The Rundown September 14: The One With Puyallup and Breeders Challenge

Home » The Rundown September 14: The One With Puyallup and Breeders Challenge

The Rundown September 14: The One With Puyallup and Breeders Challenge

Joy Wargo and Chasin Tres Cans won $94,144.80 across the Breeders Challenge Finale in Fort Worth, Texas, Molli Montgomery took the Open Derby by three-thousandths of a second, and Carlee Otero left Puyallup as the new world leader, all recapped on this week’s episode of The Rundown on The Money Barrel.

From C.J. Vondette and Slick It Or Stick It sweeping both rounds and the average of the Equinety Futurity at the Fizz Bomb Classic to Kelly Bowser and Quarento Tres making one 14.732 pay three different ways in Indiana, this week’s episode of The Rundown, presented by Chewy, breaks down the biggest results and what they mean moving forward. Listen to the full episode below.

The sections below run in the order the episode covers them, so they read as a companion while it plays.

The Rundown is presented by Chewy.

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Breeders Challenge Championship Finale (Fort Worth, Texas)

The Breeders Challenge closed its $1 million-plus Finale after five days in Fort Worth, opening Tuesday with the sixth and final Last Chance Qualifier and the Open 4D Finals Wednesday. The Futurity and Derby horses each ran two semifinals, a 2D with a six-tenths split sending the fastest 15 teams to Saturday. The $10,000-added High Stakes Challenge was a 3D with a half-second split and 80 percent payback, open to a rolled-over time from any earlier round.

Wargo Takes the Futurity, Montgomery the Derby: 2026 Breeders Challenge Finale Results

Joy Wargo and Chasin Tres Cans won the Futurity Finale in 15.440 for $70,400 and finished the week at $94,144.80, adding the High Stakes Challenge on the 15.441 that won Futurity Semifinal 1 and the Open 4D 1D reserve championship. Chasin Tres Cans is by Tres Seis out of VF Chasin Cans, nominated by Triple U Quarter Horses and owned by Sarah Pauels.
Jordan Harrell and OE Bachelor Pad, owned by Jason and Leslie Willis, were reserve at 15.503 for $50,325.20 on the week, with Jodee Miller Pedone and Ladys A Winner PN third at 15.618 for $25,600 in the class.
Molli Montgomery and Tres The Fire won the Open Derby Finale by three-thousandths at 15.511, worth $44,000 in the class and $58,291.60 for the horse on the week. Tres The Fire is by Tres Seis out of Firewater Fueled, owned and nominated by Lisa Wells.
Montgomery was fifth in the Futurity Finale as well, at 15.698 on Heavens Gone Wild for $19,200. Tres Seis sired both major champions in Fort Worth.
Steely Steiner and Get Tha Goody finished three-thousandths back at 15.514 for the $30,000 Derby reserve championship and $46,733.60 on the horse.
Ceri Ward cashed on two horses, running 15.605 for third in the Derby Finale on Slick Swingin Gypsy and 15.650 for fourth in the Futurity Finale on Flinging Goodbyes, weeks worth $20,788.80 and $27,392.80.
Lily Wright and Fabulousgoldenhoney earned their way in out of Tuesday’s Last Chance Qualifier, then finished sixth in the Derby Finale at 15.691. That one run also placed fourth in the Youth Finale and 10th in the High Stakes 1D, an $18,357.60 week for a horse owned by Stetson Wright.
Dusky Lynn Hall won two championships, taking the Open 4D 1D on Tornado Lane in 15.433, the fastest time of that class, for $17,500, and the Youth Finale on Aint Seen Famous Yet in 15.569 ahead of Scarlett Meuth and Backster.
Morgann Crawford and Famous Bullionaire won the Amateur Derby in 15.784 for $11,627.76, four-thousandths ahead of Kaily Richardson and Girls Like You. Shawn Varpness and The Kandyman Kid won the Senior Finale in 15.702 for $5,000 ahead of Cheyenne Wimberley and HP Valentino.
The rest of the Open 4D went to Christian Shipley and SV Happy To Rock You in the 2D at 15.941, worth $19,503.12 with the High Stakes 2D win, Cayla Cory and RR Famous Whiz in the 3D and Ryann Pedone and Cortezz in the 4D. Lyndsey Tucker and Dash Ta Valhalla won the High Stakes 3D.

Joy Wargo and Chasin Tres Cans Top Colorado Classic 2026

Fizz Bomb Classic (Gillette, Wyoming)

The Fizz Bomb Classic marked its 45th anniversary at the Cam-Plex in Gillette with a $20,000-added Futurity, $6,500 added each to the Derby and Maturity, $6,000 across the Open, a $2,500-added High Stakes race and the Wendy Larsen Memorial Senior Race, plus the $75,000 Cowboy State Stallion Incentive. Incentive payouts were still being finalized at recording, so the figures below are class money only.

C.J. Vondette and Slick It Or Stick It won both Futurity rounds at 15.042 and 14.952 and took the Equinety Futurity average at 29.994 by nearly two-tenths, worth $10,410 in the class and at least $12,253 with a second in Friday’s High Stakes. Slick It Or Stick It is a 2021 mare by Slick By Design.
Taylor Miniat was Futurity reserve at 30.166 on Poppin A Corona and won the second round of the Derby and Maturity on Love Lane in 14.946, at least $10,581 between the two horses.
Kinley Follman and Talented Angel, a 2020 mare by Tres Seis, won the Succeed Derby and Maturity average at 29.987 for at least $4,677.
Skyla Peters won the Open average at 30.345 on Cinco Frost and Friday’s High Stakes on his full brother, Pistol N Whistle, in 14.785, the fastest time recorded during the Fizz Bomb Classic. Both are by PC Frosty Bid out of Whistle N Skip.
Kim Schulze and Aint Seen Sassy Yet won the Senior 1D average at 30.343 by nearly a quarter of a second, off runs of 15.216 and 15.127. The Wendy Larsen Memorial added $3,000 and drew 139 entries.
The other Senior average champions were Kate Peterson and Im On Firre in the 2D at 31.426, Debbie Gardea and Bid Of Commition in the 3D at 32.390 and Sarah Keller and See A Victory in the 4D at 33.368.

Indiana Barrel Racing Futurity (Edinburgh, Indiana)

The 51st annual Indiana Barrel Racing Futurity ran Sept. 11-13 at the Hoosier Horse Park in Edinburgh with a $35,000-added Futurity, a $10,000-added Derby, $9,500 across the Open races, a $1,000-added slot race and $110,500 in listed incentive money. The 5-and-under Futurity drew 130 entries and came down to five-thousandths of a second.

Troy Crumrine and Titan Remember Eddie won the Futurity by five-thousandths, running 15.024 and 15.098 for second in both rounds and a 15.061 average worth the trophy saddle and $12,177.06 before incentives. Titan Remember Eddie is a 2022 mare by SR Industry Titan.
William Ball and RR Mist My Crown were reserve at 15.066 and left with the larger confirmed total at $13,847.28, winning the opening round in 14.954 and placing that same run fourth in both the slot race and the main Open.
Rachel Slatsky and ShelsSixyandEpic followed a 15.799 with a 15.053 to win Round Two and pull into 10th in the average, $4,840.24 on the weekend.
Kelly Bowser and Quarento Tres, a 2019 gelding by Tres Seis, ran the fastest time of the weekend at 14.732 and made one run pay three ways, winning the $10,000-added Otis Freeman Memorial Derby, the 1D of the Tommy Wylie Memorial slot race and the main Open for a confirmed $11,573.
The slot race drew 82 entries including 72 rollovers, with Crystal Mason and HF Aprils Last Sun winning the 2D at 15.261 and Annie Hawkins and Telula Dash the 3D at 15.735.

Best in the West Barrel Race (Battle Ground, Washington)

The Best in the West Barrel Race ran Sept. 10-13 at the Clark County Saddle Club in Battle Ground, produced by Locke Buildings and LB Productions with $50,000 added. That included $6,000 each in the Futurity and Derby, a $30,000-added Open 5D paying $10,000 in each round and the average, plus the Rodeo Rigs $5,000-added Super Slot Race.

Jordan Bailey earned $19,829 across four horses, winning the Derby average on Ima Girl Fame at 31.309 and finishing second on Honor Thy Judge at 31.327, eighteen-thousandths behind, then adding Open checks on both plus Takin On The Judge and The Coin Collector.
Serena Randall opened the weekend in the Super Slot, winning it on DH Won Ta Get Lucky for $7,138 and placing fourth on Famous Man Of Steel, $9,950 on two horses. Bailey and Ima Girl Fame were second for $5,840.
Cheri Baker and THR Tequila Lil Time were the only Futurity team to win a round and the average, taking Round One and the 1D average at 32.111. Faith Lencioni and Game Lights won Round Two, and Mahrisa Paluck and MP I’ll Be A Winner the 2D average.
In the Derby, Skye Miller and DMR I’m Kinda Special won the opening round and Jessi Jo Lee Stanfill and Aint Seen Fancie Yet the 2D average.
Amberleigh Moore and Tres Dark Tigress were the most consistent team in the Open, winning Saturday’s 1D and the 1D average at 31.220 for $4,718 with a fifth-place Super Slot check.
The remaining Open average champions were Dylan Saunders and Smooth N Speedy Guy in the 2D, Wendy Guinn and Herecomestherooster in the 3D, Jessica Tye and Cause Im Bad in the 4D and Dally Wheeler and Blitz Special Effort in the 5D.

ProRodeo Recap: Puyallup and Lewiston

Puyallup added $77,000 and split 24 riders into two sets of 12, two go-rounds per set, an eight-woman semifinal Sunday and a four-woman final the same day. Go-rounds paid four places at $3,510 to win, and the final paid $13,900, $10,550, $7,200 and $3,850. The four finalists took automatic berths to the Governor’s Cup.

Round-by-round Puyallup results are here, the full Sept. 8-13 money and world standings are here, and the NFR bubble math is broken out here. The short version follows.

Carlee Otero is the new world leader. Otero won the Puyallup final in 13.85 for $13,900 and took $16,533 out of Washington, moving from second to first at a projected $202,389, the only rider over $200,000 on the board and $13,584 clear. Sunday morning she was $315 back. She started the rodeo on Blingolena and finished it on AM Regina George in the mud.
Michelle Alley won more money than anybody on the rodeo trail this week at $16,693 and moved from seventh to sixth. Lisa Lockhart made the biggest climb inside the top 15 at $14,055, a move from 13th to 10th, and Megan McLeod-Sprague was the fourth finalist. All four are in Sioux Falls off Puyallup rather than points.
Away from Puyallup, Kathy Grimes won Lewiston in 16.79 and Spokane Valley in 16.88 for $7,136 on the week, holding ninth, and says the Spokane Valley run on Showie is a new arena record. Lockhart won Fort Madison in 17.75 and Tayla Moeykens won Blackfoot in 16.89.
Makenzie Mayes holds the last NFR spot at $108,542, $10,483 over Austyn Tobey. The Governor’s Cup runs Sept. 25-27 in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, with 12 riders and $166,667 added for barrel racing. Four seats went to the Puyallup finalists, and the other eight come off the Playoff Series points standings at the Monday, Sept. 21 cutoff, with Pendleton and Mandan left to run.