Quarter Horses: Effortless Favorite wins All American Derby; Flying Joy 1 takes All American Oaks
Effortless Favorite and Flying Joy 1 accounted for two of the biggest wins for 2-year-olds at the 2025 Remington Park winter-spring Quarter Horse meeting.
On Sunday at the Downs at Albuquerque, they were the center of attention in two of this year’s leading races. It was not easy to predict.
Effortless Favorite ($50) won the $1,079,992 All American Derby about an hour after Flying Joy 1 ($69) won the $694,186 All American Oaks for 3-year-old fillies, her richest win.
Effortless Favorite won the $1.161 million Heritage Place Futurity at Remington Park in May 2025, finishing in a dead heat with Apollirevenge. There was no sharing of the first-place prize in the All American Derby.
Ridden by Francisco Ramirez Jr., Effortless Favorite was away well from post 3 and won by three-quarters of a length over 7-5 Political Twist, the champion 2-year-old gelding and overall champion 2-year-old of 2025.
Political Twist finished a nose in front of 6-5 favorite Gf She’s Sinful, the fastest qualifier from the Aug. 9 time trials in track-record time of 20.54 seconds for 440 yards.
By comparison, Effortless Favorite was timed in 20.86 seconds on Sunday.
King of the Tide, winner of the $3 million All American Futurity at Albuquerque last September, finished last of nine in the All American Derby after a slow start. He was beaten 4 1/2 lengths.
Effortless Favorite, purchased for $67,000 at the Heritage Place yearling sale in Oklahoma City in 2024, is trained by Jason Olmstead for Tom and Bill Maher and Richard Tobin.
A gelding by Favorite Cartel, Effortless Favorite has won 10 of 15 starts and earned $1,094,823. The win in the All American Derby was worth $464,038.
Flying Joy 1’s win in the All American Oaks for 3-year-old fillies was her first stakes win since the $419,735 Oklahoma Futurity at 300 yards in March 2025.
In the All American Oaks, Flying Joy 1 started from post 4 and led throughout. Ridden by Ricky Ramirez for trainer Trey Wood, Flying Joy 1 led by a half-length midway through the race and won by three-quarters of a length over 12-1 Lookatme Z, who offered a sustained threat.
Wera C (7-1) finished third, followed by 3-5 Full Moon Desire in the field of nine. Apollirevenge was scratched by trainer Jed Vane, according to New Mexico racing officials.
Flying Joy 1 was timed in 20.93 seconds and earned $291,558 for owner David Jacobs of Graham, Texas. Flying Joy 1, the champion 2-year-old filly of 2025, has won 4 of 11 starts and earned $525,212.
With the win in the All American Oaks, Flying Joy 1 will be part of the conversation for the champion 3-year-old filly title this year.
Rogers paid $49,999 for Flying Joy 1 at the 2024 Heritage Place yearling sale.
Full Moon Desire, the fastest qualifier from trials for the All American Oaks on Aug. 9 and the 3-5 favorite on Sunday, was vanned from the track. She was reported to be “very tired” and will be subject to post-race blood tests, according to Izzy Trejo, the executive director of the New Mexico state racing commission.
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