Effortless Favorite Surprises Stacked Field of Three-Year-Olds Winning $1 Million All American Derby at Downs of Albuqueque

(Albuquerque, NM) Effortless Favorite, at 24-1 odds, held off favorites Political Twist and Gf Shes Sinful to win the Grade-1 $1 million All American Derby for three-year-old quarter horses at 440-yards Sunday at Downs of Albuquerque.

“To win an All American race is a dream come true, ever since I was growing up,” Jockey Francisco Ramirez Jr. said following his first victory in an All American series race. “It’s special and I’m very proud to be part of this team.”

The gelding won for the tenth time in his career having also won the 2025 All American Juvenile at Downs of Albuquerque last Labor Day weekend. Effortless Favorite ran fourth in the Rainbow Derby on July 11 this season in Albuquerque. The gelding is owned by Tom Maher, Richard Tobin and Bill Mayer. Jason Olmstead is the trainer who also trained the winner of the $100,000 All American Invitational on Sunday, AJs Wingman.

“They don’t give away these All American races,” Olmstead said in the winner’s circle. “It takes a lot of hard work and dedication to the horses and I’ve been trying for many years.” It was also Olmstead’s first victory in an All American-series race.

Effortless Favorite ran 440-yards in 20.866 to win by three-quarters of a length over Political Twist and jockey Luis Martinez, paying $50, $15.20 and $5.60. The gelding’s sire is Favorite Cartel out of the mare Swingin Cartel by Corona Cartel and has earnings of about $1.2 million.

In the Grade-1 $700,000 All American Oaks for three-year-old fillies, Flying Joy 1 and jockey Rickey Ramirez defeated Lookatme Z and jockey Francisco Calderon by three-quarters of a length to win in a time of 20.930 seconds for 440-yards.

Flying Joy 1, at 33-1 odds, paid $69, $14.40 and $8.80 for owner David Rogers and trainer Trey Wood. The filly has five career wins also having won Remington Park’s 2025 Oklahoma Breeder’s Futurity. Flying Joy 1 is sired by Flying Cowboy 123 out of the mare Kylee Joy by First Moonflash.

“She broke really good and then her heart got big,” Ramirez said in the winner’s circle. I couldn’t have asked for a better performance. She never looked back.”

AJ’s Wingman and jockey Ramiro Garcia won the $100,000 All American Invitational in a 440-yard time of 21.008 seconds. The gelding paid $7.40, $3.80 and $2.80 for owner Paul Treadwell and trainer Olmstead. AJs Wingman is sired by Apollitical Jess out of the mare Xoom by Shazoom.

Monday’s final day of racing for the Ruidoso Downs season at Downs of Albuquerque includes the Grade-1 $3 million All American Futurity and Grade-1 $250,000 All American Gold Cup. First post time is 1:30 p.m.

The weekend’s major races including the All American Futurity will be broadcast nationwide on the Cowboy Channel Monday afternoon at 5 p.m. mountain time.

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