Quarter Horse champion Cowboys Gun Z likes to work on Labor Day.
On the holiday a year ago, he won the $3 million All American Futurity. And on Monday, he goes in the Grade 1, $1,076,535 All American Derby at the Downs at Albuquerque.
The race is one of six stakes on a 12-race card that closes the Ruidoso meet at Albuquerque. Purses for the stakes are a cumulative $5.2 million, and the stakes will all be run over 440 yards.
Cowboys Gun Z was a half-length winner of last year’s All American and comes into this year’s Derby off a trial win Aug. 11. He had run in two other trials this year, finishing seventh in May and second in July in his first starts since November.
“It took him a couple of races to get back to his old form after a layoff,” trainer Michael Joiner said. “Hopefully, he will come back and run like he did in the [All American Derby] trials. He’s training really good, and if he stands up there and breaks, I think he’ll be really competitive.”
Joiner knows it will take a top effort Monday. The field of 10 includes a pair of runners looking for their fourth straight wins, Ruidoso Derby winner The Marksman V and Rainbow Derby winner Dashing Tres.
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“It will be a very tough race,” Joiner said. “It will be whomever’s day it is – no mistakes and everything goes good for them. There’s several different horses in there that has a chance to win it.”
Agustin Silva has the mount on Cowboys Gun Z from post 9.
“I like the draw,” Joiner said. “I think he’ll like it real well out there. Of course, he won the All American Futurity last year out of the nine-hole, so I think that will work just fine for him.”
Earlier on the card, Joiner will saddle Flying Sophia in the Grade 1, $626,135 All American Oaks. She boasts a 3-for-3 record at Albuquerque and in June defeated older runners when she won the Grade 1 Junos Request at Remington Park.
“She’s been a really good filly,” Joiner said. “Other than the Rainbow Oaks [trial], where she false broke and kind of knocked herself out, she’s never run worse than third. So, she’s been a really consistent filly and she’s outrun some pretty good horses along the way, also.”
◗ Kj Desparado, the all-time leading earner among Quarter Horses with a bankroll of $3 million, meets Champion of Champions winner Flash Bak in the Grade 1, $250,000 Gold Cup.
◗ Aguila Rapida leads the $200,000 All American Juvenile, the consolation for the All American Futurity.
◗ Flyin Rabbit 123 looks like a chief player in the $100,000 All American Invitational, the consolation for the All American Derby.
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