Ashley Schafer added the 2025 Equinety Kinder Cup slot race victory in 14.660 seconds on the futurity stallion, HP Hotrod’s already stacked resume in Tunica, Mississippi.
Schafer’s 14.660-second run in the Feb. 5, 2025 futurity class, reserved for horses aged 5 and under in their first season of competition, bested Hallie Hanssen and The Kandyman Kid’s 14.773 to overtake the lead in the final drags of the class.
After hooking her belt on the saddle horn and getting in a bind just a couple of drags before HP Hotrod ran, Schafer had to regroup mentally before going down the alley.
“I just tried to clear my mind and be confident,” Schafer said. “I sent him there, and he ran hard to the first, then left it just as hard. He’s incredibly fast, but really strong leaving his turns. Thart’s something I’ve notcied about the ones out of Rods Last Ladybug—they have a big gaskin muscle and a lot of power, so they can really take off out of the turns. I was sweating the third a little, and we were tight on it. But we got around it and he just felt phenomenal.”
HP Hotrod is owned by HighPoint barrel horses’ Jason Martin and Charlie Cole, by the all-time leading barrel racing stallion Dash Ta Fame and out of million-dollar producer, Rods Last Ladybug. But the 2021 stallion doesn’t just have the right ingredients on paper to make a winner—he’s demonstrated his potential under saddle from the start. His initial foundation came from Wyoming colt starter Zack Curran, then it was over to Schafer’s.
“He was so confident and mature from the first time I swung a leg over him as a 2-year-old,” Schafer said. “I don’t run a ton of 4-year-olds, I choose to run a lot of them when they’re five…but I didn’t want to hold him back. He’s always been a good minded stallion, and I could tell all through his training that he would be ready to run this year.”
The fifth-place finish at the BFA juvenile slot race in November 2024 set the tone for the stallion’s rookie season. He went on to win the OKC Rookie Futurity and place in the average, pick up a round win and placing at both the Lonestar Shootout and Texas Classic futurities in Hamilton, Texas, and win the AQHA Junior World in Oklahoma. His slot race earnings bring the rapidly rising lifetime earnings to over $120,000 in just 10 legal weeks of competition.
- Big Cash in Kinder Draws Top Competitors
- Sibling Sweep: Schafer Dominates Colorado Classic on Spitz Quarter Horses Bred Standouts
- #NoFilter: Ashley Schafer on The Money Barrel
Schafer’s last Kinder Cup title came in 2022 on the decorated Freckles Ta Fame daughter out of KR Last Fling, Born On Derby Day. The 2025 installment of the event with producers Good Times Barrel Racing Association moved to Tunica, Mississippi, and marks the first barrel racing event in five years in the iconic Southeastern gambling town.
“I’ve never been here before, but it’s really nice,” Schafer said. “The arena is bigger than I expected. It’s a smaller pattern, but the barrels are a long way from the fence. Brett Monroe and his crew did a great job on the ground, and I’m really liking it so far here!”
Schafer’s time rolls into Round 1 of the Kinder Cup futurity, which will include on February 6 in the afternoon. Stay tuned for more Equinety Kinder Cup news all week long at BarrelRacing.com.
- Trainer Insights with Futurity Icon Molli Montgomery
- Keeping Futurity Colts Confident: Mark Bugni on The Money Barrel Podcast
Kinder Cup barrel racing slot race results
1. Ashley Schafer/ Hp Hotrod/ 14.660/ $15,000
2. Hallie Hanssen/ The Kandyman Kid/ 14.773/ $10,000
3. Janna Brown/ Lm Coco Gabrielle 36/ 14.907/ $10,000
4. Molly Otto/ Dashin On Fire/ 14.967/ $9,000
5. Molli Montgomery/ Tres The Fire/ 15.052/ $6,000
6. Taylor Manning/ Designed By The King/ 15.056/ $5,000
7. Mitzi Duke/ Famousunderpressure/ 15.123/ $4,000
8. Brandon Cullins/ In The Flybye Lane/ 15.152/ $3,000
9. Leslie Willis/ Jess Genesis One/ 15.172/ $2,5000
