Defending Champion Queen For Cash Keeps Her Title In Sequoyah Stakes For Third Consecutive Year

CLAREMORE, OK–OCTOBER 13, 2024–With a 20 mph crosswind, Queen For Cash shot out of the gates and was no match for the competition on Saturday. She sped away to her convincing wire-to-wire victory for her third consecutive year in the $15,800 Sequoyah Stakes [G3] at Will Rogers Downs.

Queen For Cash, piloted by Roman Cruz, proves versatility and speed at any distance. The post-time favorite clocked a 94-speed index in 45.928 seconds for the 870-yard race. Earlier this season, she set an Appaloosa world track record at Remington Park in 6.874, going 110 yards.

The post-time favorite defeated the field by an impressive 11 1/2-lengths which paid $2.10 to win on 1-9 odds. Like an exact repeat of last year's Sequoyah Stakes, My Cousin Vinny, ridden by David Alvarez Jr, followed in for second 4 1/2-lengths ahead of Secrets Livewire and Cordarelton Benn, who got show.

Queen For Cash tops the charts as this year's #1 leading ApHC mare by money earned. The $9,480 winner's share of the purse increased the two-time champion's bankroll to $209,628.

The daughter of 2024 #1 leading sire of ApHC money earners, Hes Relentless, has 16 career wins, 11 in stakes competition, from 34 starts. Amongst many of her top stakes titles is the Sequoyah Stakes for the last three consecutive years. She also won five back-back stakes races in 2023, including the Henry Bowlan Memorial, Green Country Handicap, Ray Graves Memorial, and Dots And Spots Stakes.

Trainer Jesus Ruben Ruiz saddled the Gary Vaughan homebred filly. Queen For Cash was bred out of Ivory Queen By Ivory James in Oklahoma.

Ruiz also trains runner-up My Cousin Vinny (APHA) for owner-breeder Vickie McBee. The four-year-old son of Barracuda has yet to break his maiden with two places (both from the Sequoyah Stakes) from six starts and $7,403 in the bank. He was bred in Oklahoma out of Approved Bluff by Pine Bluff.

Gary Walker saddled third-place finisher Secrets Livewire for owner-breeder Shirley Kelly of Oklahoma. The daughter of leading APHA sire CRM Livewire has four wins with $44,010 in earnings. The six-year-old gelding is out of Real Easy Secret by Real Easy Cash.

Wf Wire Me Roses, ridden by Juan Arellano, placed fourth, and Cookie To the Limit, with Gonzalo Gutierrez in the irons, closed the order of finish in fifth.