Heza Hawkeye soars in QHRAI SSA Derby at Horseshoe Indianapolis

It was a six-pack of starters for the Tim Eggleston barn in the 44^th running of the $124,145 Quarter Horse Racing Association of Indiana (QHRAI) Stallion Service Auction (SSA) Derby Saturday at Horseshoe Indianapolis.

As they neared the wire, it was Heza Hawkeye who put it all together for the finish and came up with the win, scoring the 400-yard dash in a time of 19.865 seconds.

Coming into the final as the second fastest qualifier from the trials that included 36 starters, Heza Hawkeye entered the gate from post five for current Leading Jockey Eduardo Diaz. He was powerful out of the gate and got good positioning early but did not take over in the preliminary stages of the race.

Stablemate Sydney Jack and Jimmy Brooks had that spot on the inside. Midway through the race, Heza Hawkeye hit another gear and finished just like he started with a powerful end to the race.

Roses After Midnight and Giovani Vazquez-Gomez closed well on the outside for second over Seven Beaches and L. Daniel Martinez, who got the edge in a photo for third.

Heza Hawkeye was the favorite, paying $4.20 for the win. Eggleston trains the sophomore, who earned his first win of the year after three consecutive second place finishes in three starts for 2026.

“He (Heza Hawkeye) has been a great little horse for us,” noted Eggleston, who is leading the trainer standings again this season at Horseshoe Indianapolis. “He’s been eluding us for the win, it seems like he always stumbles or finishes second, but he got a good trip today. He left good. When I saw that he stood up and broke well, I knew we had a good shot at winning it.”

Heza Hawkeye was the fastest qualifier in the QHRAI SSA Futurity last year and bobbled at the start, missing out on the title. This year, he came into the race ready to go for the win for Roberto Chavez’s Chavez Racing. The Texas bred grey gelding by Hawkeye was bred by Torres Buildings and was purchased by Chavez for $8,500 out of the Texas Quarter Horse Association Yearling Sale.

“I see the work the Eggleston team has done with him,” noted Chavez. “They have done a very good job with him. He’s been getting closer and closer. I appreciate all my friends and family here today to support him.”

It was the second career stakes victory for Heza Hawkeye. He was also victorious last summer in the $172,000 Heartland Futurity for Chavez.

Grade 3 QHRAI SSA Futurity

The Quarter Horse Racing Association of Indiana (QHRAI) Stallion Service Auction (SSA) Futurity has come a long way in 49 years. The race began with a purse under $40,000 and was contested at several different locations around the Midwest before coming back to Indiana in 1998 during the second year of pari-mutuel racing for Quarter Horses.

The race is now a Restricted Grade 3 and offered its largest purse in the 49-year history of the race at $247,875. Red Sleeve took home the title, becoming the latest local Graded Stakes winner.

The race began with a delay as horses were backed out following an incident with Leaving U in Tupelo, which resulted in a scratch. The second time loading had a better outcome with Red Sleeve and Martin Munoz (photo) getting a good start and good positioning early on from the center of the track.

Valiant Kiss and Rolando Pina were also holding their own along the inside in the 350-yard dash as did Flashin Firefly and Saul Lopez, who was the last qualifier in the final ranked in 10^th place. As the wire neared, so did undefeated Wyld Over Corona and Eduardo Diaz, but their impact was too late as Red Sleeve held on as the winner over Flashin Firefly, just a nose ahead of Wyld Over Corona who was third in the three-horse photo.

Valiant Kiss and Scarcity, ridden by Fernando Morin, finished in a dead heat for fourth. Time of the dash was 17.926 seconds.

Red Sleeve, the fifth fastest qualifier from the trials, paid $11.00. It was the fourth win in five career starts for the sorrel son of One Sweet Jess owned by Campos Family Ventures of Connersville, Ind. Tony Brackens is the breeder on the colt, who earned his first stakes win of his career.

“It’s pretty exciting to win this race as we bought this colt as an embryo,” said Barraza. “And we got him cheap. I think we got him for like $8,500 out of the Heritage Place Utero Online Sale.”

Red Sleeve catapulted his career bankroll to more than $177,365 with the win in the QHRAI SSA Futurity. His only defeat was in the $195,000 Heartland Futurity final when he didn’t get out of the gate well.

“I normally cut (geld) all the babies, but he was so quiet when he was a baby, we decided to leave him as a stud and it’s worked out. He gets a little fired up when he’s racing but he’s still very quiet in the barn. Now that he’s a champion (Graded Stakes winner), that leaves us the option to stand him at stud someday at the farm. Why not? He’s paid into the Governor’s Futurity on Indiana Champions Day (at the end of October) too.”

As the winner of the Restricted Grade 3 QHRAI SSA Futurity, the silks from Campos Family Ventures will be depicted on one of the jockey statues outside the winner’s circle, honoring all Graded Stakes at Horseshoe Indianapolis with two dedicated to Quarter Horse racing. In addition to the QHRAI SSA Futurity, the Miss Roxie Little Futurity is also a Restricted Grade 3 and is represented in the display.

QHRAI SSA Futurity Juvenile Stakes

 Pretty Innocent and Alberto Ceron (photo) barely made the cut for the Quarter Horse Racing Association of Indiana (QHRAI) Stallion Service Auction (SSA) Juvenile Stakes. With the top 10 advancing to the QHRAI SSA Futurity Final, a Restricted Grade 3 race, the next 10 on the list of 80 from the Futurity Trials moved into the $30,000 QHRAI SSA Futurity Juvenile Stakes with Pretty Innocent qualifying in 18^th place overall to find a spot among those runners.

However, the freshman filly was up for the task as she powered home for the win in the QHRAI SSA Futurity Juvenile Stakes for the win.

A start from the outside post 10 in the field proved to be a blessing. Just to the inside of Pretty Innocent and Ceron was “chaos” out of the gate with five horses involved in bumping and interference. Pretty Innocent was untouched by the incident and had her sights set down the stretch on the finish line.

Coup on Fire and Edgar Diaz were holding their own along the inside with Streakinbyetheboys and Jimmy Brooks holding position in the center of the track. In the final strides of the 350-yard dash, Pretty Innocent found another gear and surged to the wire for the win by a neck over Coup on Fire.

HH Tessas Beach and Yovani Flores-Munoz moved up for third. Time of the sprint was 18.081.

Pretty Innocent paid $12.40 for the win. The daughter of Hes Innocent is owned by Mark and Rosemary Gorney and trained by Natasha Perez, who retired from riding five years ago and is now adding her name to the record books as a stakes winning trainer. Grant Farms bred and raised the Louisiana bred filly, who was a $25,000 purchase from last fall’s Heritage Place September Yearling Sale.

“She (Pretty Innocent) is the coolest horse and has so much personality,” noted Perez. “Rosemary Gorney and her husband (Mark), this is their first stakes win. They live in Roanoke and they were introduced to me by Tom Wylie (another owner of the Perez Stable).”

It was the second career win in four career starts for Pretty Innocent. She more than doubled her career earnings tally to $29,000 with the win in the QHRAI SSA Futurity Juvenile Stakes.

QHRAI SSA Derby Invitational

 Although he just missed making the Quarter Horse Racing Association of Indiana (QHRAI) Stallion Service Auction (SSA) Derby Final from the trials, Caelus (photo) took that energy to the $30,000 QHRAI SSA Derby Invitational for the commanding win.

Caelus and Diego Villamil Bocanegra began from post five in a even start for the field of seven. He stuck a neck out in the lead early on as the field battled toward the wire. In the end, he drew away from his opponents, winning by a length over Beachum and Cristian Penaloza on the inside and DNA Zoomers Cyber and Alberto Ceron. The time of the sprint was 20.235 seconds.

“I don’t know what made the difference today,” said Villamil Bocanegra on the win from Caelus. “This horse just has a will to win.”

Caelus paid $10.80 for the win. The three-year-old son of Racy Secret is owned by Natasha Perez’s Perez Racing Stable. Perez also trains the sophomore, who now has three career wins from eight starts. The gelding pushed his career bankroll to more than $43,000 with the effort.

Named after a Sky God in Roman mythology, Caelus was ranked 12^th on the list of qualifiers from the QHRAI SSA Derby Trials with the top 10 advancing to the final.

“I am so thrilled for him,” noted Perez, who was aboard her pony Marshmallow as she joined Caelus in the winner’s circle. “He is my baby. We raised him and we own the mare.”