GBH Cowboy, winner of the Four Corners Futurity, is among the leading contenders for this weekend's Grade 1 Rainbow Futurity trials at Albuquerque Downs.

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By Louanne Wainscott, StallioneSearch

ALBUQUERQUE, NM–JUNE 22, 2026–The road to the Quarter Horse Triple Crown continues this weekend at Albuquerque Downs, where the spotlight shifts to the second leg of the series, the Grade 1 estimated $1,000,000 Rainbow Futurity. With 284 juveniles entered across 30 trial heats on Friday and Saturday, the next generation of Quarter Horse stars will take center stage in one of the season's most important weekends.

Each day will feature 142 juveniles competing for a chance to advance. The five fastest qualifiers from Friday and the five fastest from Saturday will return for the ten-horse field in the Grade 1 Rainbow Futurity Finals on July 12. The next five fastest qualifiers from each day will earn positions in the $100,000 Rainbow Juvenile.

Although this year's Triple Crown bid ended when Grade 1 Ruidoso Futurity winner Highly Lethal V was not entered in the trials, the weekend remains loaded with proven stakes performers, major-sale graduates, and emerging contenders seeking to establish themselves on one of the sport's biggest stages.

One of the most talked-about entrants is Jess a Bad Lil Cat, who was supplemented into the trials for a $30,000 fee. The gelding will compete Saturday in the ninth trial from post eight as the 3-1 morning-line favorite. He has started only once but made an immediate impression by overcoming a slow start to win a maiden race at Sunray Park by a neck over Lethal Wind.

Owned by Jimmy Vasquez and Scott Branson, Jess a Bad Lil Cat was bred in New Mexico by Jimmy Negrete and Jimmy Vasquez. The son of Jess Good Candy, out of Cat Daddys Lil Girl, will be saddled by David M. Gomez-Barraza and ridden by Oscar Andrade, Jr.

Friday's card features several of the most accomplished juveniles entered in the trials.

Lethal Wind headlines the third trial as the 7-5 morning-line favorite. The gelding has finished second in all three career starts, including a strong effort in the Grade 1 $1,000,000 Ruidoso Futurity. Despite trouble and a slow start, he rallied to finish runner-up and has already earned $187,160.

Owned by Whos N And Out, the $105,000 Ruidoso Select Yearling Sale graduate is by Dulce Sin Tacha and out of Lethal Breeze. Wesley T. Giles trains the Oklahoma-bred, who will break from the rail with Noe Garcia, Jr. in the irons.

The fourth trial features El Huracano V, the 3-2 morning-line favorite. The Oklahoma homebred gelding enters the trial off a standout effort in the Grade 1 Heritage Place Futurity, where he narrowly missed victory by a head in a determined stretch battle. He previously won his Heritage Place Futurity trial and has earned $206,770 in just three starts.

Owned by Valeriano Racing Stables, LLC, the son of Golden Boi and Bellisssima Chocolata will break from post seven for trainer Raymond G. Valerio, with Francisco Calderon aboard.

What Dyathinkofmenow leads the eighth trial at 3-1 on the morning line. Although he failed to advance from his Ruidoso Futurity trial, his earlier form still places him among the stronger contenders in the trials. The gelding won his Remington Park Oklahoma-Bred Futurity trial and later finished second by a head in the Grade 1 Remington Park Oklahoma-Bred Futurity after a prolonged stretch duel.

Owned by Horton Racing, LLC, the $65,000 Heritage Place Yearling Sale purchase has earned $173,657. The son of Cyber Monday will race from post two for trainer John A. Stinebaugh with Gilberto Linares aboard.

The final trial on Friday could yield one of the day's fastest times. Gbh Cowboy enters the fifteenth trial as the 9-5 morning-line favorite after three wins in four starts. After trouble in the Grade 2 West Texas Futurity final, he rebounded to win both his Four Corners Futurity trial and the Four Corners Futurity final.

The Tungsten Racing Partnership-owned gelding has earned $111,506 and will break from post two, ridden by Jose L. Enriquez, for trainer Daniel R. Ruiz Amaya. The Texas-bred son of Flying Cowboy 123 appears well-positioned to continue his rise against another tough group of juveniles.

Saturday's card features another deep field of contenders, including several horses coming out of the Grade 1 Ruidoso Futurity.

Ask Her to Fly stands out as a leading candidate in the fourteenth trial. The 9-5 morning-line favorite won her Ruidoso Futurity trial and finished third in the Grade 1 final. The Oklahoma homebred filly has won two of four starts and earned $122,275.

Owned and bred by A. Randall Geiselman, the daughter of Flying Cowboy 123 and Ask the Question will start from post six for trainer Jason L. Olmstead, with Ramiro H. Garcia returning to the saddle.

Tell a Scout will be among the leading contenders in Saturday's third trial. The gelding won his Ruidoso Futurity trial to earn a berth in the Grade 1 final and later finished fifth against elite competition. Prior to that effort, he broke his maiden at SunRay Park and has earned $79,405 in four starts.

Owned by Mark and Fay Annette McCloy, the $42,000 Heritage Place Yearling Sale graduate is by Tell Cartel and out of Apollitical Scout. Trainer Trey Wood will send him from post seven, with Ricky Ramirez aboard.

With 30 trial heats spread over two days and hundreds of hopeful juveniles chasing ten coveted spots in the Rainbow Futurity Finals, the weekend promises to be one of the season's most competitive. Every break, every stride, and every fraction of a second will matter as horsemen, owners, and fans watch the next chapter of the Quarter Horse Triple Crown unfold at Albuquerque Downs. The pressure is high, the stakes are significant, and by Saturday evening the field for the Grade 1, estimated $1,000,000 Rainbow Futurity will be set.

The races at Albuquerque Downs can be watched on Q-Racing Video.

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