By Martha Claussen, for StallioneSearch

ALBUQUERQUE, NM–AUGUST 17, 2025–It is a dream of a lifetime for any breeder, owner, trainer and jockey to win prestigious All American Futurity(G1) on Labor Day, Each of the ten finalists in the 2025 edition of the championship breathed a sigh of relief as the times were posted in the 32 trials. The story lines for each are truly compelling and Envestor is no exception!

Sale Bargain

The road to the All American Futurity commences way before each horse sets foot on the racetrack, and for many, it begins in the sale ring.

The son of top-ranked first-crop sire Dulce Sin Tacha out of the Stoli mare And Poof Shes Gone was bred in Arkansas by Belinda Shaw and consigned to the 2024 Ruidoso Select Sale. The bay colt was listed as Hip #4 in the 2024 Ruidoso Select Yearling Sale catalog and caught the attention of trainer Zackary Stinebaugh and his father, John, as well as owners Joe David Yates and Rick Young.

"Dad trained his half-brother Big Eagle Gone, so that was the first thing I remember circling him on my list of horses I would be looking at," explained Zack.

Zack and his twin brother Wyatt are sons of John Stinebaugh, one of the elite Quarter Horse trainers in North America. The 26-year-olds grew up around horses, worked in the Ruidoso Downs racing office in the summer before attending Texas A & M University in Collenge Station.

They took different paths after graduating in 2022, when Wyatt went on to get his MBA and Zack embarked on a training career. Attending yearling sales has always been a shared passion for John and his sons.

"Zack and Wyatt have different approaches; they study pedigree, nicking, and other details; I just look at the horse," stated John.

The bay colt had an accident as a weanling that left him with a curled lip and a scar on his face, but his outstanding conformation stood out, and he was purchased for just $28,000.

Unnamed in the catalog, his name was changed to Scarface Jimmy at the time of the sale.

"I thought that was kind of cool, making him sound like an outlaw," Zack joked. "But I wanted to give my co-owners the option of renaming him if they wanted."

Both Joe David Yates and Rick Young tell slightly different stories about finding the right name. Young, a banker, suggested Envestor, and Yates, highly respected in the ranching business, agreed. Both men have been owners and involved in partnerships for several decades.

They have known John for many years and are pleased with Zack's emergence and success in Texas with Gjr Rooster, who won the restricted Grade 2 Benny Pennington Memorial for them last month at Retama Park.

Regarding their All American Futurity experience, Yates is part of the Teller Cartel Syndicate and celebrated that incredible victory at Ruidoso Downs in 2005. Twenty years later, Yates hopes for his second win at The Downs of Albuquerque; it will be the first for Young.

Following the sale, Envestor was turned out at Granada Farms in Wheelock, Texas, and sent to Asmussen Horse Center in Laredo in December.

"Cheryl Asmussen, who does an amazing job breaking young horses, deserves credit as part of this great team for the role she played," said Young.

Zack stabled Envestor at Retama Park and oversaw his training and gate work with another valued member of the Stinebaugh team, Ali Rivera in the saddle. The 23-year-old native Texan has moved solidly up the ranks since he got his jockey license in 2019.

"We were all excited about Envestor," stated Rivera. "He was always happy and playful every time he stepped in the starting gate," he said. "But he could be a little spooky."

He won a schooling race at Retama in February, handily, but got loose from his handlers after a routine morning bath. When they caught up with him, Envestor had lacerations on his chest that could have set him back considerably.

"Our vet, Collin Howard, called it more of a hematoma and felt it would heal with time," said Zack." We had considered running him at Remington Park, but gave him time off before sending him to Ruidoso Downs.

That setback behind him, Envestor was training well prior to his debut in a trial for the Ruidoso Futurity on May 23.

"He was very green; zig-zagged to the inside, then the outside, but still won," Rivera said.

One would think that Envestor had survived enough off-track mishaps, but two weeks before trials for the Rainbow Futurity, he suffered a laceration on his eyelid and had to be stitched up!

The team took it in stride, and Envestor won his second career race!

"He really surprised me," stated Rivera. "The improvement was there; three jumps out, he drew off and went 19.797 in his first try at 400 yards."

The stitches were removed the day after his Rainbow trial, and the countdown was on for the 440-yard All American trials.

Stressful Trial Day

Envestor drew the fourth trial of the second day of All American Futurity trials and, under confident handling from Rivera, covered 440 yards in :21.136 seconds.

"It was exciting," added Rivera. "Everyone was telling us we had nothing to worry about and that our time would hold."

But with just five spots to be determined with some really accomplished juveniles coming up in the final trials, the pressure was mounting for the team.

Despite a tail wind quickening the times, Envestor's clocking held, and he finished the day with the fifth-fastest time.

It was a nerve-wracking afternoon that produced a huge moment for the entire team!

"Envestor is one of those special ones," acknowledged co-owner Joe David Yates. "It's such a gratifying feeling for Rick and I who have stayed in the business for many years and have enjoyed working with John, and now Zack."

Following the trials, Zack had little time to stress about the outcome of the All American final. He was preparing his Retama Park horses for their final weekend, sending one horse to Prairie Meadows and two others to Gillespie Fair Grounds, and finalizing plans for his Lone Star Park shippers.

"It still hasn't sunk in," Zack admitted. "I'm young and this is my passion. I care about the sport and have a great team behind me!"

Father-Son Connection

In life as well as sports, living up to a father's legacy can be daunting, but the unconditional support by John Stinebaugh toward his son is unparalleled. John's career began as a jockey and progressed to a role as longtime assistant to legendary AQHA Hall of Fame conditioner Blane Schvaneveldt.

"Blane told me it wouldn't be easy starting out in this industry," recalled John. "People thought that Blane did a lot for me, but the truth is that he let me make it on my own; it was never served up on a silver platter. Zack has worked hard and has accomplished a great deal in a short time."

Stinebaugh has qualified for the All American 11 times and came ever so close to winning in 2021, with Jess Savin Candy, who attempted to become just the second horse in the history of the All American Futurity to win the Triple Crown! The mega-talented juvenile won the Grade 1 Ruidoso Futurity and Rainbow Futurity that summer before finishing fourth as the favorite in the All American.

"It's brutal," John said when asked about the pressure of winning the coveted Quarter Horse championship. "I've had hundreds of stakes wins, but the All American is tougher than any other."

On Monday, September 4, Zack will saddle Envestor, his very first qualifier to the Grade 1 All American Futurity.  John will be by his side when he gives a leg up to Rivera.

"Dad's finalists have finished in every spot on the board, except first," recounted Zack. "If Envestor wins, my role as trainer will be 100% shared with him."

If the victory goes to another exceptional juvenile, one thing is for sure. This will not be the last time Zack Stinebaugh will get a chance!

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Martha Claussen has been involved in racing since 1997, when she served as publicity director at Sam Houston Race Park for ten years. She continues to be active in writing, fan education, and Quarter Horse racing publicity in Texas, Louisiana, Indiana, and other regions in North America.

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