Fonner Park, (Brian Neben, Central Nebraska Today)
GRAND ISLAND — Fayette Warrior is back to doing his old tricks.
That means winning races.
And for some reason, the betting public hasn’t exactly jumped on his bandwagon.
The 9-year-old Kentucky-bred gelding won on March 8 at Fonner Park in a six-furlong starter optional claiming race for horses that had started for $5,000 or less in 2024 or 2025 or a claiming price of $10,000.
He won that race by 1 1-4 lengths in 1:13.2 and paid $39.60.
Last weekend, Fayette Warrior ran in a six-furlong optional claiming race for horses who had never won four races or a claiming price of $15,000. He won that by 2 1-4 lengths, also in 1:13.2 and paid $28.80 to win.
“He’s been good,” jockey Scott Bethke said. “I don’t know why. He always pays really big when he wins, but he’s running really well right now.”
He’s been running well for quite some time now. Since trainer Troy Bethke — who is Scott’s father — claimed him in April of 2022 at Fonner Park for $5,000, he’s won 17 of his 25 career wins.
That includes 10 wins in 18 starts in 2023 when he tied for the most wins in the nation with a filly, Divine Fashion, who had 10 wins in 17 starts.
Scott Bethke has ridden him in all those wins.
“They’re a good pair,” Troy Bethke told Bloodhorse Magazine. “One, my son likes to win—he’s a very competitive rider, and two, he knows the horse inside and out. He’s back at the barn taking care of him every day. He gallops him, he breezes him, and even hand-walks him himself. He told me he doesn’t want me riding him and messing him up.”
Last summer, Scott Bethke road tripped along with assistant trainer Kate Zechman with Fayette Warrior from Miles City, Montana, to Energy
Downs in Gillette, Wyoming, and back to Great Falls, Montana, for the Golden Triangle Thoroughbred Stakes.
Fayette Warrior won at all three stops.
“They had a series out there, like the Wyoming-Montana Triple Crown,” Scott Bethke said. “There were three races and there was a bonus if you won all three races.”
Fayette Warrior ended the year with four wins in just nine starts. This year, he ran in a four-furlong race to kickoff his Fonner Park campaign and finished third.
This one just didn’t go his way.
“He’s fast,” Scott Bethke said. “He ran a good race. Just a half-mile speed is different than three-quarters.”
Fayette Warrior showed that three-quarters mile speed in his last two starts.
“He’s running really well right now,” Scott Bethke said. “Dad has him really on his game.”
Hoodprints
— Keep an eye on Alpine Ash. The 4-year-old filly ran against the boys her first two outs and finished a respectable fourth in the first and second in the next. Now she’s back running against other Nebraska-bred fillies and mares in this race.
— Jockey’s David Cardoso and Kevin Roman are locked in a tight battle for leading jockey. Cardoso is in first place with 25 wins, but Roman is right behind him with 24. Jose Medina has 19.
— Mark Hibdon has extended his lead a bit in the trainer’s standings. He now leads the way with 27 wins. Isai Gonzalez is second with 24. David Anderson is having a strong season and is third with 14.
— Hibdon, who owns most of the horses in his barn, has a big lead in the owner’s standings with 27 wins. GSH Stables, owned by Gonzalez and his brothers, is second with 16.
Fonner Park Standings
Leading Jockeys
Name;Sts;1st;2nd;3rd;Win%;$%
David Cardoso;77;25;8;6;32;51
Kevin Roman;111;24;32;18;22;67
Jose Medina;105;19;16;11;18;44
Ronald Hisby;76;8;11;7;11;34
VictorBailon;76;8;4;11;11;30
Travis Cunningham;68;7;6;11;10;35
Nathan Haar;69;6;9;5;9;29
Scott Bethke;53;6;2;10;11;34
Jayden Ironeyes;77;5;7;8;6;26
Adrian Ramos;81;4;9;7;5;25
Leading Trainers
Name;Sts;1st;2nd;3rd;Win%;$%
Mark Hibdon;82;27;10;7;33;54
Isai Gonzalez;80;16;24;12;20;65
David Anderson;78;14;10;10;18;44
Kelli Martinez;71;8;10;8;11;37
Marvin Johnson;33;8;6;6;24;61
Jason Wise;32;6;3;6;19;47
SchuylerCondon;39;5;6;2;13;33
Stetson Rushton;42;4;5;3;10;29
Troy Bethke;22;4;1;3;18;36
Gerald BigHair;22;3;0;2;14;23
Leading Owners
Name;Sts;1st;2nd;3rd;Win%;$%
Mark Hibdon;79;26;10;7;33;54
GSH Stable LLC;47;11;16;6;23;70
Troy Bethke;14;4;0;2;29;43
D and L Farms;32;3;6;6;9;47
Landis Stables LLC;10;3;2;2;30;70
Garald Wollesen;18;3;2;1;17;33
MartinezRacing;11;3;2;1;27;55
JLRacingLLC;24;2;6;5;8;54
KBarKEnterprises;9;2;2;0;22;44
CavelloVeloceStables;7;2;2;0;29;57
