The road to the Firecracker Futurity Finals runs through Grants Pass on Sunday afternoon, as the track hosts an exciting eight-race program highlighted by six trial heats for the $30,000-added Firecracker Futurity.

© Grants

By Louanne Wainscott, StallioneSearch

GRANT PASS, OR–JUNE 19, 2026–The road to the Firecracker Futurity Finals runs through Grants Pass on Sunday afternoon, as the track hosts an exciting eight-race program highlighted by six trial heats for the $30,000-added Firecracker Futurity. A total of forty-three juveniles will compete in races two through seven, each covering 300 yards. Only the ten fastest qualifiers will earn a return trip to the July 4 championship final.

The trial heats bring together many of Oregon's most promising young Quarter Horses, creating a competitive afternoon in which every stride will matter as the juveniles battle for a coveted spot in the lucrative final.

One of the standout contenders is Miss Royal Hawk, who is scheduled to compete in the fifth race, the fourth trial heat. The talented filly has made an immediate impact in her brief career, with just two starts and already a stakes victory. Most recently, she captured the $39,000 Pocatello Downs Spring Futurity, breaking sharply and holding off her rivals to win by a head in a determined performance.

The daughter of The Cartel Hawk, out of the Royal Shake Em mare Miss Royal Rumble, was bred in Oregon by her owner, Ismael Villarreal. Trainer Jose A. Rosales Gomez has the filly primed for another strong effort as she breaks from post four with jockey Julian Zavala in the saddle. With proven stakes credentials on her résumé, she figures to be among the horses to beat in the trials.

Another major contender appears in the seventh and final trial heat when Survivor T enters from the outside post seven. The gelding has already shown flashes of talent early in his career, winning his debut in the Beehive Futurity Trials and advancing to the $86,000 Beehive Futurity Finals. In that rich final, he delivered a solid effort, finishing fourth, beaten just 1¾ lengths, while facing some of the region's top juveniles.

Returning fresh for the Firecracker Futurity Trials, Survivor T appears poised to make another run at qualifying for a major final. The gelding is sired by Political Cowboy and out of the Jet Black Patriot mare Catrina Royal Jet. Bred in Oregon by Jose Luis Torres Arenas, he races for owner Hernan Torres and is trained by Mario Portillo. Regular rider Erick M. De Luna retains the mount as the gelding seeks to secure his place in the July 4 championship.

With forty-three juveniles spread across six competitive trial heats, Sunday's program offers an early glimpse of the future stars of Northwest Quarter Horse racing. Every qualifier will have one goal—earning a berth in the $30,000-added Firecracker Futurity Finals. As Oregon's rising two-year-olds take center stage, Grants Pass is set for an afternoon of speed, potential, and the excitement only futurity season can deliver.

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