ALBUQUERQUE – Cartel Cowgirl 123, making her career debut for trainer James J. Gonzales II, raced her way to the role of one of the fastest qualifiers for the $1 million Rainbow Futurity after the first day of trials were held Friday at Albuquerque Downs.
Ridden by Joseph Belloc, Jr., Cartel Cowgirl 123 galloped past her rivals, opening up late to a 2-length win in the 13th trial of Friday’s 15-race program, racing 400 yards in 19.625 seconds. Her win made her the fastest qualifier of the day, just a shade ahead of Cyber Paint, winner of the 14th trial in a time of 19.672 seconds.
Four of the five fastest trial winners on Friday came in the second half of the program. Sephora 157 (19.774) was awarded a win via disqualification in the final trial heat of the day, while Blueyy (19.776) scored in the 11th trial heat of the day and finished the day as the fifth fastest qualifier.
Earlier in the day, trainer Raymond Valerio teamed with jockey Francisco Calderon and El Huracano V for a romping win in the fourth trial heat, scoring by three lengths in a time of 19.742 seconds, good for the third fastest qualifying time of the day.
Valerio and Calderon will look to get back into the winners circle in the second leg of the 2026 Triple Crown. The duo combined their efforts for a course-record setting victory in the Ruidoso Futurity earlier this month aboard Highly Lethal V. With that one skipping the trials for the Rainbow Futurity, the connections will be seeking their own personal run at a potential Triple Crown.
Saturday’s program, which took place under much windier conditions, saw the two fastest overall qualifiers of the weekend. Jason Olmstead sent out Ask Her To Fly to the fastest overall time of the weekend, speeding clear to a near three-length win under Ramiro Garcia in the 14th race of the day in a final time of 19.573 seconds.
The Oklahoma-bred daughter of Flying Cowboy 123 was third in the Ruidoso Futurity in her most recent start and now has three wins from five combined starts.
The strong weekend continued for Valerio and Cardenas continued into Saturday when Heatseeker V raced to a convincing win in the 13th trial heat, stopping the timer in 19.594 seconds, earning the Texas-bred son of Apollitical Jess the second fastest time of the day and the weekend.
The finals for the Rainbow Futurity will be held July 12 at Albuquerque Downs.
Friday, New Mexico-bred quarter horses will be under the spotlight when 11 trials for the $375,000 Zia Futurity will be held.
Tungsten Racing Partnership’s Baby Daddy Cartel will be seeking his fourth straight win when he runs in the Friday finale as the 9-to-5 morning line favorite under Noe Garcia, Jr.