Edberg Verde Earns First Stakes Victory In $50,000 Two Rivers Stakes (G3)

Brazilian champion Edberg Verde earned his first U.S. stakes victory Friday night at Prairie Meadows, holding off a late surge from Curls Magic Wagon to win the $50,000 Two Rivers Stakes (G3).

With Ramiro Garcia aboard, Edberg Verde broke first in the 400-yard race and held on by a nose, stopping the clock in :19.723 for a 96 speed index over a sloppy track. Curls Magic Wagon rallied from off the pace to finish second, with Cardiac Cowboy another 1 1/4 lengths back in third.

Trained by Jason Olmstead, Edberg Verde earned $25,000 for the victory. The 6-year-old son of No Secrets Here was bred and is owned by Mauro Eli Zaborowsky out of Roxy Vista Br, by Fishers Dash.

The first place effort was his third consecutive win this season and improved his record to five victories, three seconds and four thirds from 24 total starts in the United Stakes. Earlier this season, he finished third in the Keokuk Stakes (G3) and fifth in the Brad McKinzie Winter Championship Stakes (G1).

Edberg Verde came to the United States in 2024, when he placed third in both the Go Man Go Handicap (G1) and the Robert L. Boniface Los Alamitos Invitational Championship (G1). He was also a finalist in the Vessels Maturity (G1) that year.

In 2025, he placed second in the Z. Wayne Griffin Directors Stakes and third in the First Down Dash Handicap (G3). He was a finalist in the Vessels Maturity (G1), Brad McKinzie Winter Championship (G1), Go Man Go Handicap (G1), Robert L. Boniface Los Alamitos Invitational Championship (G1) and Kaweah Bar Handicap (G3).

Before arriving in the United States, Edberg Verde shined at Jockey Club de Sorocaba. Brazil’s top 3-year-old in 2023, he won the GP Megarace, ABQM Potro do Futuro and GP São Paulo, the first leg of the 3-year-old Triple Crown, while putting together a six-race winning streak.

He had previously finished second in the Brazilian Futurity, the richest Quarter Horse race in South America. Zaborowsky of Haras Vista Verde, then his co-owner in partnership with Royal Ranch, chose to forgo the Brazilian Triple Crown campaign and send Edberg Verde to the United States to compete against the best horses in the world.

Edberg Verde became the first Brazilian-bred Quarter Horse to officially surpass R$1 million in earnings. He earned R$1,065,651.01 at Sorocaba, compiling seven wins and two second-place finishes from nine starts in Brazil under trainer Adilson Macedo, popularly known as “Bochecha.”

With his Two Rivers Stakes victory, Edberg Verde increased his U.S. earnings to $140,683, making him the third-highest-earning Brazilian-bred horse on U.S. racetracks, behind Dinastia Toll at $191,896 and Jake Gold at $177,617. Combining his earnings in Brazil and the United States, Edberg Verde is now the highest-earning Brazilian-bred Quarter Horse of all time.

Runner-up Curls Magic Wagon finished second under Ali Rivera for trainer John Stinebaugh. Bred and owned by Martin Stacy, he is out of the Spit Curl Jess mare Eye A Spit Curl Girl. The 4-year-old colt by Pyc Paint Your Wagon will stand his first year at stud in 2027 at Bob Moore Farms.

Coming off a victory in the Keokuk Stakes (G3), Curls Magic Wagon improved his record to six wins, five seconds and three thirds from 20 starts, with earnings of $433,368. He has competed exclusively in stakes company this season, also finishing second in the Bob Moore Memorial Stakes (G2), third in the Boyd Morris Memorial Stakes (G2) and fourth in the Mr Jet Moore Stakes (G2).

Cardiac Cowboy crossed the wire third under Armando Alvidrez for owners Tom and Lou Ann Smith and Amber Olmstead and trainer Jason Olmstead. Bred by Jo Rice, the 5-year-old gelding was a $30,000 repurchase at the Heritage Place Fall Mixed Sale.

By Flying Cowboy 123 and out of the Carters Cartel mare Southard Cartel, Cardiac Cowboy now has a record of 14 wins, three seconds and seven thirds from 35 starts, with earnings of $497,189. This season, he won the Mighty Deck Three Stakes (G2) and finished third in both the Bob Moore Memorial Stakes (G2) and Prairie Meadows Championship Challenge Stakes (G2).

Sheza Fearless Eagle, Rebelutionary, Relentless Rocket and Relentless Legacy completed the order of finish.

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