La Fiesta Trials Bring 111 Quarter Horses To Albuquerque Downs On Friday

A place in the La Fiesta finals will be on the line Friday afternoon at Albuquerque Downs, where 111 Quarter Horses are set to compete across a 12-race card. First post is scheduled for 1:30 p.m.

The opening nine races feature 83 juveniles in the Downs at Albuquerque La Fiesta Quarter Horse Futurity Trials. The ten fastest qualifiers will return October 18 for the $350,000 La Fiesta Quarter Horse Futurity.

Renikas Cowgirl adds another contender to the Futurity trials after Tungsten Racing Partnership paid the $20,000 supplemental fee. She drew the first heat and is listed at 7-2 on the morning line.

Flying Cowboys Candy enters the third race as the 5-2 morning-line favorite. The colt qualified for the Grade 1 $3 million All American Futurity in his most recent start, where he was crowded and checked late. He had previously finished second in both the $100,000 Rainbow Juvenile and the $203,000 Four Corners Futurity. With two wins and four runner-up finishes, he has earned $184,757 for CHR Racing, which purchased him for $39,000 at the Ruidoso Select Yearling Sale.

Bred in Oklahoma by PV Quarter Horse Farms, LLC, Flying Cowboys Candy is by Flying Cowboy 123 out of the Cartels Candy Man mare Candy Cartel Candy. Tony E. Cedilla trains the colt, who will leave from post seven with Christian Cardenas aboard.

Pyc Dollars Cowboy is the 5-2 morning-line favorite in the opening heat. The gelding has been away from the races since finishing fourth in his Rainbow trial. He prepared for Friday’s return with a 220-yard gate work in :12.69 on September 4. He has won two of four starts and earned $158,265 for Homero Hermilo Campa-Mireles, who purchased him for $65,000 at the Heritage Place Yearling Sale.

The Oklahoma-bred son of Flying Cowboy 123 is out of the Pyc Paint Your Wagon mare Pyc Dollars and was bred by Matthew Eck. Marco A. Flores trains Pyc Dollars Cowboy, who drew the rail with Sergio Becerra, Jr. riding.

The focus shifts to the $250,000 La Fiesta Quarter Horse Derby Trials for races ten through twelve. Twenty-eight sophomores will race for ten places in the October 18 final.

Two Derby entrants joined the trials through $20,000 supplemental payments. Terry Mesu is listed at 9-2 in race ten, while Ravos Rail is the 5-2 morning-line favorite in race eleven. Ravos Rail has made one start this season, rallying to finish third by half a length in his Rainbow trial. A Grade 1 All American Futurity finalist last year, he has a win, two seconds and a third from five career starts, with earnings of $91,400 for R and C Partnership. The partnership purchased the Freighttrain B colt, out of the FDD Dynasty mare Mavara Vegas, for $100,000 at the Ruidoso Select Yearling Sale.

Apolitical Valor brings the highest earnings among the Derby trial entrants into the final heat, race twelve, where he is the 5-2 morning-line favorite. The gelding has earned $265,462 for MJR Investments, Ltd. He qualified for the $100,000 All American Invitational this season and finished evenly after being bumped at the start. Last year, he finished third in the Grade 3 Mr Master Bug Stakes and reached the finals of both the Grade 1 Ruidoso Futurity and the Grade 3 La Fiesta Futurity, the latter as its fastest qualifier.

Bred in Oklahoma by Canadian River QH, LLC, Apolitical Valor is by Apollitical Jess out of the Valiant Hero mare Belle of Valor. Renee K. Wilson trains him, and Jacob Enriquez will ride from post six.

With emerging juveniles chasing a first major final and accomplished 3-year-olds seeking another, Friday’s card gives fans a full afternoon of racing against the clock.

The races at Lone Star Park can be watched on Q-Racing Video.

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