ALBUQUERQUE, NM — The 2026 All American Futurity field is set.
Ten horses qualified with the fastest times on Saturday, Aug. 8, and Friday, Aug. 7, at the Downs At Albuquerque. Five horses qualified each day.
The 440-yard All American Futurity, which is worth $3 million, will take place on Monday, Sept. 7 — Labor Day.
The Downs At Albuquerque.is hosting the All American Futurity for the third straight year because of flooding concerns and runoff damage at Ruidoso Downs Race Track & Casino. The iconic track was silenced after major floods in 2023 and 2024 by severe flooding in Ruidoso.
Day 1 qualifiers for the All American Futurity
Chile Gato, 20.911 seconds
Jockey: Francisco Calderon
Trainer: Jed H. Vane
Owner: Omar Paredes
Cowboys Flying, 21.019 seconds
Jockey: Nestor Duran
Trainer: Ramiro Barajas Villarreal
Owner: Double J Racing
Ask Her To Fly, 21.100 seconds
Jockey: Ramiro Haro Garcia
Trainer: Jason Olmstead
Owner: Randy Geiselman
Happy Flying Bird, 21.102 seconds
Jockey: Gabriel Medrano
Trainer: Manuel Rodolfo Rodriguez
Owner: MRB Racing
Leaving London, 21.109 seconds
Jockey: Sergio Becerra, Jr.
Trainer: Omar Vargas
Owner: Rivera QH Racing
Day 2 qualifiers for the All American Futurity
Tempting Lu, 20.999 seconds
Jockey: Jose Luis Enriquez
Trainer: Omar Vargas
Owner: AA Farms, LLC (Arturo Ibarra et al)
Flying Cowboys Candy, 21.032 seconds
Jockey: Christian Cardenas
Trainer: Tony Sedillo
Owner: CHR Racing (Juan Ramos et al)
Jess A Bad Lil Cat, 21.66 seconds
Jockey: Oscar Andrade Jr.
Trainer: David Gomez Barraza
Owner: Scott Branson and Jimmy Vasquez
Think Twice Perry, 21.120 seconds
Jockey: Edwin Escobedo
Trainer: James J. Gonzales II
Owner: Johnny Trotter
Blueyy, 21.176 seconds
Jockey: Luis Martinez
Trainer: Manuel Rodolfo Rodriguez
Owner: La Feliz Montana Ranch LLC (Javier Rodriguez et al)
$50,000 supplement among All American Futurity qualfiers
Cowboys Flying was the most impressive winner on the first day of the two trial days on Friday, Aug. 7. With jockey Nestor Duran aboard, the gelding won the 14th trial by nearly fours lengths in a time of 21.019 seconds while racing in a 15 mph crosswind.
Cowboys Flying was supplemented into the futurity by owners Jaime Cardenas and Jerry Deville Jr. of Double J Racing after having won two futurity stakes races in Texas. Cowboys Flying won the Texas Breeder’s Futurity at Houston on May 9 and the TQHA Futurity at Retama Park in San Antonio on July 25.
Cowboys Flying remains undefeated in five races.
“He didn’t break well, but after about 50 yards just took off,” Duran said.
Duran will be riding in his first All American Futurity final.
Ask Her To Fly has qualified for all three futurities
Ask Her To Fly has now qualified for all three futurities at the Ruidoso meet at Albuquerque. She ran third in the Ruidoso Futurity in June and eighth in the Rainbow Futurity in July. The filly is owned and bred by Randall Geiselman of Midland, Texas, and trained by Jason Olmstead.
“To qualify for all three futurities is amazing — a feat hard to do,” Geiselman said. “Ask Her To Fly has given us her best effort every race, she’s been an inspiration.”
West Texas Futurity winner from Sunland Park, Tempting Lu qualifies for final
Tempting Lu finished second in the West Texas Futurity on April 4 at Sunland Park Racetrack & Casino, but had not raced again until Saturday’s All American Futurity trial.
“We wanted Tempting Lu ready for the biggest race this summer,” Ibarra said. “We’re excited for the potential of this horse and this will be my first horse in the All American Futurity, so I am really excited.”
Ruidoso Downs Race Track and Casino owner Johnny Trotter has horse in All American final
Trotter has had many difficult times in recent years, having to move the annual Ruidoso racing meet to Albuquerque for all or parts of the past three years because of flooding that damaged the Ruidoso track.
But with Think Twice Perry qualifying for the finals of the All American Futurity, he has a chance to win quarter horse racing’s biggest race.
Think Twice Perry already gave Trotter some good news this summer with a second-place finish in the Rainbow Futurity.
“Think Twice Perry is improving with each race,” said Escobedo, the winning jockey aboard the horse. “He was ready for these trials.”
Top 2 finishers in 2025 All American Futurity square off
In the All American Derby trials for 3-year-old quarter horses Derby on Sunday, Aug. 9, All American Futurity winner King of The Tide faces the runner-up in that race, Political Twist. The post time is 3:45 p.m. Political Twist will start in the No. 3 post, King of the Tide will start in the No. 4 post.
Sunday’s 13-race card in Albuquerque features 13 trial races for the All American Oaks and Derby and begins at noon.
Felix F. Chavez can be reached at fchavez@elpasotimes.com; @Fchavezeptimes on X
This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: The field is set for 2026 All American Futurity on Labor Day
Reporting by Felix F. Chavez, El Paso Times / El Paso Times
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Felix F. Chavez, El Paso Times | USA TODAY Network
