Eddy Cartel scores mild upset in NM State Fair QH Futurity
Jockey Joseph Belloc, Jr. urged Eddy Cartel to the lead in the final yards to earn a thrilling victory in Sunday’s $1.158 million New Mexico State Fair Quarter Horse Futurity at Albuquerque Downs.
Eddy Cartel, a 2-year-old gelded son of Big Daddy Cartel owned by Paul Blanchard and trained by James Gonzales III, broke alertly from the gate, got clear sailing down the center of the course when drifting inward and was up in time to nab MW Bcause Im First by a neck, racing 400 yards in a time of 19.641 seconds, earning an Equibase Speed Index figure of 88.
The unbeaten Eddy Cartel now has four wins from as many starts. He broke his maiden in his career debut at Ruidoso Downs last June before winning a trial for the Zia Futurity on July 4. In his most recent start, he returned to the races to win a trial for the NM State Fair QH Futurity over this course on Sept. 19. Eddy Cartel was bred by Eduardo Mendoza.
Sunday’s win pads Eddy Cartel’s career earnings to more than $639,000. For Gonzales, the win in the NM State Fair QH Futurity is his sixth stakes win of the year. For Blanchard, this is the biggest win of his career as an owner, having also owned stakes placed types like Bills Last and Glock.
Big Daddy Cartel, a three-time winner from five career starts, has produced several stakes winners, including Luxurie, winner of the Mountain Top NM-bred Futurity earlier this year at Ruidoso Downs.
Standing at MJ Farms, Big Daddy Cartel also sired multiple stakes winners Cat Daddys Lil Girl, Bigg Daddy and Donelli, winner of the 2019 NM State Fair QH Futurity, as well as BV Bridgette Cartel, winner of the 2024 New Mexico Classic Futurity at Zia Park.
Big Daddy Cartel is a son of Corona Cartel, a three-time stakes winner and earner of more than $557,000. Corona Cartel was out of the Chicks Beduino mare Corona Chick, a 15-time winner from 18 lifetime starts including three Grade 1 futurities in 1991 at Los Alamitos.
Eddy Cartel is out of the Bodacious Dash mare Em Bodacious Chick, who earned only one win from 16 starts. The damsire earned more than $756,000 on the track with stakes victories in the 2010 Texas Classic Futurity as well as second place finishes in the 2011 Grade 1 Rainbow Derby and the Championship at Sunland Park.
Sent off at odds of 7.20-to-1, Eddy Cartel paid $16.40 to his winning backers. The $2 exacta with MW Bcause Im First returned $80. Hez Rio Trouble finished third with CQ Coyame Jessy rounding out the top four finishers.
Pour Me a Drinkk, the fastest qualifier for the NM State Fair QH Futurity and sent off as the post time favorite, came out a bit from the gate and nearly lost the rider before finishing last in the 10-horse field.