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Ep.61- New Owners Education Series- Jockeys-(Cody Jensen, Gilbert Ortiz, Cody Smith)
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StallioneSearch.com has released Episode 61 of QH Racing Talk — Weekly, continuing its educational series that is directed at bringing new owners into the sport of Quarter Horse racing by providing expert perspectives from horsemen that range from legendary, at the top of the current leader board, as well as those horse that are introduced with the word "hall of fame" in front of their name.
Co-hosts Greg Thompson and Bailey Ivey lead a conversation with participating panelist this week that are comprised of Hall of Fame jockey Cody Jensen, a multiple Grade 1 winning rider Cody Smith, and one of the all-time greats and one of the six Quarter Horse jockeys to surpass the 3,000 win mark, retired jockey Gilbert Ortiz.
Throughout the episode, Smith shares his insight into the process of warming up a racehorse before competition, while Jensen offers a Hall of Fame perspective from inside the starting gates. Ortiz rounds out the discussion series with his unique perspective of getting the horse from the gates and down the racetrack in a winning effort.
It's Quarter Horse Racing Talk Weekly, from the breeding shed to the sales rate.
SPEAKER_12For Wednesday, May 13th. If you are already addicted to this podcast, well, we are sorry, not sorry. And from the winner's circle to the front page of StallioneESearch.com, we've got it covered.
SPEAKER_02Introducing our host, Greg Thompson, and co-host Bailey Ivy. It's Quarter Horse Racing Talk Weekly.
SPEAKER_05And hello again, everyone.
SPEAKER_07And I'm Bailey Ivy.
SPEAKER_05Bailey, you just came back from the big weekend down there at Sam Houston where there was like seven stakes races. That was a big, big day, and that you had another rain delay, is what I was told.
SPEAKER_07Yes, it was a very busy day, but the first annual Texas Breeders Fraturity went over very well.
SPEAKER_05You know, like I said before, last episode, that that race is going to be your restricted grade one race. And more than likely, I can't imagine that not being seven figures one of these days.
SPEAKER_07Yes, I I agree with you, Greg.
SPEAKER_05And also on this week's podcast, we're going to go back to one of our concepts, Bailey, where we're going back to working on our series where we're educating some of the new owners coming into the racing world, or maybe some of the owners that actually have uh been doing this for a while, but unless you've been on a racehorse going down the racetrack at 40 miles an hour, it's it's kind of hard to know these things. This is not something they teach in school. It's not necessarily just for the new owner coming into the sport or has, you know, just kind of dipping their toe in the water to see if this is something they want to do. It's for those owners that have been doing it for a while. There's plenty of information. I guarantee you, you don't know if you're listening to this podcast that you think you know, but you don't know unless you were one of them.
SPEAKER_07They definitely give you a different side of things, a different look of it, coming from the legends of the sport.
SPEAKER_05Absolutely. Some of these guys, I'm just so fortunate that I have access to some of these guys, like Hall of Fame jockey Cody Jensen, as well as future Hall of Famers, Cody Smith, as well as one of the all-time greats, Gilbert Ortiz, all joining us here on this podcast going into the concept of what goes through the writer's mind on all facets of leaving the paddock and the post-parade, the warm-up, going into the gates, standing in the gates properly, uh, you know, all the things that could go on in the gate, and of course, going down the lane and trying to get the most out of the horse. That's that's basically what we're going to focus on on this podcast here. And we got a giant recap section as well, Bailey.
SPEAKER_07Yes, a lot of graded stakes and trials happened last weekend, and we're gonna come to you with interviews from trainers and jockeys.
SPEAKER_05Those guys making the headlines coming on here on Quarter Horse Racing Talk, so don't go away. We'll be right back after these words from our sponsor to get right into this episode of Quarter Horse Racing Talk Weekly. Hey, a little bit further down the front page on Stalineesearch.com, you'll find the AQHA Challenge section where you can read all the AQHA Racing Challenge stories, including the regional races that are happening across the country, or you can go to AQHA.com forward slash racing and look for the challenge tab along the left-hand side, and you can read all about the upcoming, pending deadlines as well as the schedule for all the upcoming races of the AQHA Racing Challenge. Plenty of stallions to look at over at Royal Vista Ranch in Wayne, Oklahoma, including the red hot sire Flying Cowboy123, with his runner Cowboys Flying winning the Texas Breeders Furity. And then you got the Grade 1 son of leading sire A-Political Jess, A-Political J Streak. And then there's the record-setting, record-breaking Apolitical Jest, one of the elite sirees in all of Quarterworth racing. And then there's the AQHA racing champion sire and grade 1 producer FDD Golden Grant. And then there's the multiple stakes-winning sire, who's the son of legendary sire Corona Cartel, heart of the cartel, and new for 2026, finishing his first breeding season is the multiple grade one winning Just Dulce. All of these talented sires standing there in Wayne, Oklahoma at Royal Vista Ranch.
SPEAKER_17Alright, back to the podcast.
SPEAKER_05Alright, we're back here, ready to jump into our featured guest section. We're talking to multiple well-known jockeys, and to get it right out of the gate, we're talking with jockey Cody Smith, a multiple grade one-winning jockey, a regular rider on horses like Danger, just to mention a few. And my direction with Cody is to kind of get his sense as well as his mindset of what he's doing as he's leaving the paddock and going out onto the post parade, and then from the post parade out to the warm-up and into the gate. So this first section that we're covering belongs to Cody Smith. So without further ado, let's get him on the phone. All right, on the phone with multiple grade one winning jockey Cody Smith. Cody, thanks for joining us here on this discussion on Quarter Horse Racing Talk.
SPEAKER_10Yeah, glad you had me on, Greg.
SPEAKER_05All right, Cody, I want to talk about jockey logic, about some of the things that are going through your head or tactics or things that are like telltale signs. So what is going through your mind as you're leaving the paddock? And I'm not talking about a grade one race. I'm talking about just a day race, regular maiden race. When you're getting up on that horse and you're uh, you know, tying your knot and your reins and all, and you're going out to the paddock, what's going through the mind of a jockey? Or at least through the mind of Cody Smith, the jockey?
SPEAKER_10Normally you have an idea of what you're riding, so different horses have different characteristics, I guess, or the do's and the don'ts, or always try to uh figure out little things that might make them just a little bit better.
SPEAKER_05Where are you finding those things out? Is it in the morning or is it?
SPEAKER_10Yeah, sometimes in the mornings, or like if I'd rode the horse before, and I thought, man, if I would have done something just a little bit different last time, I think I would have got a little more out of the horse, and like you get the opportunity again. You uh you try to change things up a little bit, and sometimes there's a big advantage.
SPEAKER_05On a horse that you haven't ridden before, do you do is that a horse that you rely a little bit more on the maybe the discussion with the trainer?
SPEAKER_10Yeah. Uh I go by what they might give you a heads up on the horse does, or I might a lot of times like you can go on the Q racing and watch replays and read the form. I I told them I uh I don't like to read the form a whole lot. Usually I always heard you study long and you study wrong, so I'll go back and watch their old replays and just to see if like maybe the horse wants to leave their getting in or getting out, or maybe it wants to run in its left lead, like maybe you can get into it left-handed and make it get a little more out of it when it's in its right lead, or like I said, just little little things that might make a a good horse great or a decent horse a good horse.
SPEAKER_05What are the telltale signs or and I know that plenty of times you've been misled by the horse, but what are those telltale signs when you're in that post-parade and the horse either is honest toes or not honest toes? What are some of those telltale signs that you're maybe looking forward to seeing that this horse is on tonight?
SPEAKER_10Uh well, different horses have just different things to them, but like the Philly that I rode for Caps that win the Remington Park Oaks, Hammerillus. I'd rode her earlier in the meet in the Oklahoma trials, and she was just kind of on edge leaving the paddock. And I'd rode her the fall before Will Rogers and win the black gold on her. And there she was just mild, like mannered. But that night in the Oklahoma trials, she was pretty wound up and she didn't really fire the way we thought she should have. And then the night that she won the finals, the Remington Park Oaks finals, she just walked out of the paddock flat footed, just like a pony horse. And I knew then she's gonna run. And she'd run her race, left her doing her job. But then you have some horses that when they walk out of the paddock like that, they don't fire when they're not on muscle. So you just kinda gotta figure out each each horse and their own do's and don'ts and the way they like to do things, and you can't force them to do anything. I told him that's the way danger always was. It was kind of like uh you had to let it be his idea. When you tried to kind of force him to do things, he he just didn't want no no part of it, but you just eased around him and he was game to do whatever you wanted to do.
SPEAKER_05On those horses that are not keyed up, Cody, uh that you're feeling that they're a little bit flat in the either the post parade or in the warm-up, i is that also an indication of that this is not going to be the most successful race, or is it something that you can kind of encourage the horse to maybe get a little bit more excited because uh the thirdbed uh or the third bed's totally different than the quarter horse. The third bed you're wanting them to be relaxed. You're you're hoping that they're relaxed. On the quarter horse side, you're wanting them to get in that gate and explode and get out of the gate as fast as they can. Or is just too flat in the post parade. Where is it that you can kind of encourage the horse to uh get a little bit more uh ready to roll?
SPEAKER_10Well, a lot of times those ones like that, I'll uh I'll kick them away from the pony in the warm-up and let them kind of just gallop out. But instead of warming them up next to the pony slow, I'll let them gallop around there, kind of stop them and face them off once you gallop them around the turn and maybe make them get on the muscle. I mean just get some air flowing through their lungs and blood pumping a little bit, and they'll get on get themselves kind of on edge then and ready to roll.
SPEAKER_05Any time in the warm-up, how often does it come about that you you know, some a strategy that you had in your head before going into the gate uh after you've warmed the horse up and and kind of gotten the feel of the horse, uh that how often do strategies change?
SPEAKER_10Uh I wouldn't say just real often, like beforehand, so much as I guess sometimes away from the gates when things don't necessarily go as planned leaving there. You have to go to plan B real fast. But most of the time, like to me horses are creatures a habit, so when they get in the habit of like breaking a certain way or running a certain way, like sometimes they'll change it. But I've got to where with experience I kinda like I I always refer to it as lay a trap for 'em. Like when you know what's coming, like I try to kind of head that off and beforehand to keep like from wasting ground or wasting a step or just benefit us just a little bit more, 'cause just a little bit more can be a big difference when you get down there to the wire.
SPEAKER_05Cody, I I know different horses have different personalities, but as a whole and to kind of put him in a stereotype of of sorts, as it pertains to warming one up or you know, maybe behaving himself or or kind of you know, responding to what the rider's asking him to do, especially in the warm-up, as it pertains to a gilding cult or a filly, what has been your experience of what traditionally the the gilding is more like this? Traditionally the the cult is more like this, traditionally the the filly is more like this.
SPEAKER_10I mean you you'll have your colts that they want to jack around with the pony and kind of not pay attention. Sometimes they're better off to be cut loose, warming up away from the pony and let them get around there and kind of gather their thoughts a little bit in uh instead of just keeping them with the pony the whole time, because some of them well colts sometimes they either want to bow up and want a piece of the pony or they want to run from the pony the whole time scared of it. So I've had a lot of success just getting them away from the pony, let them warm up, kinda settle down by themselves a little bit and then bring them back and they usually focus a little better. And then you have the your Phillies and mares. They're either really good or you got the ones that are mean and contankerous and just kinda wanna pick on the pony more or less. But then your old the good guildings, they're just kind of people pleasers. They go along with whatever you want them to do. But like I said, they uh they all have different personalities. You just kinda gotta accommodate each one. I'm big on tr training and riding the individual horse. I feel like if if you trained every throw and everything the same, you're not gonna be real successful at this. So I've tried to uh I don't really want to be labeled as having a a riding style to fit a certain horse. I want to be able to ride every type of horse, like one you have to set still on and one you have to be aggressive on. So I I didn't feel like just one certain riding style is gonna get me very far. I just wanted to be able to ride them on.
SPEAKER_05Cody, every getting into the gate, you're behind there, you're doing the circles with the all the other horses with the pony horse. Uh the goal, of course, is to get in there and get him focused and get him straight and standing right to to break properly, but uh clearly that's a lot easier said than done. What is the usual tactic that you've used often that that mostly works for you to get that horse to stand there as as best you can and to get down the racetrack and get out of the gates as soon as they open?
SPEAKER_10Once my headman gets a hold of me behind the gates and we start heading for the gates, like I mean you want your ideal circumstance to be like it just walks right in the gates. And if that happens, like if they walk in, I like for them to kind of let them come all the way in before they get up out from out in front of them, let them square up, because a lot of times the headman when they're coming in, they'll try to jump up and get out of their way before they're all the way in or have the tailgate shut, and a lot of the horses will stop with their back legs kind of too far behind them. And to me, a lot of times their back legs is that's where it all starts, in the rear end leaving the gates, pushing away from there. So when they're way behind them, they want to slip in the rear end leaving the gates. So I like for them to bring them all the way in, let them let them come in before they shut the tailgates, and then they can back them up. They'll usually square up really good. But from that point, you got me halfway square, take my horse's head over there and talk to him, let him chill, and just try to keep me as focused. I don't like the heavy-handed, like just shoving me in the V, just kind of I call it kid hands, like just ease me over there, pet on it, look right down the racetrack. I don't want to be like I've I've rode horses that you have to kind of cheat in or out one way or another because they want to break in or out, but for the most part, just stick me right in the V and hope for the best from there.
SPEAKER_04And we'll be right back after these words.
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SPEAKER_05All right, continuing our discussion here with the jockeys of the education of what they're thinking and what they're going through and what the objective is for them to get down the racetrack and of course get their picture taken. That's what it's all about. And one guy that was not a stranger of getting his picture taken on a lot of the big Grade One events is none other than Hall of Fame jockey Cody Jensen. And as we've left it with Cody Smith of getting into the gate, Cody Jensen will pick it up and give you his perspective of getting that racehorse out of the gate in the best way he knows how. All right, on the phone with multiple world champion jockey, multiple All-American Fraturity winning jockey, and Hall of Fame jockey Cody Jensen. Cody, thanks once again for joining us here on the podcast.
SPEAKER_09Thanks for having me.
SPEAKER_05Cody, we heard from Cody Smith. Now I'm off to the next Cody, Cody Jensen. Cody Smith was talking about what his ideal scenario is and what he likes for the header to do. So let's go back and reiterate with you. The header comes up and grabs the horse from the pony person and you starts leading you into the stall. So give me your ideal scenario. What is it you're wanting to happen?
SPEAKER_09Well, what I like that I like to see out of my headman is as little interference with my horse as possible until absolutely necessary. I like my headman to lead him in, stay on the ground, set him in a very natural position that that horse wants to set in. Um once a horse has had two, three starts, he knows where he likes his feet to be. And I tend to just leave him there. Unless he's standing with one foot extremely off or up in front of him, or he's leaning forward or he's leaning back. Um if I can just get my horse to stand natural and relaxed in there, that's my ideal situation. And my headman is just there to make sure nothing goes wrong before the before that starter hits the button.
SPEAKER_05When you're talking about that ideal situation and the horse has been in, if he's been in a couple races, he knows where he wants to be and how he wants to stand. Let's talk about as it pertains to that first-time starter, you're in there. Of course, the horse has already been schooled in the gates, probably have broken from the gates multiple times. Certainly it has to be broken from the gate in order to get its gate card at the racetrack, but what is it give me that situation now with what you're talking about with a first-time starter?
SPEAKER_09Well, the vast majority of first-time starters, they're pretty taken aback and distracted just by the amount of people, the crowd, the noise, the, you know, you're going from four to six horses to ten horses in there. There's just a lot more going on. And most of them, you're just trying to keep them somewhat focused on you. Because if they're listening and paying attention to you, hopefully they're not paying attention to as much that's going on around them as some of them other horses. You're just trying to keep them genuinely on the right idea of what we're there for.
SPEAKER_05Cody, as a jockey, when is it time for you to suggest, or is it the writer's position to suggest to the trainer to look about going to a flipping haunter? And why would why would you suggest that to a trainer?
SPEAKER_09Well, most of the time, of course, if you have a bad actor in the gate, a horse that wants to get in the air all the time and he's real nervous in the gate, he doesn't want to stand still from that long. He wants to get in the house so quickly. A flipping hauler is gonna benefit him a bunch. But a lot of horses can't take the pressure of actually looking down the racetrack because they know it's it's go to once they hit that V, it's time to go. And so with the horse, in the flipping holders, a lot of the times, it just keeps their head from being to the mouth so much. It takes a lot of the working of the assistant stronger to the headman, trying to make sure that horse keeps his nose in the V. When a flipping holder will just hold, we'll just hang that horse's head in the V. And it's a learned really by looking at the race train. So we can have as much luck that way with a flipping holder just to get a horse to quit moving his head and relax with a actor in the game.
SPEAKER_05Jump in and explain it to those those folks that are listening that are not overly familiar with the flipping halter is and how does it work?
SPEAKER_09Most flipping holders are basically just like a nose band in the sitting that you put up with the horse to keep his mouth closed so he can't get his mouth open. So to it, which is essentially just like the ring at the bottom of the halter that you snip your lead rope up to. We call it chin rigs and nose rigs. But the vast majority rings ring with the ring underneath. So they're basically the same resistance and the same feel that they have when they're hooked to a lead rope. And that rope, one end of that rope has a loop in it, and it's hooked into the pin that holds the starting gates closed, and that pin releases to one of the gate doors to open. And the same pin releases, it drops that rope. The other end of the rope goes up through the ring, and then there's a variety of ways to hook it. There's some that have a snap and they just hook it to the gate, to one of one side of the gate doors. It holds it basically like your your horse is tied into that gate. But once that pin releases, that releases the rope, the horse is free to accelerate out of the gaze with no sort of hang-up or resistance from that rope at all.
SPEAKER_05Obviously, the obvious advantage of that flipping halter is to cause a horse to kind of not be able to have the excess of flipping over backwards or keeping him tied down to where he's looking down the racetrack, that's the positive. Talk about the negative of actually having to tie a horse in there there. We've all seen where a horse unfortunately sets back at about the time that the gates are kicking, and it makes it look like the gates don't open, Joe Cody. But explain that scenario there.
SPEAKER_09Yeah. So when the horse basically hangs, if he puts enough pressure backwards on that rig, on that rope, the rope's tight enough, it doesn't allow that pin to move freely out of that gate. There's too much resistance. Back on that pin to allow it to release. And that horse has to s move forward to release to allow the uh slack to let that pin go. So when a horse looks like he holds the gate closed, he just has too much pressure straight back on that rope, which unfortunately it does happen, but in the long run, it's a very rare thing. And so usually the positives have away the negatives and having a flip and halter on. There are a few negatives in having a flip and halter. Um a lot of places, like Los Alamitos, they make your horse load first. So matter what post position he draws, he has to be in there and be tied in first. Um so you have a longer wait time, stand time in the gates. Um so that is, and then there's other racetracks that load you in line unless you have to load, and so it doesn't really matter on your um you're being loaded first. Um and there's always the chance that that rope can get a slight roll or twist in it as they run it through the ring, and that will hang up on occasion and cause your horse's head to snap back as he clears that rope, because there's just enough resistance on that twist to cause that rope to not slide freely through that ring. But usually those things are very, very rare to happen. So it's usually better to have one in a flippin' huller than not have to if he if he needs to have one.
SPEAKER_05Cody, when you're in the gate and the assistant starters using language such as one out or one back telling the riders in the gate that the last one's ready to load, uh when it gets to that point, how much of the actual start as it pertains to the horse's anticipation versus reaction of the gate opening?
SPEAKER_09I'd say for a really good gate horse, it's about 50-50. A really fast, fast gate horse, a really good gate horse. They have a general sense of when it quiets down, when that last horse loaded and everybody gets quiet, it's time to go. Because usually if somebody's in trouble or they're trying to get their horse moved to the last second, they're making some noise in there. Your assistant starter or your rider. Hopefully it's your assistant starter and not your rider, but but once things quiet down, everything gets quiet, they know it's about to happen. And then they just have great fast twitch reaction time to the actual gate opening. That's what makes a great gate horse. And that's what we're looking for in quarter horse racing, of course, is an exceptional start.
SPEAKER_05Those great gate horses, can you fill them tense up right before the gate's opening?
SPEAKER_09Um, most of the really great gate horses stay extremely relaxed. A relaxed horse can move faster than a tense horse. And it sounds, it sounds really weird, but it's it's very true. The best gate horses I've ever rode have been extremely relaxed in the gate and then just explode when it opens. Horses that are that are too tense, too on their toes, too muscles too taut and tight, they don't react near as well as a relaxed horse.
SPEAKER_05Cody, you've had plenty of injuries in your lifetime as a jockey there. What are some of the like just absolute craziness that has happened in the starting gate that you can that comes to mind, like the number one story that's just off the charts crazy?
SPEAKER_09Well, we had a horse up here early early in my career back here in Utah and Wyoming, um, that was extremely fast, but he was a bad, he was a bad gay horse. And we only got him down the racetrack, I think, twice as a two-year-old. And he set a track record, went a fraternity. But most of the time we were scratched to the gates because he uh he flipped over the gates or did something crazy. So the last time I rode, he rode that horse, when all the dust settled, there were four of us going in the ambulance, going to the emergency room. Me, the rider next to me, which uh happened to be Berkeley Packer, and because when that as that horse flipped over, he pawed him. He pawed the headman that was heading Berkeley's horse, and he pawed the headman uh heading my horse, pawed my own headman, and then smashed me in the gate, and then turned around and jumped out the backs and run off. And I seen myself about two hours later. So we've had some pretty wild spots in the gate, but most of the time, even like if you go to the Oklahoma Fraternity Trails or the Riadoso Fraternity Trailes, where you have a vast majority of first-time starters, it's very rare to have a gate mishap, a horse really act up in the gates, have to be scratched, hurt somebody or something like that. Um, these guys, they do so much pre-race schooling on these horses because we have them, it's quarter horse races, and we have them so apt up for the break, because it's half the race, it's the first two jumps, that we have to do a lot of schooling to keep them horses focused and and paying attention and not overreacting inside them starting gates, since we do have them so pumped up for that initial burst.
SPEAKER_05Cody, I know you've been on plenty of them that break from the gate, and the way they break and the hardness of them breaking out of that gate, you instantly know that, oh, this is going I've I've got this one. Describe to the listener what that feels like to be on a horse that you just know from the first jump that this is going to be a great time.
SPEAKER_09There's two ways a really fast gate horse leaves the gate. One is with power, and that's a whole different feeling when you just when that horse just squats and fires like an Olympic sprinter off the box, and he just he just accelerates with just pure power underneath you, and you're just feeling that just like being in a supercar, and it's just jigging getting faster each stride. And the other kind is one that does it with just quickness, and that feels like a puff of smoke just left the gates, and all of a sudden you're two lengths in front, and you're like, Wow, how did that just happen? Because he leaves with just such fast twitch muscle reaction and just quickness that he doesn't have that power, he just has that extreme quickness, and that just almost surprises you that you're there and you're in front like that, and you're like, Wow, how did that just happen? So one is extremely intense to ride, and the other one's just like riding a rocking horse.
SPEAKER_05There's plenty of horses that you've told me that break so hard that they stumble. They the the ground breaks out from underneath them, and you know, maybe the the not necessarily the first time you rode a horse like that, but the next coming time that you that you're on a horse like that, how do you prepare yourself in case that happens again? Is there I had heard long ago that Chris McCarron, the thoroughbred jockey, when he broke from the gate, he had one foot forward and kind of one foot back in case that horse stumbled, he was able to kind of pick himself up. What did Cody Jensen do?
SPEAKER_09You know what? You can't anticipate that, nor should you as a quarter horse rider. You've got to the one thing you're anticipating is that horse is gonna break straight and he's gonna break hard and everything's gonna go perfect. If you start uh as a quarter horse rider, everything's over so quick and happens so fast that if you start anticipating something to happen and you're trying to prevent it, you tend to actually screw yourself and your horse up more if everything goes perfect, because you're not you're not there and you're not with him because everything happens so fast. And it's a little bred like Chris McCarron, a lot of the times you don't want him to break in front. So you you can get away with some of that stuff. You as a rider, if you're anticipating your horse going one one direction or the other, or you're anticipating this horse has a tendency to fall, you're already self setting yourself and your horse up for failure. You want to anticipate that that's gonna go dead perfect and then just react if it doesn't.
SPEAKER_05Cody, thanks for the education. Anytime.
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SPEAKER_05It's staggering just how many Grade One winners and champions come out of the Heritage Place Yearlink Cell every year, and how you, the buyer, get a chance to be one of those people, only one of those champions. This year, September 16th, 17th, 18th, and 19th, there in Oklahoma City is when the Heritage Place Quarterhorse Yearlink Cell takes place. So reserve your hotels now, and we'll see you in Oklahoma City at Heritage Plates, the place where champions are sold for.
SPEAKER_17All right, back to the podcast.
SPEAKER_05All right, going into the third section of this educational series on this episode, we tap into one of the all-time greats, a veteran, a retired jockey, Gilbert Ortiz, a winner of over 3,000 wins in his career. And to boot, Gilbert Arnun is one of the nicest individuals you ever will want to meet on the racetrack. But outside of that personality, one of the top riders for decades, including wins aboard grade one winners like Warcolors, show me your tool, Diamond Trace 8, A2HA Racing Champion H Miracle, Q Baby, huge runners out in Louisiana like He's a Louisiana Dash, Water Girl Beats Duper Squick Dash, and of course one of the grandest millionaires over in Louisiana Val's fortune. It's called Gilbert Ortiz. Award him for some of his greatest wins. And did you know there's only six other quarters jockeys that have surpassed the milestone of 3,000 wins? Ear Carter, Alvin Rustett, Bonnie Cardoza, Eddie Garcia, and John Krager. As mentioned, it's an elite few. And of course, with all that experience Gilbert brings to the table, he's got a great perspective of what goes through the mind of a jockey leaving the gates and trying to get that horse down the racetrack in front to get his picture taken. So without further ado, let's get to it with Gilbert Ortiz. Gilbert, thanks for joining us here on Quota Horse Racing Talk Weekly. Thank you, Greg. It'd be nice to talk to you. Gilbert Ortiz, we've gone down the racetrack multiple, multiple thousands of times. Uh I'd like to talk to you about leaving the gate and getting that horse down the racetrack. So get in that mindset if you would, Gilbert. The first question I have is that once you're waiting and anticipating that start, once you're pointing that horse's face down the racetrack in the V of the stall of the starting gate, and the gate's open, take me from what's the most ideal scenario and and what are you trying to most accomplish to try to uh see if you can get success with this horse.
SPEAKER_11Well, most of the times, you know, uh once he leaves the gates and stuff, uh you want to make sure he's he's kind of stays as straight as he can and and and usually around the first jump it's a horse's jump and then your the second jump is yours, and that's where you take control. But and uh I always like to keep him on the bit and uh and get a little bit more run out of them and keep them on us. I wasn't no uh more of a getting after one constantly. I like to just keep them on us and sometimes when he was kind of close, leave you know, through the mid stretch, I'd get after him right-handed and sometimes they'd switch, and that'll get me to the finish line and and I'll run them, you know. So I kind of thought that was the best. But sometimes a horse, leaving for me, on my standpoint, leaving the gates and kept them together, and they you get more run out of them like that, you know. But of course, every situation is different on these horses, and uh and especially on these two-year-olds, like having the one-hole always left left-handed on them, you know, so make sure he didn't go straight to the rail, but kept them pretty straight as you can. That was the main thing. And and uh otherwise, just you know, if you had a good horse, you ought to just do just hang on and and make sure he left there straight and didn't bother nobody.
SPEAKER_05Gilbert, on the the they often say about a a a rider leaving in the horse's mouth or being in too much in the horse's mouth when he's leaving, as a pair as opposed to giving the horse his head. Describe for someone who's never been on a racehorse or never broke a horse out of the starting gate, what what does that actually mean, Gilbert?
SPEAKER_11Well, sometimes uh some of these babies and older horses are real funny about their mouth, and you gotta give them a little bit more slack than a normal horse you would leave, you know, uh or you would ride. But uh, and sometimes that's where a rider and a trainer works together, where sometimes a horse has a ring bit, and then you say, No, it's too much bit for him, so you would put another bit on them, either a D-bit or a rubber bit, and uh and the horse leaves a lot better leaving the gates, you know. But sometimes you don't want the header to really crowd the horse that much in the gates, neither. And especially if you got a rig, just leave them alone and and usually help the header. And uh and and that they always done done that. I said when I had a rig on, I always told the header, I I'll kind of help you more than you can help him by just kind of stepping back where I'm at and and I can do the heading myself. But and that that's that's if he was real tender in the mouth because sometimes them headers try so hard to get you to leave super, but sometimes they can also mess him up.
SPEAKER_05Gilbert, on those first couple jumps, which are so very important in the start of the race, uh many jockeys say that's more than half of the race is is won or lost in those first five strides. You know, clearly there's lots of variables that are thrown at you that you have to improvise and make different adjustments and what have you. But in the most ideal situation, describe what what you're wanting to get out of those first five strides.
SPEAKER_11Well, really, on on these horses here, if they're standing good and squared up, and sometimes by the time they load the last one, your horse moves a little bit and one leg's in front of the other, and and he kind of leaves there and stumbles real bad with you, kind of almost falls to the nose, and you just kind of keep him together and go through the through the whole race, and sometimes uh and I've I rode one that fell to the ground and he got up and went. And but he drug me through there, you know. Lucky the hole stayed open and and and we made it through there and he went, you know. And believe me, I wasn't gonna just ride him through there. He just drug me through there, and just and that's where I mean just took him the first when he went down, the second jump I had him, third jump I still had him, and and he just drug me through the through the finish line, you know. So uh that's the main thing, really, once he walks in the gates, and you don't want to move him too much because sometimes they get these horses get a little bit more tense than normal, but uh you just want to make sure they're kind of squared away in there and and and that and the header sometimes no 95% of headers gonna help you anyway. So uh that that makes a difference.
SPEAKER_05Gilbert, spending some time up on the in the steward stand watching races from a steward standpoint, one thing that was very apparent is when a horse misses the brake, and especially in a quarter horse race, it's the outside and inside horse where the gap is, it seems like it's a natural tendency for those horses to close that gap. So missing the brake and losing your spot is uh something that's horrible as a uh as it opposed to getting to the wire in front. Is it the natural tendency for horses to come in and close that gap?
SPEAKER_11Uh yes, I'm gonna say around 60 or 70 percent of them will do that, but will close that gap. But after they they miss the break or something, you just gotta drive them through wherever. Yeah, of course you're behind everybody, but just find a spot where you see somebody coming in or coming out, or they're both splitting the the gap, you just try to go through them, you know. But that's the main where you gotta where you gotta grab them reins and and and and point that horse to go through, you know. Hopefully he can get you through there. If not, you just you know, that's where the break, you know, where that gap is, you know, just trying to find that one one gap and and pay attention more, you know.
SPEAKER_05Gilbert, you've ridden thoroughbreds and quarter horses in your in your career. The uh the thoroughbred is taught and split horses and and and they're trained that way. They're to come from behind horse or whatever. With a a quarter horse, how do you get a horse? It seems like they're hesitant to go through a gap. How do you kind of work is it just something that a horse will or a won't?
SPEAKER_11No, a horse will, and he can do it, but there's there's another step to it. Um that's where it comes on breaking these babies, you know, where you take them two or three at a time and you put that one in the middle and you kind of squeeze him out, and then he'll make it, you know, where you can go through there. But it don't just take one one a one-time deal where you gotta go every day with it, you know, and these babies, and that's where they learn to to go through them. But if you don't teach them, they'll make that hesitation where they'll sometimes can make that one stop and take a right or left on you, you know. So it takes a lot of attention on breaking these babies to make them go through there.
SPEAKER_05Indications of when it's time to use the the the whip. Give me an idea of what what is it that you're accomplishing with the whip of getting uh obviously getting the horse's attention and urging the horse to run. So, but I'll get out of the way and let you explain it, because I've never break I've never broken a horse out of the starting gate, as you can imagine. So give me the idea. What what is it in Gilbert Ortiz terms?
SPEAKER_11Well, uh, like I said, I wasn't rider not really that aggressive on one, but I could get aggressive, but sometimes, say for example on a Philly, uh, them Phillies can take not that much as a coke can. And if you whip a Philly a lot, they're gonna back up to you, you know. They just kind of get pissed off and won't give you what they can give you. And sometimes if you just kind of ride 'em and keep 'em honest, uh they'll give you more than they can. And sometimes you got a coke, the same way, you know, a stud coke, you know, you can get after him and he'll run for you. And then you got some that they'll you hit him too much and he ain't gonna give you what he can. But that's where a rider can figure these horses out by sh you know, just galloping them and and working them in the mornings and working with a trainer. And uh, but I always thought the Phillies were the the ones more timid on a whip than the Colts were in Gildings, you know, than any than any horse.
SPEAKER_05As it pertains to body language and the feel of the horse, Gilbert, say you're halfway through, let's let's say you're going 400 yards, you're about halfway down the racetrack. What does he feel like underneath you, Gilbert?
SPEAKER_11Sometimes on these scoring 400 yards, these uh horses are giving you all they got and you're keeping them uh as honest as you can, but and then you have one on the outside of you just rolling past you, but your horse has done everything he could, and uh you just gotta give him the credit he did uh through the race, you know. But you can you can ride him as hard as you can, but he's done did what he got uh what he could do through the race. You know, that's the way I feel about it.
SPEAKER_05Gilbert, the the switching from stick right to the left hand. What are you trying to accomplish and why are you doing it? Or what signals or is the horse giving you that he's needing to to be uh be hit with the left hand as a versus the right hand to encourage him to get to the wire?
SPEAKER_11Well, I'll keep him I'll hit him right-handed and as long as he's running as as straight as he he can. And if some comes through the outside, you like like uh for example, I'm in the five-hole and the seven horse is coming right there close to me, and I might switch to him on the right hand and get after him once or twice, and he'll just switch them leads and go on to his right lead. And but sometimes it could be the horse on the inside of you, you know, so vice versa. If as long as he's running straight and you can switch on him, you're good. But if if you hit him left, uh if you hit him right-handed and he's getting in on you, well, you're gonna have to do something where you do have to hit him right-handed, but if he gets out on you, well, that's where they're gonna catch you and outrun you at the wire. But there's there's so many things where you gotta think about these these horses riding through the race, and and that's where it comes out where uh another I'll I'll say it again, where a rider gets on these horses in the morning and and you know more about them, you know, than anybody. You know, a rider would know more about.
SPEAKER_05Gilbert, as if it pertains to the effort that this horse is giving you, give the listener the the idea of of how hard a horse naturally tries when he's got another horse beside him that he's eyeballing, that they're going neck and neck, that he's almost competing as opposed to a horse that gets two in front and he doesn't really have anything to look for or anything that he's necessarily running up against. Can you feel the difference? Does the horse actually is he bearing down and trying harder when he's got something running up beside him, as opposed to say a horse that gets two in front?
SPEAKER_11Oh, yeah, for sure. He's eyeballing him and and trying to do as good as he can and and you riding him as good as you you can, you know, just but uh if there's one that opens up on you, it just he just opened up and Your horse is running all he could, but there's nothing that other one's way just faster than yours, you know, but I mean your horse is running, you know, and and that's where these trials come around where that one horse wins by a link and a half and he drags you in there and you still qualify, but sometimes the horse that beats you that far might not run the same race as he did in the finals.
SPEAKER_05Gilbert, as it pertains to that last hundred yards, take you've you've been on some great horses in your career. From that last hundred yards to the wire, give us the sensation of that level of speed of going on a on a on a superior racehorse of what it feels like to be motoring down the towards a wire going uh an a sub-21 440 as an example. What does that feel like?
SPEAKER_11Oh, it feels good. It just like I mean it's just nice to ride these these horses like that. That just gives you a hundred percent, you know, and and running through there, especially where you run the trials and and they do better the second go round. You know, I've had horses that run okay in the in the trials and come back and do super in the finals. They like running every two weeks or and but it was just nice to ride them horses like that where you just not even get after them and just just grab them and and they just run off with you, you know. Them horses are are natural type, you know, like to run on the bit, not too much stick, and just keep them honest. They'll just run you, they'll just drag you to the finish line.
SPEAKER_05Gilbert, not only thank you for getting here on here at Quarter Horse Racing Talk Weekly, but but thank you for the education.
SPEAKER_11I was glad to give it, and uh it was nice for you to call me up and and and uh talk about it.
SPEAKER_05We'll be right back after these words. As breeding season for 2026 comes to a close, now it's time to look at all the yearlings going forth in the sales for all these fine stallions at Roboshow Ranch, A Political Blood, Gold Heart Eagle V, KV and Corona, Tempting Dash, and Vista. Check them all out at RoboshowRanch Inc.com. The grade one producing Chilitos has another stakes winner.
SPEAKER_19I grab commands from the inside. Mrs. PYC Painted Nova's in the mix, but it's Chiefteness with the lead. Mrs. PYC Paintanova battles that one. Chieften is edging clear. Chiefteness wins. The John Buchanan Memorial from Mr.
SPEAKER_05Check out the Stallion page and all the statistics of Chilitos on stallionesearch.com or go to Dunranch.com and take a look at their extensive website. And that's Dunranch out there in Winniewood, Oklahoma.
SPEAKER_22Also standing is champion and grade one producer A Revenant, the brother to a two-time champion of champions winner, a political victory, the runner-up finisher in the Grade 1 Ed Burke Million, in hot pursuit, and the graded stakes winning juices loose, and the grade one producer, PYC Fun and Fancy, all standing at Dun Ranch in Winniewood, Oklahoma. All right, back to the show.
SPEAKER_05Alright, we're back here in the recap section and a lot of stakes action this past weekend across North America. And stallionesearch.com, of course, focuses mostly on the graded stakes action, but one of them that I'd like to start off right away, Bailey, is this Texas Breeders' Futurity that happened at Sam Houston Race Park. Over a half million dollars for the two-year-olds. It's in its very first year, which means it comes ungraded. And here's the call from Nick Tamarill here in Sam Houston Race Park.
SPEAKER_19And they're on their way in the Texas Breeders' Futurity. It was a good start on the outside for Whoopi Cowgirl, a political cowboy, is quick into stride between horses. Mr. Carter is gaining ground on the inside. Cowboys flying fights on. Cowboys flying with a tenuous lead, Mr. Carter. Cowboys flying wins it.
SPEAKER_07Cowboys Flying is a two-year-old gelding by Flying Cowboy123 out of the Carter's Cartel mare, Cartel's Lady. Read by Dr. Tommy Hayes, owned by Double J Racing, and trained by Ramiro Vilireal, and written by Victor Urietta Jr.
SPEAKER_05Alright, now we're going to the West Coast. Robert A. Dare Kindergarten Fraturity The Great Two event. We had multiple scratches going forth before the gates were open in the finals there for these two-year-olds going 300 yards. And here's the call from Michael Rona.
SPEAKER_18Racing! And it's Call Me Candela and Hake from Monday Dynasty Romo Land, AP Eagle Heart. It's Call Me Candela, Hake, Monday Dynasty. Call me Candela. Call me Candela wins the kindergarten.
SPEAKER_07Call Me Candela is a two-year-old filly by call me Cole out of the favorite cartel mare, DF First Down Cartel, owned and bred by Miguel Osorio, trained by Jose Flores, and ridden by Jose Alcala.
SPEAKER_05The distance horses have their time in the spotlight at Sam Houston Race Park as well. The Grade 3 Q Racing Video Distance Challenge stakes. And here's the call for these hook horses.
SPEAKER_19Top of the stretch coming off the turn. Grabbing command on the outside is GJR Rooster battling on. On the inside is Firebolt B. These two have sped seven lengths clear of music dash up the inside. Big Lou Love down the center, and KV and Valiant Corona between them. Firebolt B has a short lead and is edging clear from GJR Rooster in the final 70 yards. Firebolt B and Nestor Duran win the Q Racing Video Distance Challenge.
SPEAKER_07Firebolt B is a four-year-old gelding by Bolt of Fire out of the FDD Dynasty mare. She Electra B. Read by Bellu Oaks, owned by Tony Sedio and RC Racing, trained by Richard Sedio, and ridden by Nestor Duran.
SPEAKER_05Now the race past the Texas Breeders' Futurity was the grade two Sam Houston Classic stakes. They are 440 yards the classic distance in Houston.$75,000 on the line. Three-year-olds and up, and here's the call.
SPEAKER_19And they are on their way in the Sam Houston Classic. The Duke was bumped a bit by Selena Olena out of the gate to the inside. It was a quick start for Paint Me Onis, who's up in the mix, fighting on between horses, is Iima Chili in the middle of the racetrack. Cas Prietito is erupting with a big run on the outside. The Duke. Caz Prietito has the lead and pulls clear authoritatively. Cas Prietito to do it.
SPEAKER_07Cas Prietito is a four-year-old gelding by Cass Tempting out of the Azumare, Mary's Corazone. Read by Rancho J.S., owned by Fernando and Rolando Soto, trained by Sergio Fuentes, and written by Luis Maldonado.
SPEAKER_05Alright, over to Oklahoma City in the Grade 1 Heritage Place Futurity Trials for the two-year-olds going 350 yards. And from night number one, the fastest qualifier comes out of the barn of John Steinbow and hears the call from Del Day. They're off.
SPEAKER_01Good start. Away sharply, Profits View puts a nose out there. The gray Whistle and Dixie coming along down inside. Curl's favorite jet begins to fire as well. Curl's favorite jet to challenge Whistle and Dixie for the lead. Farther out, Profits View gaining with every stride. Final hundred, inside Curl's favorite jet, powered on here by more than a link.
SPEAKER_07Curl's favorite jet is a two-year-old Colt by favorite cartel out of the Spit Curl Jess Mare. I a Spit Curl Girl. Bread and owned by Martin Stacy, trained by John Steinboe and ridden by Francisco Calderone.
SPEAKER_05And we were able to talk with this grade one-winning trainer, John Steinbow, about this talented runner.
SPEAKER_15Things just went well, and I think the weather uh was pretty pretty even throughout that night, for sure. You know what I mean? Stayed consistent. Uh he's just a super nice horse. Now uh you look back at the at the room park, everybody uh just horses. Millions of dollars. Those two families of horses of money for me. Or is what they've earned. So lucky guys when it comes to that.
SPEAKER_05Well, John, good luck going into the finals with this youngster, and uh, we look forward to seeing you there in the finals.
SPEAKER_15Yes, sir. Appreciate the call.
SPEAKER_05And Heritage Place Futurity Trials night number two saw Fall Classic from the barn of James Gonzalez III. Go down the racetrack as the fastest qualifier in this 350-yard trial event. And here's the call.
SPEAKER_01They're off for the Friday opener Ravage Park. First trial for the Heritage Place Futurity. A little crowding to the inside, but Fall Classic comes away from that very well. Has he vange now chased by Isa Rockstar to the inside coming on sharply? Miss American farther out a run for BP Priceless. This is all.
SPEAKER_07Fall Classic is a two-year-old gelding by Cyber Monday out of the Mr. Just Perimare, Lady Belliqua, owned by Christopher Via Toro, read by Jim Strillman and Bill Dale, trained by James Gonzalez III, and ridden by Christian Cardinas.
SPEAKER_05We were able to get on the phone with James Gonzalez and talk to him about this talented runner going into the grade one finals here in Oklahoma City. Alright, on the phone with James Gonzalez. James, talk about Fall Classic qualifying as the fastest going in out of night two there at Heritage Place.
SPEAKER_14Well, run a super race, you know, got bummed both sides, and opened up and he uh accelerated pretty quickly and opened up and drew off and and uh ran over a sloppy fast field track and had him aided by Little Tailwind, you know, and and um looked good in his schooling race, one of the fastest schooling races of the meet, looked great in his maiden race, also one of the fastest of the meet, and then followed it up by a knockout performance in the in the trials, you know, and uh bounced out good and he's you know looking forward to the finals, so um all as well classic.
SPEAKER_05James, is this one of those horses that from the very beginning of breaking this horse and getting him through his pre-racetrack career, was he s one that showed that he was going to be that type of horse?
SPEAKER_14Well, you know, Greg, actually um he was kind of a little honory and to start with, and uh he remained a cult for a while, and uh the the deeper into the winter we got and more into workouts we got, uh it became apparent he wasn't gonna be able to handle being a cult, so uh we we cut him and once we cut him is when kind of when the switch really flipped. Once we cut him, he you know, he got to be doing his work professionally and quit jacking around and and really uh turned the level all the way up to a hundred, you know.
SPEAKER_05Yeah, one of the great equipment changes of all time.
SPEAKER_14Yeah. Quick little brain surgery, and it's amazing what it'll do to some of them.
SPEAKER_05Yes. Well, James, good luck going into the finals, and we look to see you there on that big night at in Oklahoma City. Thanks, Greg. Appreciate it. Now it's over to the Heritage Place Derby Trials, the grade two event, 400 yards for three-year-olds, and a Louisiana bread jumps up and grabs the fastest qualifying spot as we listen to the call from Del Day.
SPEAKER_01They're off. Quick start for parajacks away sharply down inside right there. That is Raising Cain battling inside with Tuxhard Shop, now trying to get things going. Here comes Louisiana Man a full of stride. Louisiana Man strikes the front, halfway home and is pulling clear. Parrajax chasing them outside. Louisiana man now in control, up for third the moment. Stanley Salty Prize, Louisiana Man by almost three. Very impressive.
SPEAKER_07Louisiana Man is a three-year-old gelding by Dominion out of the first down Jewel Mayor, Jewel's Fortune, owned by Rosalio Espinosa and Jerry Deville, bred by Jerry West and trained by Jose Lopez with Brian Cendonosa on board.
SPEAKER_05I was able to get on the phone with Jockey Brian Candonosa to talk about this talented three-year-old Louisiana bred, Louisiana man, going into the Heritage Place Derby finals. On the phone with Jockey Brian Candonosa, jockey on top, the fastest qualifier coming in out of the Heritage Place Derby Trials Louisiana Man. Brian, talk about that trip down the racetrack there in Oklahoma City.
SPEAKER_13Oh man, it was an amazing trip. On him, he broke like a rocket. He just kept going the further he got, he just got better. So it felt really good. Last time in the room at the park derby, he didn't break and cost him the race because he was flying. But he we got him to go today, so hopefully next go time around, he runs the same race.
SPEAKER_05Good deal. Well, good luck in the finals, Brian, and thanks for getting on here at Quarter Horse Racing Talk.
SPEAKER_11Yes, sir.
SPEAKER_05Now it's time for the three-year-old girls taking part in the Heritage Place Oaks trials, a grade two event. 400 yards, three-year-old Phillies, with the fastest qualifier coming out of the barn of Marco Gutierrez. And here's the call from Del Day.
SPEAKER_01They're off. Her manage to little hop of the start. Likewise, the Cowboys chick is well back. Where's Queen B away sharply? Also right there. Honey in the Rock, moving well through L. We're a C trying to split rivals coming on. NSM flying Corona running a big one. It's where C on the lead on the inside to the far outside. Fly to glory is right there. Whereas Queen B trying to surge on? Not gonna happen. We're a C. We'll get there by half-length.
SPEAKER_07What a C is a three-year-old Philly by Flying Cowboy 123 out of the one-dashing Eagle Mare Hillow Talk. Owned by CH Horse Racing, bred by Ellis Hank Bird, trained by Marco Gutierrez, and ridden by Jesus Ayala.
SPEAKER_05And after all the dust was settled there in the Heritage Place Oaks trials, we're able to get on the phone with trainer Marco Gutierrez to talk to him about this talented Philly. Alright, on the phone with Marco Gutierrez trainer, the fastest qualifier going into the Heritage Place Oaks. Marco, talk about this horse going down the racetrack as well as the progression to this point.
SPEAKER_08Well, she is uh a very nice Philly, very well bred. Um from her trial, the only thing I didn't like um was that we drew the the inside and I don't think she never ran from the inside and she lugged in a little bit and kind of was hesitant to fire off, and when she did fire off, she started running and that four horse was was catching up to her. That was my only worry, but at the wire, you know, she she got it done and she qualified with the fastest time.
SPEAKER_05Other than hopefully getting a better post position at the time of the draw, what's something that you'd like to see improve going forward into the finals?
SPEAKER_08I'd like to get a little better better break out of her. Um I know she's a Philly that can run 400. Um, we just might need to move some things around there to get her break a little bit sharper, but if she breaks with him, um I don't have a you know, I don't have a doubt that she can possibly go on and win it, but if we break on top, then I'll feel way more confident.
SPEAKER_05Well, uh congratulations on the fastest qualifier and good luck in the finals.
SPEAKER_08Thanks, I appreciate it.
SPEAKER_05Alright, we'll be right back after these words from our sponsor.
SPEAKER_21Let's talk about Coronado Cartel for a bit. One of the standout sires at Lazy E Ranch in Guthrie, Oklahoma.
SPEAKER_12Who qualified our dash through fire into the Heritage Place juvenile this past weekend at Remington Park?
SPEAKER_05And he's just one of the sires on the very talented sire list at Lazy E Ranch in Guthrie, Oklahoma.
SPEAKER_22Also standing is the La Salle Super Derby winner, Big Lou, the all-time leading sire, first down dash, grade one runner-up, Jess Fireme. The Grade 1 winning champion, Kempton, a sire with nearly$44 million in earnings, PYC Paint Your Wagon. Sire of three champions and five millionaires, valiant hero. And introducing for 2026 the Grade 1 winning Unrelentless. All standing at Lazy E Ranch in Guthrie, Oklahoma.
SPEAKER_05Another successful year at stud is coming to an end of 2026 breeding season for Eagles Fly Higher. Standing at Lacer in Opaloosis, Louisiana. That's the Louisiana Center for Equine Reproduction. Check out his stallion page on stallionesearch.com.
SPEAKER_03All right, back to the show.
SPEAKER_07And jumping into the preview section for this week, we have Yancy Guiman again here. Yancy, how are you?
SPEAKER_20Doing good.
SPEAKER_07Yancy, the featured preview race this week is the New Mexico Breeders Faturity Restricted Grade 3 at Sunray Park.$120,000 race. Two-year-olds going 350 yards. The one that I have picked on top is Big Ted. He's already qualified for the New Mexico Spring Faturity this year. He ran third and he hopped at the start in the Faturity Final in April, but he has been very consistent, and I think he's definitely one to beat in this race.
SPEAKER_20Yes, Bailey, he was really impressive on trial day. He blew away from the gates and just kind of won it easy. Um Eric Spanzuela has been super tough in New Mexico Breads all year. I really like his other horse as well, the two. Um Super Patriot. He stumbled away from the gates, was dead last early early on, and came and ran down and ran a big race to qualify. And he as well is also qualified for maturity already this year. Right now he's 20 to 1, so that'd be a good play for betters.
SPEAKER_07Yes, for sure. And another one that I think is gonna hit the board is the seven horse trained by Wes Giles. That's a Moor. He's sired by the freshman sire Elmer, and he seems to be improving every single race.
SPEAKER_20Yes, I really liked that horse as well. He was another one that just flew away from the gates on trial day and pretty much had the race one at the start. Uh Wes Giles had a huge day that day. I think they won eight out of 13 races.
SPEAKER_07Wow. Well, I think that this is all around a very tough race, and I'm looking forward to recapping it next week. Aren't you gonna be there, right, Yancy?
SPEAKER_20Yeah, we me and my wife will be there to watch it.
SPEAKER_07So awesome. Well, I look forward to hearing about it.
SPEAKER_05Alright, that's all the time we have for this episode here on Quarter Horse Racing Talk Weekly. And Bailey, we've revisited this concept of educating some of the newest owners coming into the sport. And I, you know, I think people really like these things. And and without a doubt, as you know, you and I are probably the smartest two people we know, without a doubt. There's tremendous amount of information on these things that we don't actually know. That I I'm learning as I'm bringing it to the quarter horse racing world on some of these topics that we're delving out.
SPEAKER_06Yes, and I think that this week the jockeys definitely bring a different perspective of what normally people don't understand about the game.
SPEAKER_05Yes. And unless you're going down the lane 40 something miles an hour with your hair on fire, like these jockeys are doing and hollering and screaming and trying to get to the wire in front, you just really don't know what they've unless you've done it, you really don't know what's going on. And I'm so happy to have these guys and the connections that I can get this and bring it to you guys here on Quarter Horse Racing Talk Weekly. And uh, we got huge episodes coming up because we got these big grade one races. Won't be that long. We'll be going to Albuquerque.
SPEAKER_06Yes, I'm already not looking forward to that trip.
SPEAKER_05Yes. Bailey the stallioneseearch.com road warrior. Well, on behalf of Greg Thompson of Stallionesearch.com, and I'm Bailey Ivy. We look forward to bringing these so you can come in and tune in and listen here on Quarter Horse Racing Talk next week.