StallioneSearch Podcasts

Ep.64- Ben Hudson- QH Racing Talk Weekly

Greg Thompson

Use Left/Right to seek, Home/End to jump to start or end. Hold shift to jump forward or backward.

0:00 | 1:06:12

Send us Fan Mail

Ben Hudson, founder of Track Magazine, joins Episode 64 of QH Racing Talk — Weekly for an in-depth conversation about his career covering the Quarter Horse racing industry and the evolution of print media.

During the episode, Hudson discusses the growth of Track Magazine into a leading monthly publication in the Quarter Horse racing world. He also shares stories from his early years in journalism and reflects on some of the sport's most memorable moments and influential figures.

Co-hosts Greg Thompson and Bailey Ivey recap the recent stakes races from Remington Park's closing night and preview this weekend's major events in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The weekend is highlighted by the $1 million Ruidoso Futurity (G1) and the $850,000 Ruidoso Derby (G1), two of the premier races on the Quarter Horse calendar.

SPEAKER_24

Quarter horse racing fans, you are in the right place. You found the number one quarter horse racing podcast in the world. Quarter Horse Racing Talk Weekly. For June 3rd, it's where the legends come to tell the stories of their careers.

SPEAKER_17

And where the newsmakers come on to talk about the current happenings in the world of the running American Quarterhorse.

SPEAKER_22

And here's your co-hosts, Greg Thompson and Bailey Ivy. It's Quarter Horse Racing Talk Weekly.

SPEAKER_03

And hello again, everyone. I'm Greg Thompson at Stallioneesearch.com, and this is Quarter Horse Racing Talk Podcast Weekly.

SPEAKER_14

And I'm Bailey Ivy.

SPEAKER_03

Bailey, I just have to say you did a great job out there in Oklahoma City, the Heritage Place Weekend, this past weekend, and you were out there bringing us all the coverage. It was just great.

SPEAKER_14

It was an overload of graded stakes races, and Greg, watching Impressum win the Remington Park Championship was definitely the race of the night. And honestly, it may be one of my favorite races to witness.

SPEAKER_03

You know, Bailey, we're going to look back and say that he was one of the greats and that you were there to see him. Uh, you know, we are always interviewing these people, legends of the sport that were making the headlines back in the day, and it always revolves around, well, tell us about some of the great ones that you were able to be there and witness. And maybe one of these days, somewhere down the road, somebody's gonna be interviewing Bailey Ivy and they're gonna say, tell us about some of the great ones. Now you can say, Well, I saw Impressive Win in one of the the greatest Debbie Schoss that has ever been ran.

SPEAKER_13

For sure.

SPEAKER_03

And I have to say, Bailey, you're getting pretty good behind the camera there. I I don't know if uh, you know, I hope that I haven't whittled my way out of having a job there.

SPEAKER_13

You know what they say, Greg. Out with the old, in with the new.

SPEAKER_03

That's what they say. Well, yes, uh Age Before Beauty. But anyway, moving on. We have a great show, Bailey. The last two weeks we've had some of the pioneers in the quarter horse publication world on with Andy Golden, formerly of Speedhorse, as well as David Smith, our own David Smith of Stallionesearch.com. And I'm really excited to tell you who I got this week, Bailey.

SPEAKER_14

Don't tell me you got him.

SPEAKER_03

I did get him. I did get him. Ben Hudson of Track Magazine has joined us here on the Quarter Horse Racing podcast. And uh he's been somebody that I've been trying to get on for quite some time and uh finally getting him on there. I think I've hit the tri well, let's call it the triple crown, Bailey. I've hit the triple crown of the pioneers of the quarter horse publication world, and uh a super interesting discussion that Ben and I had, and I can't wait for you to hear it. You know, one of the things that really interests me about that period of time, if you think about it, they went through the oil boom and then they went through the oil crash while there was four publications battling it out for that advertisement dollar, and and uh all four of them were really significant, and uh it's just amazing to to think about it in the modern day of how you know they're they're literally chasing after the same exact dollar. And for all four magazines to have been thriving at the time. Now, obviously we're down to two magazines, there are two of them don't exist anymore, but uh it's just great, and it was great to hear Ben's perspective of what it was like during some of the heydays of quarter horse racing that he was there reporting because you know track magazine goes all the way back to the mid-70s.

SPEAKER_14

Yeah, Greg, my grandfather has always had a great relationship with Ben Hudson. I would even say that Sleepy Gilbreth made the track magazine hat cool.

SPEAKER_03

Oh, definitely. I mean, the the pictures of Sleepy for for decades have been with him with a track magazine hat. And I look forward to getting into this interview with Ben Hudson after we return from these words from our sponsor.

SPEAKER_14

Did I just say my grandfather is cool?

SPEAKER_03

You did just say your grandfather is cool. I think he's gonna give you a high five on that one. It's staggering just how many grade one winners and champions come out of the Heritage Place Yearling Cell every year, and how you, the buyer, get a chance to be one of those people owning one of those champions. This year, September 16th, 17th, 18th, and 19th, there in Oklahoma City is when the Heritage Place quarterhorse yearling sale takes place. So reserve your hotels now, and we'll see you in Oklahoma City at Heritage Place, the place where champions are sold.

SPEAKER_18

Lipchip is calling all horsemen who are ready to bring their born to the next level. Stop letting technology be your biggest enemy. Lipchip is built by horsemen or horsemen. We know how you ride. Hooflink system, powered by Lipchip, provides you peace of mind, keeping track of horse identity, health documents, and horse performance. All stored securely right at the tip of your fingers. Even track daily temperatures with a swipe of a Bluetooth scanner. We make life at the barn a little easier. Head to Hooflink.com. Let her rip Lipchip.

SPEAKER_15

All right, let's get back to the podcast.

SPEAKER_03

All right, we're back here on Quota Horse Racing Talk and ready to jump in with our featured guests. And through this series where I've been able to put some of the pioneers of Quotahorse Racing publication and how we receive the news throughout the years of in the history of the sport. One of the most revered and one of the most celebrated publishers that was out there is definitely Track Magazine's been a and at the very youthful 83 years of age. Ben is one of the industry's elder statesmen. He's been a writer, a photographer, a publisher, a historian, an industry advocate. Served on so many things throughout the H2HK. And he's also a member of the H2H Hall of Fame with his induction in 2016. He's a member of the Redo Racehorse Hall of Fame and the Texas Racing Hall of Fame. So many things set the bar, set the standard of what it's supposed to look like in the publication world here in Quarter Horse Racing. And it's my honor to have him on throughout this series of bringing their stories of what it was like throughout the early days of publication in the world of Quartos Racing. And without further ado, let's get Ben here on the phone. Ben, so very happy for you to join us here on the Quarter Horse Racing Talk weekly podcast. And so thank you so much for joining us. Well, uh, thank you for inviting us. Ben, I know a little bit of your bio going back further. The you know, you served time in the Navy, and when you came out of there, you went into the publication world. What was the event in your life that led you in that direction? I as far as I know, you don't have a horse racing background initially, but what led you to quarter horse racing and what led you to the publication world?

SPEAKER_20

Well, it's uh it's really kind of uh kind of strange. Uh our family came to uh the both sides of our family came to uh Texas early in the 20th century from Arkansas and uh Tennessee and crossed the Red River in wagons, not together and all, and but we had a family horse background, but not very much, you know. Bought my first quarter horse in uh when I was in high school with my friend Ted Shear. And uh I made the uh decision in in uh early in life that I wanted to be in the printing business, and I went to a vocational high school in Fort Worth, and then I uh went to TCU uh as a journalism major, and one of the guys I met through the printing business was Benny Scott, the guy that uh owned the quarter racing record. And uh I helped Benny with some of the uh design and editorial stuff on the quarter racing record while I was at TCU. And after I graduated from TCU, I ended up spending uh four years in the Navy and all that stuff, and I came back from the Navy and I was gonna go to law school at the University of Texas, and I ran into Benny Scott at Quarter Racing Records at the press club in Fort Worth, and I had some time to kill, and so he convinced me to come to work for him at the quarter racing record. That was in uh the fall of 1971, and uh I had the background in journalism, had b little background in horses, and the next thing I knew I was hooked on the publishing business, all about the business of quarter horse racing, and here we are today, lowies fifty odd years later.

SPEAKER_03

But what was it about quarter horse racing that literally hooked you? Of racing as well as racetracks that were out there, and and without the quarter horse racing record, or the quarter racing record, I should say, Ben, where is it that the love for the sport derived as it pertains to Ben Hudson?

SPEAKER_20

I'd I'd never seen, you know, been around horses all my life again, but I'd never really seen a race in all. And when I was a student at TCU, we had uh in journalism, we had a writing assignment that we needed to write a story about something unusual and all. And I had knocked around the old Clear Fork Downs, which later became known as Trinity Meadows. I had knocked around there a little bit looking at horses, and I had been to Ross Downs, which was out between Dallas and Fort Worth, kind of, and I decided to write a story about horse racing in Texas and the possibility of paramutual racing coming in. This again is in the mid-1960s. And so that's where I really got excited about American quarter horse racing, is at at Ross Downs and and Clear Fork Downs. And uh I wrote a story about it, it got published, even what m parts of it even made its way into uh the Fort Worth newspaper and all. And but that's where I really got hooked.

SPEAKER_03

Then being based in Texas and without the the the major tracks and really without paramutual racing at that time for gosh, if it was in the mid-sixties, paramutual racing didn't see the light of day in in state of Texas until mid-1980s. The larger scale racing or the the limelight racing and quarter horse racing certainly was over in New Mexico or even out in California. Talk about what it was like to go out and see the the the high level of racing versus what we had here in Colleville at Ross Downs, as well as in Trinity Meadows or down in Goliath or all the other non-paramutal tracks that you probably were accustomed to seeing.

SPEAKER_20

You know, we loved the racing in Texas and Oklahoma that we got to see in the uh in in the 70s and 80s, and it was during during those time in in the late 70s and early eighties that uh Jerry Mack Adams and I started Track Magazine in 1975, and it was it was a lot of fun in Texas in those years, and we had the good fortune of hiring a couple of guys right out of college, and Mark Aaron, who's with us this morning, and Jeff Hooper, who's uh moved over to the third business. But we hired those guys, you know, in say roughly in 1980, and we barnstormed around Texas and Oklahoma mainly, and going going to uh Goliad and Del Rio and Brady and just you know all the little tracks, you know, Trinity Meadows and two two different racetracks over by Graham and over in East Texas, and uh and uh we just had such a dead gum much fun that we didn't we didn't know that we weren't at the top of the game. I can remember talking to Blaine Swaneveld and and he said uh we were at Los Alamedas and and he congratulated us on uh on passing prayer mutual in Texas, and he said, What you've done is ruined American quarter horse racing. And uh and Mark's the one that gave me that quote, and he could he could probably tell you as much about it as I can, but but you know, Blaine grew up like we did without it, you know, and he m moved to Los Alamedas and became the best there ever was. But Blaine would still go back to Idaho and and anywhere else and go to the races and have more fun. And and uh that that was the heyday, that was the best days of quarter horse racing. I wish we could go back to it. Can't do it, you know, but I wish we could.

SPEAKER_03

Always heard that was the the the the prime spot of the historical section of quarter horse racing was during that period of time and and the most fun was had. Ben, let me take one step back. In 1971, you you had mentioned that you went to work for Benny Scott at the Quarter Racing Record, and that was based in the Fort Worth area, is that correct? It was in Fort Worth, yeah. It was in Fort Worth. And in 75, you and Jerry McAdams started Track Magazine. What was it about that period of time? You're those four years of working there at Quarter Horse Racing Record that said you and Jerry looked at each other and said, you know what, let's start our own publication and get going. Uh the the the market could take another publication out there covering covering the quarter horse racing world. What was it that drove you to to start your own publication?

SPEAKER_20

Um Mac and I were pretty sure that we were smarter than Benny Scott. And I'll and Benny was a great friend, great guy, you know, you know. But uh we you know, we were young guys and we were sure that we could do something better. Uh shortly before I met Mac Adams, and he was a TCU guy also. Well, I met uh a woman now known as Nancy Wise, the the wife of Butch Wise, and uh Nancy was a was a journalism student at TCU with Mac Adams, and I essentially, on behalf of Benny Scott, gave her her first job in the business in in quarter horse racing right out of TCU. And then three or four months after that, uh Mac Adams went to work at the record also. And after Jerry and I had worked together for there for less than two years, we were confident that we could do a better job than Quarter Racing Record was doing. And uh we uh went and borrowed some money in Open Track magazine on June the 23rd, 1975. And a couple of years later, Mark and Jeff joined us, and we were four young, hard-running guys that uh you know had had horse and journalism backgrounds, and we just hit the road and made it work. You know, within uh within two years, we would had the biggest circulation in uh uh of the three or four publications serving the business. And we we would just have it looked back and done some very innovative things and had a good time doing it. Have not gotten rich, I think I probably could have worked at a gas station and made more money than I've done than I did uh on this thing, but we've had a tremendous amount of out of fun. We've seen some great horses, and we've got to be in the presence of the giants of the business in the way of horses and in the way of people, and at the same time followed a uh a kind of a roller coaster of of new inventions and in uh the publishing business that uh have kept us on our toes and kept us going.

SPEAKER_22

Hey, we'll be right back after these words from our sponsors on Quarter Horse Racing Talk Weekly. So be sure to check out the Stallion roster at Roboshow Ranch in Bro Bridge, Louisiana. Sires like AQHA Champion Sire of Political Blood, Grade 1 winning and grade 2 winning, Gold Heart Eagle V, the Grade 1 winning and grade 1 producing, KVN Corona, the Multiple Grade 1 producing sire, Tempting Dash, and the All-American juvenile winning son of Corona Cartel, Visa, standing at Roboshow Ranch LLC.

SPEAKER_03

All right, the standout sire spotlight for Dunn Ranch this week goes to In Hot Pursuit, the multiple grade one place brother to two-time champion hot stepper. As In Hot Pursuit was the runner-up finisher in the Grade 1 Ed Burk Million Faturity, as well as a third place finisher in the Golden State Million Fraturity, another Grade 1 event. He ended his career with $358,000 earned on the racetrack and is standing at Dunn Ranch in Winniewood, Oklahoma.

SPEAKER_23

Also standing is champion and grade one producer, a revenant, the brother to a two-time champion of champions winner, a political victory, the multiple grade one producing sire, Chilitos, and the graded stakes winning Juices Loose, and the Grade One producer, PYC Fun and Fancy, all standing at Dunn Ranch in Winniewood, Oklahoma.

SPEAKER_03

Another 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_15

All right, let's get back to the podcast.

SPEAKER_03

The thing that I marvel at, especially since you and I are in the business of today of going after the advertisement dollar, is that back in the eighties, it seemed like you had the pre-oil crash and then the after part of the oil crash in the eighties, but you had literally four publications. And theoretically, if you counted the journal, that would have been five. Five publications out there covering quarter horse racing at the time. So it it it makes my head spin, Ben, the thinking about all five of you guys literally chasing after the same advertisement dollar and that there actually being enough business out there to subs to sustain that level of business for that period of time. Clearly, there's only two publications left as it pertains in the print world. Uh, but with that being said, take us back to during that period of time of you know, literally five publications are out there covering quarter horse racing at the same time.

SPEAKER_20

You know, the the difference between us then was we got off our butts and jumped into cars, jumped in airplanes, and went to where the action was. Nobody else has done that. And and I don't think anybody ever did it any better than we did then, and I don't think they ever did it any better than we do now. And I I think just the fact that uh we just threw everything else aside and threw it all into Track Magazine is what kept us going. One of the best things that's ever happened to us is is Mac Adams in the early days, Jerry was a uh he was a real driving force and he had uh a lot of talent. He was a tremendous photographer, and uh he made us all better, I think, as a result of that. The uh the the best thing that's happened to us in the last 50 years is Andy Hancock. And Andy Hancock, in in my opinion, is as good as any photographer that there is in the world. I accidentally stumbled onto him at the races at Riyados Downs in uh 2010, I think it was. And uh he had his his daddy had come to the races with Gary McKinney and all, and before McKinney had bought Lazy E, even, and uh and I met him and and his daddy told me about Andy. I said, he's a great photographer, and he said he's got a camera just like yours. I had a big Nikon camera with a giant lens on it, sitting here watching the races, and I kind of thought maybe he had uh point and shoot an icon camera or something. Well, and a couple of minutes later, uh Andy's dad said, he had a picture on the cover of Sports Illustrated, the Kentucky Derby this year. He got my attention, and I picked up the phone the next day and called Andy, who was in Indiana, and uh he came and shot the All-American with us that year, and he's been with us ever since. He has done so much for our magazine, and I think for American Quarter Horse Racing with his images. But the really cool thing he did is he kind of accidentally made really good photographers of Mark Aaron and myself and my wife and two of Christine's boys and Regina and everything else. He changed track magazine like you can't believe. His photographs were so good that they made, I mean, you'll find them on coffee tables and desks and in pickup trucks everywhere because people do not throw those magazines away, and it kept us going. It uh it led to me, and if you if you know me very much, you might know that I from time to time will smoke a cigar. And there's a there's a great magazine called Cigar Aficionado that is the size of the current track magazine, because I was sitting here looking at Andy's pictures one day and figuring out how I thought we could better display them. And that cigar magazine was laying here on my desk, and so I just called the printer and I said, we're changing the world of American quarter horse racing because we're changing the size of track magazine, and it I think it's really done that. And that's what's kept us alive and vibrant, and I think that helps our uh our advertisers because we display those horses the way that that no other image can do it. You know, it's it's better than electronic, and it's uh I I just like it. I'm confident that that's why we're still in business today while some other things have faded away.

SPEAKER_03

Yes. Well, I also go one step further with Andy. Andy not only made you guys better photographers in the uh in the track magazine world, but also everybody's competing with you on that. We're a lot of us are trying to duplicate. So Andy's raised that bar that we're trying to chase. And and it certainly has tried to make better photographers out of everybody. And we're I think it would be safe for both of us to say that court horse racing is having its struggles. And it's certainly not the same business I entered into 15 plus years ago when I got into it. I can only imagine the the differences of what it resembles now versus when you started 50 plus years ago. But talk about some of those stark contrasts between some of the aspects of the sport and the business between then and now.

SPEAKER_19

It was more fun. It was absolutely more fun.

SPEAKER_20

I had the pleasure of being around Benny Scott and B. F. Phillips and Jerry Rudesil and Charlie Graham and Jay Pumphrey and Jack McReynolds and Clarence Scarber and Walter Merrick and Butch Wise and Barry Wood and R. D. Hubbard and then later, you know, uh uh other giants of the business. And uh we you know, we just don't have those particular people anymore that uh and we don't have we don't have the opportunities to race in as many places as we did then. Uh you know, there was that to me there was nothing more fun than going to Columbus or or Goliad or or or tracks like that, the uh Blue Ribbon Downs. My gosh, what some great days we had at Blue Ribbon. And and you know, all the all the all the great horses got their starts at places like that, and those places are gone and and and never will be again. It it's frightening how few places there are to race horses today. And I don't think there's any way to change it.

SPEAKER_03

As it pertains to how the business is changing, Ben, uh, you know, we're we're uh moving into uh, you know, we don't have the publications we had back in the day. Uh, you know, the the strong survived, and the strong are still still surviving and thriving to as it pertains to the quarter horse business and and talking about the breeding side uh of us going after and looking at advertisers and all, talk about the innovation you guys over at Track Magazine of You know, you clearly pointed out the the changing of the way it's presented on the size of the magazine and all, but what are what are some of the innovations you feel like that that kind of were pioneered by Track Magazine and pushing the the folks in br in the breeding world to kind of put out their stallions in a certain way? You know, uh you remember the fax machine?

SPEAKER_20

Oh, without a doubt. I've heard about it. You know, I I started using the fax machine in in when I was in the Navy in the 19 in the 1960s. I started using the fax machine when it was the size of a large Samsonite suitcase, and I would carry it to football games everywhere and sit down and write a story and and send it back on the fax machine via a telephone line in in a hotel in West Virginia. The uh when we had a fax machine at Track Magazine, and uh I started that's where the Monday Report started in 1988, when I would send out just little thoughts and stuff like that, and it it evolved into the Monday Report, which has has really kept Track Magazine alive as much as anything. It it really has. The the you know, we put out probably an average of three or four Monday reports a week, and it goes everywhere and it's transferred everywhere and all. But that that that's the one thing that's really kept us alive. You know, we get as much revenue out of that as, you know, in in bottom line re bottom line money as we do out of the magazine. And it it keeps us moving and shaking. And uh I just think it's the best thing that's happened. And it's yeah, it's a good thing. And we would not have survived without it, and you know, and other people have come along and done some of the things that we've done, and it works for them too. It's it's just modern technology. Used to, you know, when when when I started in the in the business, we uh I was a line of type operator and and all, and that's hot type deal. Track magazine, when we started, we were not hot type, but we could have been. We started out with this, but but the technology has changed so much. It used to take, you know, cut and paste and all that stuff, and you could fill up the back of a suburban with the materials it took to print an issue of track magazine and all. Today, you know, it's all done right here on about three or four computers, or a half dozen computers and all, and it's it's so much easier and so much quicker that it's just it's just unreal. But but the technology has has kept us going and we've tried to keep up with it. I mean, we're getting all new computers here in the next few days and just gonna keep on going. You know, we we still enjoy what we're doing. We don't like a lot of stuff that's going on in the business, but we do what we can to report on it. I think we do the best job of reporting in the business, and we're gonna continue to do that. We we touch issues that other people just look the other way about, and uh I can't we we can't do that. We have we're degreed journalists, and we believe that we need to report the news as we see it.

SPEAKER_03

Ben, uh uh back in the day, say the early 70s or when you started Track Magazine of being able to receive results from Racetrack or being able to receive the entries from Racetracks, pictures of going across if you weren't able to be there uh at those those major events that you were going to put in the in the publication, of obtaining that information, it just fascinates me and and kind of give me a and as well as the listeners, what it was like to to operate and and get that information in order to deliver it to the quarter horse racing world.

SPEAKER_20

We again we got off our butts, got in a truck, and went to the races. There there is never there in in the 50-odd year history of Track Magazine, there has been one photo on the cover that was not taken by an employee or a contractor with Track Magazine. That's how we did it. We got off our ash and and went to where it was. It was more expensive, more time consuming and all. We would get news releases sent through the U.S. mail from Riodoza Downs and from Los Alamitas, and that was about the only people that would send anything out. No one else did. We had to go to Goliad, we had to wait on the mail. There was a little outfit out of Whitney, Texas, down here called Mohan and Nelson. They took pictures of all of all the tracks in Texas and Oklahoma, and they would send us a black and white picture, charge us a dollar a picture for them, which would not cover the mail. But they hit every stakes race in Texas. And we we use we use those things. We've got probably 24-drawer file cabinets back here in the back of track magazine now. It's got all those old Mohan and Nelson pictures in there from 1975 until they went out of business in the mid-80s, I guess it was. But it uh, you know, that that's just the way I mean you just gathered up the news like you were degreed journalists doing it.

SPEAKER_03

Wow. It's obviously changed so significantly now. We just at the click of a button, we have it in our email. Ben, going back to those years that you were able to go to the racetrack, and and I would totally agree that the the strong suit was you guys actually being there and having having feet on the ground and covering the the races with your journalists that were there. Talk about some of the great horses and and great individuals that you've been able to run across throughout your career here as a publisher.

SPEAKER_20

Well, you know, Dash for Cash, of course, EasyJet, of course, you know. Uh I I never got to see Easy Jet run, but uh I saw I saw somewhere in the last two or three days there was a picture that we had taken of Walter and Easy Jet. It was on TV in the last two or three days. But it uh, you know, we we got to see, you know, all of the great horses, you know. Uh I you know, I was talking just earlier this morning with Steve Holtz. We got to see you know, we got to see his great horse nearly nearly every time he's run, including uh I I wasn't there, but Mark was there and Andy was there this past Saturday night. And uh and all and we've just got to see so many great horses over the years that it's it's just unreal. The danger uh gosh, one famous eagle, you know, they just go on and on and on. But uh, you know what what a what a blessing it has been to to do that and to and to me and to be with the Blaine Swanevelts and the Andrinis and the Trotters and Dr. Blodgett and all of those guys, it's just it's just absolutely unreal how blessed we've been. And and to get, you know, we've gone to Australia, we've gone to Mexico, we've gone to Brazil, and and for for a kid that was basically raised on the south side of Fort Worth and worked his way through through school by running a line of type machine, it's been a heck of a run. And and to have guys on our staff like Mark and Jeff Hooper and Andy Hancock and Stacy Foi and and people like that. That I mean, Stacy had been with us going on 30 years. Mark's got 30 years with us and uh and all and they, you know, and they they know the business as well as anyone else in the business, in my opinion, you know, and instead of some, well, in instead of some others, you know.

SPEAKER_27

And we'll be right back after these words.

SPEAKER_03

Hey, at Lazy Eranchers an exciting new sire named Kenton, grade one winner, AQHA champion, two-year-old Colt, finishing his first year at stud as a success in the breeding shed, a well-bred son of Kiss My Hawks out of the Chrono Cartel Mare, charming cartel, and an earn of almost $650,000 on the racetrack, a grade one winner, and also a grade two winner in the Evangeline as a runner. If you didn't breed in 2026, Twin, 2027, this is the guy, this is the tire, Hampton, Lazy E Ranch in Guthrie, Oklahoma. Take a look at it.

SPEAKER_26

Also check out the fire roster of Grade 1 super derby winner Big Lou, the legendary Corona Cartel, the Grade 1 producing Coronado Cartel, the all-time leader First Down Dash, another leading Sire PYC Paint Your Wagon, new for 2026 Unrelentless, all standing in Guthrie, Oklahoma at Lazy E Ranch.

SPEAKER_03

Hey, a little bit further down the front page on Stalynesearch.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.

SPEAKER_15

All right, let's get back to the podcast.

SPEAKER_03

Ben, one of the things that is being on the in competition with you for the same dollar is that I've always respected the fact of your your ability to develop the relationships with the individuals. I'm assuming you would say that that is one of the keys to your success of your your longevity. It's building the relationships with the right people in the sport.

SPEAKER_20

Well, you the I mean those relationships are built again, I think they're built because we show up on their farms, and and we've done that since day one, and we still do that. There's nobody in the business active today that's been to more farms than Mark Aaron, I bet. You know, and he's taken more pictures, and Mark is he is a people, people, and uh and all, and and and Mac Adams and I started doing that day one. You know, you you end up going places where you might not go otherwise, but uh golly, we've we've we've done a lot of things for a long time, and we are not slowing down. I'm not slowing down, even though I've had 83 birthdays. I'm still doing it, and I still uh, you know, it it's about 150 feet from my bed to my office, and our horses are right outside. I still do it every morning, and I uh I'm really proud of what we've done, and I hope to keep doing it. It uh Christine and I really enjoy what we're doing, raising horses, breeding horses, racing horses, and putting out magazines and Monday reports and all, and it's uh it's really good. The best, the best thing that I've seen in American quarter horse racing since I started is the development of the racetrack chaplaincy of America. And what uh what what I've seen through that is incredible. It was started by a cowboy that uh that has a has a has a lot to do with a different part of the deal, but it's uh what what they did at Riadosa Downs in building that church out there is one of the best things that's happened in my life period. Without quarter horse racing, that never would have happened. You know, my buddy Johnny Trotter that owns that owns uh Riadosa Downs, he and his wife Janna, Trotter has said in in his Christian testimony that he doesn't know why he got involved in American quarter horse racing. He said, but God could have led him to it for the creation and for their involvement with the racetrack chaplaincy out of America. That's pretty stout. And that may be why I'm here. I don't know.

SPEAKER_03

Ben, I think it's safe to say that we're at a crossroads in quarter horse racing. There's just no way to say it other than to say it like that, from the wrong headlines being all too prevalent in the quarter horse racing world to maybe even the unknown fate of what's going to happen to our beloved Riyados Downs, which has been such a focal point for decades with our Triple Crown and as making the industry thrive and what people pursue or want to win as as it pertains to the All-American Faturity and not really knowing where we're going with that is certainly something that makes makes people wonder about the business. And maybe with your you know, 50 plus years in the industry, you've seen a similar crossroad or something that mirrors this point in the history of the sport that we're going through, and kind of talk about what you're seeing from your perspective.

SPEAKER_20

I think that uh with with things that have gone on with casinos and uh and the consolidation of of racing and all, I can't imagine very much racing going on for any breed 15 years from now. You know, I hate to say that, but I just I I I just cannot imagine very much going on. Uh Churchill wants to own all the racetracks, and they want all the racetracks to be two or three. Uh unless some people really step up in the quarter horse deal, I just uh, you know, it's it's it's just gonna continue to shrink, I believe.

SPEAKER_03

Right. I would with the uh advent of these new avenues of say like Nebraska and Kansas and Kentucky, these racetracks are opening up and and their focus on quarter horse racing is is they're uh closely tied to casino wagering. We we all know that. That it's the writing is on the wall. Those two are going hand in hand. I almost have to see that our if we have longevity in in the sport of quarter horse racing, it has to be tied on us figuring out how to continue that relationship, because if they uh were to remove us from the equation and say, well, you can have the casino, you don't have to have the racetrack, you and I both know they're more than likely not going to do the racetrack. And I believe you pointed out that is a sad fact in the sport that if we don't somehow figure out a a way to keep it going or or some key individuals step up and make a change, I think it's we're for some rough seas in front of us.

SPEAKER_20

I don't think that the Kentucky deal will ever be worth a damn. You know what what what does what do it good does it do for Kentucky to race eight days a year and give away four million dollars? Does that grow the industry in any way whatsoever? I don't think so. And if you know, if they're gonna do that kind of deal and they're gonna if they're gonna let Nebraska run two days a year, like they let High Leah run, do they even bother to run a a race at High Leah anymore? If state governments are going to allow that kind of stuff to happen, well well quarter horse racing will have a really hard time of maintaining where it is today.

SPEAKER_03

Ben in your career, you've been you've you've had received the accolades, you've you've been inducted into the AQHA Hall of Fame, the the Texas Horse Racing Hall of Fame, um many other astute recognitions that you've received. Talk about what those recognitions to mean, or maybe even talk about which one meant the most.

SPEAKER_20

You know, m more than more than any other, and and you know, I'm grateful for those deals. More than anything, it's the the people that uh that I've got to rub elbows with that that's important to me. The relationships that that we've had and for many of those guys, you know, for the for the sleepy Gilbert's and and and guys like that that uh I can call on the phone and jump in the truck and go have lunch with and and you know the the blank swanevelts and and the trotters and and it and it and the Charlie Graham's and all, no knowing that they're gonna call me if if if they need something and I can call them if I need something. And and and the employees that we've had over the years, though those are the things that are really important to me. I mean the the horses are of course, you know, the the the fact that you know Walter Merrick came and sat down with me at Los Alamitas one night and we sat there and talked for three or four hours, and and the fact that Joe Merrick called me when he wanted to do that book about easy jet and all, and and those kind of things are what I will cherish. And and the fact that uh, you know, my wife and I have got to enjoy racing together and breeding these mares and and uh the horse sales and everything else. The fact that we've got to share so much for 30 years now, it's just it's just uh i i it's it's made my life so much fuller, you know. Um and I'm so thankful to God that that he uh gave me an interest in printing when I was in the first grade, which led to me getting uh uh a background in graphic arts, which uh led me to horse racing, and here we are today.

SPEAKER_03

Here we are. Been one of the relationships in the industry that you've spoken with lovingly, and and often is your uh relationship with the late great Blaine Schwaneveld. And we've taken some time and had some interviews with other individuals that had a close relationship, but I didn't get to meet Blaine. Uh I didn't get to sit down and talk with, but I'll I I talked plenty about Blaine with people that knew him. But talk with your experience with you and Blaine.

SPEAKER_20

Christine and I were really pleased to uh to have Blaine come and spend some time with us here and and have him uh walk out and look at our horses and all. And we had a uh we had a Chick-sbedweno mare, which was the first horse that I bought Christine. It was absolutely gorgeous that I bought from from Hubbard and Johnny Jones and all. And Blaine said, that is the best looking Chick-speed O'Mare I I've ever seen. And it the it was bred by the all-red brothers and all. She ended up doing nothing for us, but but giving us some great memories and all. But that that was good. But the time I got to spend with Blaine on the backside at Los Alamedas at his at his ranch and here and took him to the sale at the 46s, and it it was really special. And Blaine trained a couple of horses for us and and all, and it it was good. But there's so many good horsemen like that that that I just got to be around that uh it it's those things. I I I do want to say this about David Smith. If if David hadn't done what he did and gone out on a limb and started stag and e search, I don't know where we would be today. It it was a very bold move that he took. And he did he did something that the AQHA should have done, and went online with all this stuff, and uh and all and my hat is also. to David Smith for what he done, for what he's done. And I'm not sure, and and no one's ever I don't know if anyone's ever said this, but I'm not sure that he shouldn't be in the AQHA Hall of Fame for what he has done. He made us a better publication because I'll admit that Mark and I both, we go to his website, your website, several times a day because it is a tremendous source of information. And it was you know I don't know where the AQHA refused to do that stuff. What what you guys have done and and y'all have done a great job of it. That that's you know that's my testimony today. Well I will give you testimony back Ben if there's anything that we look at religiously it's the Monday report because we are forever chasing your brilliant idea of the Monday report and you had mentioned how far back you've gone and and all and and how important it is to track magazine and we know just how important it is and we we run into it all the time on our side just it we're trying to we're always trying to compete with that and so uh hats off to you guys well we we we drive each other and and I I will say it is uh i it it's a pleasure to deal with you guys and it uh again I don't know where this business would be without track magazine and without staging search well that well we appreciate the kind words we certainly don't and and and and like you say we fight for the same don't we don't fight we compete for the same back to the show and uh I I think we both make each other better you know both both outfits.

SPEAKER_03

Well Ben thanks so very much for coming on and and talking about your experiences in quarter horse racing as well as in the publication world and uh thanks again for coming on here on the podcast and and talking with us about all things track magazine.

SPEAKER_17

Okay thank you a lot and we'll be right back after these words the racing recap sponsored this week is Ruidoso Sales Company. The 2025 All-American winner, King of the Tide, is a Ruidoso New Mexico sale graduate in 2024.

SPEAKER_03

Book now to plan to be there this summer Hey there's something important to know at Royal Vista Ranch of just how amazing the weekend past was for a political Jess and his runners. He not only had a grade one winner in the Debi Shaf with impressed him a grade one winner in the Juno's request with catching southern race but he was also the sire of the grade two Oaks winner Chewbacca, the Boyd Moore Stakes winner as well as the Jack Brooks Stakes winner. What an amazing night and why is that important? Well with all these summer yearlings talks coming up it's eight political Jets babies is what you should be looking for. As he's one of the standout sire's there at Royal Distorant and Wayne Oklahoma.

SPEAKER_25

Also standing for 2026 is Multiple graded stakes finalist a political J Streak. The Grade 1 producing FDD Going Grand a perennial leading sire Flying Cowboy 123 multiple stakes producing sire part of the cartel and new for 2026. The Grade 1 winner, just Delte. All this talent standing at Royal Vista Ranch in Wayne, Oklahoma.

SPEAKER_03

Alright we're back here and ready to jump in the recap section here in Bailey. There was just so many stakes races this past weekend races there at Remington Park alone. So we're really just going to handle the big stakes races. Let's just get right into the big ones.

SPEAKER_14

Yes Greg, 12 stakes races on the card and we are going to discuss the grade ones at Remington Park.

SPEAKER_03

All right the first one right off the bat is the grade one Remington Park Distance Championship stakes 870 yards for the hook horses and here's Del Day with the call.

SPEAKER_12

Trip past the quarter pole into the top of the stretch it's Winchester there first. Winchester on the lead by a pair FL Rizzo dives inside is making up headway Rocky leaders to a player and in the blue handing out candy has to make a big rally furlong to go and Winchester showing the way in the Reverge Mark Distance Championship out by three and will not be denied here.

SPEAKER_14

Winchester takes the championship Winchester is a five-year-old gelding by favorite cartel out of the FDD dynasty mare, Nellie Delaney bred by Bobby Cox, owned by Lucky Ladies trained by Justin Joyner and ridden by Mario Delgado.

SPEAKER_03

A huge win for Winchester and we were able to get on the phone with his trainer Justin Joyner to talk about this grade one winner. On the phone with trainer Justin Joyner Justin horse jumps up and wins a big grade one event there on closing weekend at Remington Park. Talk about Winchester in the big Remington Park distance championship.

SPEAKER_06

Yeah you know and Winchester he's a really nice horse uh good group of horses that he that he ran against I think uh you know might have might have drawn the right post for him it's it's tough to outrun a a horse that's win his last nine races but uh you know we we ran a perfect race and and ended up on top so you know gotta be proud of that.

SPEAKER_03

Justin what's next for this grade one winner?

SPEAKER_06

Uh you know the uh the challenge race in in Albuquerque our next go-to we'll we'll evaluate him and see uh see how we fit in there.

SPEAKER_03

Congratulations again Justin thank you all right the next grade one event was the Juno's request stakes for the Phillies and mayors going 400 yards over a six figure purse and here's Del Day for the call of the Juno's request.

SPEAKER_12

They're off in the Juno's request flying Bandita a little congestion how quickly Carmelites grabs the early lead chase now by she's a fearless eagle flying Bandita now had trouble with the start now tracks into third moving up outside Jolie lead running a big one it's Carmelite's on top here comes Jolie Led farther out catching southern rays. Here's the final yards in the Juno's request Carmelite's trying to hold off catching southern rays photo finish.

SPEAKER_14

Catching Southern Rays is a four-year-old filly by a political Jess out of the PYC Paint Your Wagon mare Mary Paint Your Wagon owned and bred by Leanne Burns trained by Stacy Charette Hill and ridden by Christian Escada.

SPEAKER_03

Another great Philly from the barn of Stacy Sherad Hill and we were able to get on the phone with her to talk to her about this grade one winning Philly. On the phone with winning trainer the Juno's request Stacy Sheradhill Stacy this is definitely this horse's coming out party here winning a big grade one event she won stakes there as a two year old but uh definitely nothing in the ballpark of something this of this magnitude with the big win in the Juno's request.

SPEAKER_00

Talk about this Philly she's a four year old kind of missed out on her three year old year just kept doing things wrong and has had that problem a little bit this year. But I think we have it ironed out hopefully the Philly is a really nice Philly and has lots of talent can really run. She beats herself a little bit you know she belongs to Leanne Burns um she raised her she bought the mayor from um me and Randy and Mr. Pole and and then she raised this baby out of her after she got through running her and she's breader back to political jazz and cowboy and she's got an FDD dynasty yearlin this year. That mayor could run herself and seems like she's gonna be a producer.

SPEAKER_03

What's next for this Philly year?

SPEAKER_00

Um the challenge at Iowa and maybe some overnight stakes there.

SPEAKER_03

Well congratulations on the big grade one win Stacy and we look forward to seeing her progress throughout the year.

SPEAKER_00

Thank you.

SPEAKER_03

The three year olds were the spotlight in the grade two Heritage Place Derby 400 yards over $3350 there at Remington Park on Saturday night and here's the call from Del Day.

SPEAKER_14

They're off in the Heritage Place Derby quick start for Racket Ridge coming away sharply at 12 from the middle of the gate ABC Scaruna on the outside point blank range right there down inside here comes our guys it is still ABC Skrona but point blank range making some headway up and going for the front point blank range powering on in the final 200 and getting well ahead of JC's being point blank range in the heritage place derby point blank range is the three year old gelding by Tell Cartel out of the bodacious dashmare Fanny Blinkers read by Garvin Kelly and Lloyd Yother owned by 918 Bloodstock trained by Dee Keener and written by Roman Cruz.

SPEAKER_03

And we were able to get on the phone with the 2026 leading trainer at Remington Park D Keener to talk to him about this big win all right on the phone with trainer D Keener who just won the title of leading trainer for the 2026 Remington Park meet. But D, you're also the winning trainer for the grade two Heritage Place Derby D, talk about this talented three-year-old Greg is skilling he's uh he's been he's been really good.

SPEAKER_07

I mean he uh was a little bit we had some problems with him as a two-year-old he's come back good everything's you know he's sound and uh fresh he just had five outs we're looking for good things coming what's next on the agenda for this horse he uh goes to the uh rainbow in the all-Americans well good luck for the rest of the summer for this talented three year old and we'll see you up there in Albuquerque you bet thank you the three year old Phillies took center stage in the grade two Heritage Place Oaks $373,000 400 yards the three year old Phillies going at it here's Del Day with the call.

SPEAKER_12

They're off in the Heritage Place Oaks quick start great start for Chewbacca launched out of there up early here's Weir C from the outside also chasing now flying policy one two three down inside Emerald Bay with a chance We're see making up ground sunshiny trying to gain on the far outside but Chewbacca with a great start trying to fend off Weir C. Here's Chewbacca to win the Heritage Place Oaks.

SPEAKER_14

Chewbacca is a three-year-old Philly by a political Jess out of the PYC paint your wagon mare paint or more owned and bred by Linderborg LLC trained by Jason Olmsted and ridden by Ramiro Garcia.

SPEAKER_03

And after the win we were able to talk with winning trainer Jason Olmsted about this graded stakes winning Philly.

SPEAKER_02

When the gates come open I mean she got a big run and start and was two in front right off the bat and I knew with the start she got it was going to be hard to catch her and luckily she held on.

SPEAKER_03

One of our favorite categories here on Quarterhorse racing talk weekly is the older horse division the Debbie Schaff Remington Park Invitational Championship the grade one event over $258,000 on the line 440 yards and all the big names in the sport where they are going forth a field of 12 here's the call from Del Day.

SPEAKER_12

They're off to the Debbie Shaoff Reming Park Championship. Good start for KJ Desperado and Cowboys Gun Z from middle of the gate Stetson right there toward the inside Church spire running on along with Shaker's nose secret trying to make up ground on the outside is KJ Desperado hooked and gone and impressive trying to fire it's not happening yet.

SPEAKER_14

Churchpire still battling on here comes impressive with a late surge can press up at KJ Desperado nos is on the line those two photo finish of the Debbie Shoff Remich Park Championship impressum is an eight-year-old gelding by a political jest out of the first down dash mare, Crazy Down Corona, owned and bred by Jeff Jones and Steve Holt, trained by Fernando Menriquez and written by Jockey Rodrigo Vallejo.

SPEAKER_03

Absolutely entering the stratosphere the great ones impressum pulls off another win and we were able to get on the phone with co-owner Steve Holt about this eight-year-old Gelding getting to the wire there in the Debbie Shaff. All right on the phone with co-owner Steve Holt with Impressum. Steve, you got to be happy with the outcome of that uh race I would say about 100 yards to 150 yards out I thought he was hopelessly beat.

SPEAKER_04

He's historically the last couple years not broke at all but you know when I thought he couldn't break any worse he did and then and then and then it looked like possibly you know the he was going to get crossed over in front of not fouling him or anything but and then the horse kept his lane so he had a place to go. And like you said 40 yards from the finish he was probably fifth at best. And as Del Day called it I I think he literally got the win on his last jump but he's just uh you know true champion uh got a heart as big as any uh horse that ever went down the straightaway and kind of got to the point if if he can run where the speed is it's the best place for him. And there was plenty of speed out there where we were at.

SPEAKER_03

Gave him something to shoot at going down the lane. So Steve, the million dollar question of course a lot of people in their mind he qualifies to for another birth into the champion of champions there's lots of ground to cover from now until then I know obviously there's a lot of questions to be answered from now until then but are we going to see another run at the champion of champions out of this big big building?

SPEAKER_04

Yes you know I kind of learned over the years and kind of pick a race and you work backwards from it. That would be the ultimate goal and and of course that's totally dependent upon a good vet check and him training good and you know he's gonna he as I've spoken with you before he he doesn't owe anybody anything. You know I think that win right there tied him for the most grade one wins in the history of quarter horse racing. He's got 12 grade one wins. I think danger has 12 and I don't think anybody else is even close. So the horse will tell us what to do ideally we might like to give him an out between now and then you know the first thing we'll do is send him to Dr. Hayes at Elgin and we've done that historically and I think that's why his career's been it had so much longevity with it. You know we don't do anything if there's a crack if there's anything a hole in him anywhere he won't come back. Right.

SPEAKER_03

Well congratulations Steve and we look forward to hearing what the outcome of going towards the another birth into the champion and champions that he's earned and if the big horse can actually make it there into December. So thanks so much for getting on here on the podcast with us Steve. Thank you for calling and it was the finale the grade one Heritage Place Futurity the $1.1 million dollar event 350 yards and here's the call from Del Day they're off in the Heritage Place Futurity.

SPEAKER_12

Good start for Fall Classic bet the limit toward the outside right there curl's favorite jet a Hurler kind of V gets into it now Fall Classic despite acting up battling for the front here comes curl's favorite jet father out Demaris running a big one as well it's still Fall Classic on top he'll say a Hurricano V Fall Classic will win the Heritage Place Futurity Bineck.

SPEAKER_14

Fall Classic is a two-year-old gelding by Cyber Monday out of the Mr. Jess Perry Mare Lady Beliqua read by Jim Strillman and Bill Dale owned by Christopher Viatoro trained by James Gonzalez III and written by Christian Cardenas.

SPEAKER_03

After the win we were able to talk to trainer James Gonzalez III about this $47,000 Heritage Place yearling graduate getting to the wire in front in this grade one event. On the phone with winning trainer James Gonzalez James talk about this horse it's just really guts it out when it's necessary and and certainly looks like a horse with a really bright future moving forward.

SPEAKER_05

Yeah Greg he's um definitely once he got to Remington Park he started showing glimpses of talent and it just seems like every time he hits the racetrack on race day then he just gets he just gets a little better every time you know and you know he was impressive in his schooling race impressive in his maiden race impressive in his trial you know and he uh I think he was real ready to go the other night in the final and he kind of had a little hiccup in the gates and honestly kind of worried worried me a little bit but he got out did his thing and overcame all the issues and trouble and just kind of really showed uh how talented he really is to overcome hiccup in the gate and and uh just real good horse you know we're real fortunate you know for him to be in our stables and grade one winner now so looking forward in this summer what where else will we see Fault Classic try to get into the finals of um so he's he's on his way to Albuquerque today and uh we'll be getting ready for uh August the all American trials that'll be uh that's gonna be our next step and after that you know we're just gonna take it one step at a time for right now but uh our next goal is the all-American trials in August here in Albuquerque.

SPEAKER_03

Congratulations again James and we look forward to seeing him throughout the summer.

SPEAKER_05

Thanks Greg appreciate it.

SPEAKER_03

Now we go out to Albuquerque the New Mexico Breads going at it in the restricted grade two mountaintop futurity trials for two year old New Mexico Breads and here's the call of the fastest qualifier.

SPEAKER_01

They're running and hopping in the air at the start JM call me special away slowly Schaefer got away beautifully debut runner Schaefer the one they have to run down inside we have curly cartel middle track Big Moon outside is Moon in the moon coming fast but Schaefer's gone.

SPEAKER_14

Schaefer a solid debut moon in the moon next then big moon Schaefer is a two year old gelding by Big Daddy Cartel out of the Jesse James Jr Astaca owned by Triple R Racing Stables, Ty Baca, Tungsten Racing Partnership and Ted Rushing. Bred by MJ Farms, trained by James Gonzalez III and written by Christian Cardenas.

SPEAKER_21

And we'll be right back here on Quarterhorse Racing Talk after these words from our sponsor he's the number one third crop sire for 2026 going into mid-May. And he's Uncle D. The standout grade one winner and grade one producer is topping the standings with runners like recent multiple graded stakes winner Uncle Redheads. Standing in Roswell New Mexico at Prestige Equine, he's Uncle D.

SPEAKER_16

Brought to you by Purina Horse Nutrition, as Purina Horse Feed makes a difference you can see go to Purinamills.com forward slash horsefeed to view all of their feed products for your Equine investment. As you really will see the difference with Purina.

SPEAKER_15

Alright let's get back to the podcast.

SPEAKER_14

And we're back on Quarterhorse Racing Talk Weekly for the racing preview section. Today Yancey and I will be breaking down two of the biggest races and that is the first leg of the triple crown the grade one Ridoso Derby and the grade one Ridoso Faturdi. Starting off with the Ridoso Derby going 400 yards with a purse of eight hundred fifty thousand dollars my top pick is gonna have to be the fastest qualifier number one GF she's sinful. She looked like she actually had a little bit more in the tank even though she won by several links I really like this Philly.

SPEAKER_08

Yeah I agree with you Bailey I've always really liked this Philly. She's had five starts four wins her only loss came in the Texas Classic last year and she got slammed around at the start but she's a rocket shit from the gate she blows out of there. One I really liked I think's always been right there he just hasn't had the racing luck is five flying chance this horse last year he always did really good in trials he just wasn't fast enough or didn't catch the right trials he ran third in the All-American juvenile last year and I thought he looked really impressive on trial day as well.

SPEAKER_14

I agree with you Yancey another one that I liked is number 10 RF runaway cowboy he ran second last year in the Texas classic faturity and he's a Mark Younger's trainee and the outside post is a huge advantage at Albuquerque.

SPEAKER_08

Yeah and all the way around it looks like it's a anyone's race to win.

SPEAKER_14

The next race is the Redoso quarter horse faturity going 350 yards with a purse of one million dollars. The horse I have picked on top is number three highly lethal V. He was the fastest qualifier and Francisco Calderon is gonna stay on board and I think that he has the speed to upset this field.

SPEAKER_08

Yeah he looked really good on trial day he won super easy um I think the two best horses in the race really drew right next to each other. I like ask her to fly um she looked really impressive on trial day. Jason Olmsted I keep looking for him to like he's a super super good trainer. He wins races all over the country from top to bottom but I keep looking for him every year to like break out and win one of these big big grade one for turns and maybe ask her to fly while giving that that big win.

SPEAKER_14

I agree and I don't think anyone can overlook the she's the lone filly in the field and she's already proven that she can run with the boys.

SPEAKER_08

Yes. And then one more I liked in the race is on the outside the nine horse Dulce dreams. Um this horse in Remington looks super impressive. He was won by like three lengths in the in his maiden race and he looked good in his trial in his schooling races as well. The Gonzalez barn's on fire right now so that's one I can't count out.

SPEAKER_14

I agree with you Yancy and actually Greg will be out there this weekend so I'm looking forward to hearing what he has to say about how it went in the recap section next week.

SPEAKER_03

All right that's all the time we have for this episode here on Quarter Horse Racing Talk Weekly and Bailey I think we've run out of folks that have been we we call pioneers in the publication world as it pertains to the quarter horse racing industry. Uh we had uh really the trifecta we have the triple crown we had David Smith of Stalinesearch we had Andy Golden of uh formerly of Speedhorse and now we had Ben Hudson. So I uh I was so happy to get him on and so happy to get his perspective.

SPEAKER_14

Greg, I think the last three weeks have been absolutely great. It's definitely m my passion the media side and hearing all of these different stories and the history involved as well as people all the time commenting about how much they love these podcasts.

SPEAKER_03

Yes and if you know if me and you are not really interested in the subject matter when I mean what are we doing here in the first place? So but we got a lot of great stakes coming up this coming weekend. Look forward to kind of reporting back on the Riadoza Derby and the fraternity the first leg of the triple crown is this weekend and I'll be out in Albuquerque and look forward to bringing it to you here on Quarter Horse Racing Talk. And I'm Greg Thompson of stallionesearch.com and I'm Bailey Ivy. And we'll see you next week here on Quarter Horse Racing Talk Weekly, the number one quarter horse racing podcast in the world