WRs Moonin Thewagon tops Governor's Stakes Trials

SHELBYVILLE, Ind. (Oct. 3, 2020) – WRs Moonin Thewagon showed his heels to the field to top the trials for the Governor’s Stakes Saturday, Oct. 3 at Indiana Grand. The grey gelding was all alone on the front as he crossed under the wire in :18.155 as the fastest qualifier out of 23 in the trials.

Starting from post two, Jockey Sammy Mendez had WRs Moonin Thewagon rolling out of the gate, getting the top spot early in the 350-yard dash and dominating the field, winning by one and three-quarter lengths under a hand ride by Mendez. Jess Ally and Natasha Fritz finished second followed by Alexbella Capodecapi and Erik Esqueda for third.

Owned and bred by Gwen and Randy Williams’ Williams Racing Stable of LaCenter, Ky., WRs Moonin Thewagon now has two wins in four starts this year with no finish worse than second. It was the second straight win for the grey son of Moonin the Eagle.

The second fastest qualifier on the day came in the first trial as On A New Note gave Jockey Isidro Banuelos his first career win. The One Fabulous Eagle filly had been knocking at the door with two second place finishes at Ruidoso Downs. Trained by Jeff Yoder, On A New Note was on the winning end of a very close photo but prevailed on the inside of BP Fancy Lady and Erik Esqueda. Another photo couldn’t separate Shez Bodacious (Natasha Fritz) and Julias Dazzle (L.D. Martinez) for a third-place dead heat in the race recorded in :18.372.

Owned by Brian Gunder, the Colorado-bred On a New Note was a $22,000 yearling purchase last fall from the Heritage Place September Sale. She was making her first start out of New Mexico in the Governor’s Stakes Trials and now has four career starts with a win and two seconds.

The final Governor’s Stakes Trial went to Kisses Forever and German Rodriguez. The sorrel filly by Kiss My Hocks got away from the gate well and powered home for the win by a neck over Lone Cartel and Giovani Vazquez-Gomez. AA Storm the Mozoomo and L. D. Martinez finished third out of the six-horse photo for the top three finishes. The time of the trial was :18.468.

Owned and trained by Tony Cunningham, Kisses Forever won her first career start in the Governor’s Stakes Trial. She was purchased from the Heritage Place Mixed Sale last fall for $15,000 by Cunningham, who has had success with her family.

“I bought her because she is from the family of Worth Doin Right that I raced out here a few years ago,” said Cunningham. “Both this filly (Kisses Forever) and the other one in this race (AA Storm the Mozoomo) are very close and it was a toss up as to who I would put on which horse, but I decided to put Danny (Martinez) on the one (AA Storm the Mozoomo). The first couple of starts for this filly were just not where we wanted her to be, but she has been really close in her last two and I’m happy to get her qualified for the final.”

The qualifiers for the $100,000 Governor’s Stakes Final, set for Saturday, Oct. 24, with jockey and times, includes: WRs Moonin Thewagon (Sammy Mendez, :18.155); On A New Note (Isidro Banuelos, :18.372); BP Fancy Lady (Erik Esqueda, :18.374); Jess Ally (Natasha Fritz, :18.463); Kisses Forever (German Rodriguez, :18.468); Shez Bodacious (Natasha Fritz, :18.490); Julias Dazzle (L.D. Martinez, :18.490); Lone Cartel (Giovani Vazquez-Gomez, :18.517); AA Storm the Mozoomo (L.D. Martinez, :18.571); and Wanna Be a Runaway (Cesar Esqueda, :18.611). Tony Cunningham will saddle three for the final (Kisses Forever, Julias Dazzle, AA Storm the Mozoomo) while Trainer Tim Eggleston has two for the final (Jess Ally, Shez Bodacious).

The $100,000 Governor’s Stakes will join three other stakes races for Quarter Horse Stakes Day Saturday, Oct. 3. Purses for the day will topple over $500,000 for the program dedicated to the sprinters. First post for the day will be 10 a.m.

Photos by Coady Photography