Jess Good Candy Sends Fifth-Fastest Qualifier to $3 Million All American Futurity
Jess A Bad Lil Cat advances to the Grade 1 final in the same race his sire won during an undefeated $2 million career.
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.—Jess A Bad Lil Cat, owned by Scott Branson and Jimmy Vasquez, qualified for the $3 million All American Futurity (G1) as the fifth-fastest qualifier overall, giving Jess Good Candy a finalist in the race he won in 2015.
Jess A Bad Lil Cat posted the third-fastest qualifying effort from 14 trials Aug. 8 at The Downs at Albuquerque. The 440-yard final is scheduled for Sept. 7.
The 2024 sorrel gelding now holds three wins and one second from four starts with $67,374 in earnings. David M. Gomez-Barraza trains Jess A Bad Lil Cat, and Oscar Andrade Jr. rides him.
The qualification extends a summer run that includes Jess A Bad Lil Cat’s victory in the $100,000 Rainbow Juvenile Stakes on July 12. He covered 400 yards in 19.139 seconds, earned a 101 speed index and collected $44,094.
<!-- solo-pedigree:7776047:four-generation -->That victory kept him unbeaten through his first three starts. Afterward, Vasquez said the connections would assess the gelding and consider supplementing him to the All American Futurity. Andrade also expressed confidence that Jess A Bad Lil Cat could contend in the race.
Bred by Jimmy Negrete and Vasquez, Jess A Bad Lil Cat is out of Grade 1 winner Cat Daddys Lil Girl, by Big Daddy Cartel. His dam earned more than $565,000. The gelding went through the 2025 Ruidoso Select Yearling Sale but did not sell.
Jess Good Candy retired undefeated with eight victories from eight starts and $2,014,703 in earnings. In addition to the All American Futurity, he won the Ruidoso Derby (G1) and Mr Master Bug Handicap.
The son of Good Reason SA and Jess Send Candy, by Mr Jess Perry, has sired earners of more than $9 million from five crops. PV Quarter Horse Farms owns Jess Good Candy, who stands at Solo Select Horses for a 2026 fee of $8,500, including chute fee.
Jess A Bad Lil Cat now carries that record back to the All American stage Sept. 7.
