Page 163 - November_2023

Susan Bachelor, Speedhorse Dustin Oroona Photography
Fire Cowboy’s winning connections include owner Emmanuel Villarreal, trainer Juan Diaz Jr. and jockey Jose Herbert.
Fire Cowboy to the front, and they scored by 3/4-length, stopping the timer in :17.535.
“The #9 (Stormguard) was scratched, and we had run second to that horse,” Villarreal said. “My horse is not the best breaker, but he broke with them and did really well at this distance.”
Villarreal had brought several family members with him to share in the victory. He has a partner in most of his horses, Alejandro Gutierrez, who lives in Mexico.
“He had a wedding to go to, so he couldn’t be at the race,” Villarreal said. “But he was able to watch it. He’s a partner on 99% of the horses I have.”
Juan Diaz Jr. trains Fire Cowboy, who was making his sixth start. First and third in two trials at Sam Houston, Fire Cowboy then ran second to Stormguard in the June 16 John Deere Sam Houston Juvenile Challenge-G3. Fire Cowboy did well to finish fifth in a
trial for the Gillespie County Fair Futurity after being cut off. He then won a Sept. 1 allowance race at Retama Park prior to the Juvenile Challenge Championship.
Villarreal is a big supporter of the Challenge series.
“I always look for whether they have been nominated to the AQHA Challenge when I buy horses at sales,” he said.
Villarreal said that was another reason he purchased Fire Cowboy. Also, because Villareal lives in Seguin, Texas, and races primarily in Texas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, and New Mexico, he liked that Fire Cowboy was a Texas-bred.
“I really liked the bloodlines,” Villarreal said. “He is out of Perky, who is a Walk Thru Fire mare.”
Villarreal said he buys and sells about 60-70 yearlings annually. His current runners include 2023 Gillespie County Fair Derby winner Ganadero. Formerly in the construction business in Washington state, he moved to Texas two years ago, “and now I’m in Quarter Horses 100%,” he said. He said that he and Gutierrez operate as Select Quarter Horse Sales.
Edward and Von Zae McNelis bred Fire Cowboy and sold him at the Los Alamitos auction through Vista Equine Colorado. Dr. Ed Allred bred and raced winner Perky and bred her first starter, stakes-placed Im Perky. Fire Cowboy is the mare’s second starter. The second dam is multiple stakes winner Moonlight Corona, whose foals include stakes winners Circle City, Nomadic, and Lovely Evening.
Jose Cervantes’ homebred JC Wild Queen (Apollitical Jess-Oh Cherokee Rose) finished second. Everardo Rodriguez rode the filly
for trainer Santos Carrizales Jr. MV Royal Pappasito (Pappasito-Royal Fooseperrypie), bred and owned by Andrea and Eddie Jensen, ran third, ridden by Francisco Calderon. Monty Arrossa trains the gelding.
Completing the field were Jess Folzookieing (Apollitical Jess-Tres Seis Folszookie), JT True Grit (Capo De Capi-Redneck Kitty), Vodka From Texas (Triple Vodka-Prairie War Princess), Dr B (Duponte-Sister Jess), Cartel Night (Five Bar Cartel-Night Lines), and Acapulco Bay (Apollitical Jess-Aqua Girl). Stormguard was scratched.
Fire Cowboy and Jose Herbert head to the winner’s circle.
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