ASTRONOMICAL 123 FIRES A BULLET IN INDEPENDENCE DAY HANDICAP COMEBACK

Flying Cowboy 123 Gelding Secures Second Career Stakes Victory at Los Alamitos

         Making his highly anticipated 2026 seasonal debut, Jo Rae Burns’ striking gray gelding Astronomical 123 proved he had lost none of his sharp early speed, capturing the $30,000 Independence Day Handicap Stakes on Sunday night, July 5, at Los Alamitos.

Prepared for his return by veteran conditioner Michael V. Casselman, the four-year-old son of Flying Cowboy 123 broke like a bullet from post position eight, instantly seizing command of the 300-yard dash to win going away under jockey Martin Arriaga.

The victory was special for owner Jo Rae Burns, who admitted to pre-race butterflies regarding the layoff. Jo Rae and her husband, Dr. Steve Burns, operate the famed Burns Ranch, one of California’s most important Quarter Horse breeding and racing operations. Nearly all of the Burns Ranch horses race under Steve Burns as the sole owner, but every so often Jo Rae will campaign a Quarter Horse at Los Alamitos. Jo Rae maintains an active owner's license by having at least one horse in training—a spot currently occupied by Astronomical 123. The gelding continued to reward her perfectly, clearing the field immediately upon leaving the gates. Sent off at odds of 3.60-1, Astronomical 123 covered the fast 300 yards in an impressive :15.281, paying $9.20 to win.

"I was a little nervous with this being his first comeback race, but he just broke like a bullet and he had the right (post),” Burns said. “That helps a lot. It was really fun. I like to have an owner's license and you need to have at least one horse. This is the one I chose this time and I got lucky."

Longshot Kid Cocinero (PT) chased gamely throughout but could not match strides with the winner, finishing a clear second,  lengths behind. Epic Wind rounded out the top three, arriving another half-length back after overcoming a slight inward break at the start. The post position draw proved advantageous for the winner, allowing him an unencumbered path down the grandstand side, while the 1.70-1 favorite, Up for Everything, encountered multiple bumping incidents along the rail while finishing fourth.

Bred in California by Barry and Janice Sather, Astronomical 123 was purchased for $122,000 at the 2023 Heritage Place September Yearling Sale. Out of the prolific five-time stakes-winning mare Singles Cruise, the gelding has now compiled four wins from 12 career starts, boosting his lifetime earnings to $62,199. This triumph marks his second stakes accolade at Los Alamitos, following a wire-to-wire victory in the Town Policy Handicap last November. Sunday’s stakes score kickstarts his four-year-old campaign in sensational fashion, setting up a promising summer program for his connections.

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