breaking her maiden on March 22 with a determined neck victory, she returned to face allowance company on May 3 and narrowly missed another win, finishing second by a neck in a spirited stretch duel. Her efforts have earned $18,240 heading into the trials.

Owned and bred in Colorado by Francisco J. Cornejo, Tahitis French Kiss is a daughter of Kiss My Hocks, out of the Wave Carver mare Tahita Wave. She will break from the rail under regular rider Fernando Fonseca-Soto as she seeks a berth in the futurity final.

The afternoon's final trial features another highly regarded prospect, Dansing Queen, the 6-5 morning-line favorite for trainer James J. Gonzales II. The filly made a strong impression in her lone career start, finishing second by a neck after battling throughout the race. Since then, she has sharpened her form with a solid 220-yard workout at Albuquerque Downs, posting one of the day's faster moves.

Dansing Queen is a Colorado homebred owned by Dr. Susan Raymond, DVM. The daughter of B Cause Im A Hero out of the Apollitical Jess mare Apollitical Senorita will leave from post five with jockey Alonso Rivera aboard as she attempts to turn her early promise into a qualifying performance.

With eighteen aspiring juveniles vying for futurity glory, Friday's Cherry Creek Futurity Trials offer an exciting glimpse into the future of Colorado Quarter Horse racing. Every break, every stride, and every hundredth of a second will matter as these young runners battle for a spot in the July 5 championship final.

The races at Arapahoe Park can be watched on Q-Racing Video.

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