Stakes Winners And Proven Contenders Headline Sequoyah and Miss Ellen Stakes At Will Rogers Downs
By Louanne Wainscott
CLAREMORE, OK—October 18, 2026
An exciting afternoon of stakes racing awaits fans at Will Rogers Downs on Sunday, October 18, with the Grade 3 $15,000 Sequoyah Stakes and $30,000 Miss Ellen Stakes headlining the eight-race program. The two featured events will showcase experienced Paint and Appaloosa runners alongside a competitive field of Quarter Horse fillies and mares seeking another stakes victory.
The first post is scheduled for noon, with the Grade 3 Sequoyah Stakes opening the afternoon in race one. The Miss Ellen Stakes will take center stage later in the program as race seven, scheduled for approximately 2:48 p.m.
The Grade 3 $15,000 Sequoyah Stakes will bring together five Paint and Appaloosa runners, ages three and older, competing at 870 yards.
Queen for Cash leads the field as the 8-5 morning-line favorite. The accomplished eight-year-old mare returns to defend her Sequoyah Stakes title following an impressive 7 1/4-length victory in last year's edition.
The veteran mare has built a remarkable career with 18 wins, five second-place finishes, and seven thirds in 48 starts, earning $244,125. She has been particularly successful at 870 yards, winning seven of eight starts and finishing second in the remaining start.
Although she has yet to win in five starts this season, Queen for Cash has remained competitive. She most recently finished second in a $15,000 stakes at Will Rogers Downs on October 5, after a third-place finish in another stakes event on September 15. Earlier this summer, she finished second in an 870-yard allowance at Fair Meadows.
The daughter of Hes Relentless is out of the Ivory James mare Ivory Queen. She was bred in Oklahoma by Gary Vaughan, who also owns the mare. Trainer Jesus Ruben Ruiz will saddle Queen for Cash from post three, with jockey Roman Cruz aboard.
Valiant Anthem enters as the 2-1 second choice and brings proven distance ability to the Sequoyah Stakes. The four-year-old gelding captured his only career start at 870 yards, winning an allowance at Fair Meadows on July 10 by a commanding 2 1/2 lengths.
Valiant Anthem has recorded four victories, three second-place finishes, and five thirds in 22 career starts, earning $53,934. This season, he has one victory and one runner-up finish in seven starts.
The son of Jess Being Valiant is out of the Furrtreeous mare Waka Waka. He was bred in Oklahoma by Sonja Berry and races for Sonja Berry and John M. McGraw. Trainer Jesus Ruben Ruiz will send the gelding from the inside post, with jockey Ruben Castro aboard.
Queen Blue, listed at 5-2 on the morning line, is another contender from the Ruiz stable. The three-year-old filly earned her first career victory at Fair Meadows on July 1, winning a 350-yard maiden race by half a length.
The daughter of Hes Relentless is also out of Ivory Queen, making her a younger half-sister to Queen for Cash. She has one win, two seconds, and two thirds in 12 starts, earning $23,761.
Bred and owned by Gary Vaughan, Queen Blue will break from post two, with jockey Gonzalo Gutierrez aboard.
The afternoon’s second featured event, the Grade 3 $30,000 Miss Ellen Stakes, will bring together ten fillies and mares, three years old and older, competing at 350 yards in race seven, scheduled for approximately 2:48 p.m.
Miss Relentless leads the field as the 2-1 morning-line favorite, entering with an impressive three-race winning streak and a nearly perfect career record.
The three-year-old filly has won five of her six career starts, earning $129,713 for owner Buckway Ranch, LLC. She has been undefeated in three starts this season, with victories in the $157,000 Energy Downs Derby and the $28,000 Raysha's Run Stakes.
Miss Relentless most recently captured the Raysha's Run Stakes on July 26, rallying to win by a neck. Earlier in the season, she secured the Energy Downs Derby by one length after winning her qualifying trial by 1 1/4 lengths.
The daughter of Hes Relentless, out of the Tres Seis mare Miss Perrys Tres, was bred in Oklahoma by Flag Ranch, LLC, and purchased for $130,000 at the Heritage Place Yearling Sale. Trainer Joe M. Davis will saddle the filly from post four, with jockey Bryan Candanosa aboard.
Chew Bac Cah enters as the 5-2 second choice on the morning line, backed by a strong record against stakes competition. The four-year-old mare has career earnings of $214,412, with seven wins from 19 starts.
She most recently finished second in the $20,000 Will Rogers Downs Distaff Challenge Stakes on September 28, after a third-place finish in the $25,000 Belles Stakes at Fair Meadows. Earlier this season, she won the $20,000 Grade 3 Decketta Stakes at Remington Park.
The daughter of Freighttrain B is out of the First Down Dash mare Jess Send Me. She was bred in Oklahoma by Jose Guzman and races for owner Tom Maher. Trainer Jason Olmstead will send her from post eight, with jockey Ramiro Garcia aboard.
Alliekat Dynasty, listed at 8-1 on the morning line, brings Grade 1 championship experience to the field. The five-year-old mare has won 11 of 20 career starts, earning $400,592.
Her impressive record includes a win in the Grade 1 Cox Ranch Distaff Challenge Championship at Albuquerque in October 2025. Last season, she also captured the Grade 3 Will Rogers Downs Distaff Challenge Stakes and the Grade 2 Easy Date Stakes.
Alliekat Dynasty has made two starts this season, most recently finishing fifth in the Grade 3 Will Rogers Downs Distaff Challenge Stakes on September 28. She will aim to return to winning form against a competitive field on Sunday.
Bred in Oklahoma by Jahree Standridge, the daughter of FDD Dynasty, is out of the Apollitical Jess mare Pollitical Scorpion. She races for Arrowhead Racing, owned by Anita Ruiz, and is trained by Jesus Ruben Ruiz. Jockey Roman Cruz will guide the mare from the inside post.
With an accomplished defending champion returning to the Sequoyah Stakes and a talented group of stakes-winning fillies and mares meeting in the Miss Ellen Stakes, Sunday’s program promises an exciting afternoon at Will Rogers Downs.
The two featured events will showcase proven competitors, emerging talent, and established stakes performers seeking to strengthen their records as the fall racing season continues.
The first post for Sunday’s eight-race program is scheduled for noon, with the Grade 3 $15,000 Sequoyah Stakes opening the card and the Grade 3 $30,000 Miss Ellen Stakes set for 2:48 p.m.
The races at Will Rogers Downs can be watched on Q-Racing Video.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Would you like more industry news delivered directly to your inbox? Click here to sign up.
