Empressum, Whistle Stop Cafe win Quarter Horse trials, remain unbeaten
Empressum, the nation’s leading 3-year-old, and Whistle Stop Cafe, the 2020 Quarter Horse World Champion, remained unbeaten this year with easy trial-race wins on Sunday that will leave them favored in two lucrative Quarter Horse stakes at Ruidoso Downs on Sept. 5.
Neither had the fastest qualifying times Sunday.
Empressum, the winner of three derbys at Remington Park and Ruidoso Downs since mid-April, won the fourth of eight 440-yard trials for the $929,225 All American Derby by three lengths in 21.138 seconds. Rodrigo Vallejo rode Empressum.
Trained by Heath Taylor for Steve Holt and Jeff Jones, Empressum has won 11 of 13 starts and is unbeaten in seven races this year.
Instygator, second by a neck to Whistle Stop Café in the $3 million All American Futurity last September, won the first trial for the All American Derby by 2 3/4 lengths in 21.071 seconds. Instygator has been second or third in four major futurities and derbys in the last 15 months.
Other notable qualifiers for the All American Derby are trial race winners Jettz, fourth in the 2020 All American and third to Empressum in the Ruidoso Derby on June 12; Candy Blood, fourth to Empressum in the Rainbow Derby on July 24; Shott Gun, the winner of the 2020 Heritage Place Futurity at Remington Park; and Mister Illusion, second to Whistle Stop Café in the 2020 Rainbow Futurity.
Whistle Stop Cafe raced in open company in 2020. This year, she has raced only against fillies, beginning her season with wins in a time trial and the final of the Rainbow Oaks on July 24.
Whistle Stop Cafe cruised to an easy win by 4 3/4 lengths in the second of four 440-yard trials for the $439,884 All American Oaks on Sunday. Whistle Stop Cafe was timed in 21.428 seconds, and has the third-fastest qualifying times behind Apollitical Daizies (21.307) and Jess Lyndes Reason (23.423), who were first and second in the third time trial.
Whistle Stop Cafe was ridden by Tanner Thedford for trainer Trey Wood and owners Lainie and Raymond Whitmire. Whistle Stop Café paid $2.10 in the time trial, extending her undefeated record to nine races.
Apollitical Daizies ran the best race of her career in her 11th start in Sunday’s trial. Her only previous win was a maiden race at Zia Park last October.
Hollyn Bootie won the fourth and final trial for the All American Oaks in 21.606 seconds. She won the Zia Futurity for New Mexico-breds at Ruidoso Downs in June 2020.