At Gold Buckle Futurities, winning in one event is tough enough. Winning across multiple events against entirely different sets of horses, setups and pressure points is what separates the truly versatile ones.
The Super Horse race highlights the horses proving they can handle more than one job at an elite level, and after the first stop of the 2026 season, the top 5 horses have already established themselves as serious contenders.
Kryptoniite | $58,187
Kryptoniite put together the most complete performance of the entire Spring Showdown, earning checks in both the Futurity Tie-Down and Futurity Heading with Trevor Brazile.
In the tie-down, Kryptoniite finished third in the Open Average with an 868.94 on four for $4,010 and third in the Open Stallion Incentive for $4,525. The team also won the Intermediate for $6,075, finished second in the Breeder’s Incentive for $4,000 and captured the Intermediate Stallion Incentive for another $8,637.
Then came the heading, where Kryptoniite elevated things even further. Brazile won Round One with a 225.14 and Round Three with a 228.23 before winning the Average with a 903.63 on four for $11,000. The pair also topped both the Stallion Incentive worth $10,940 and the Breeder’s Incentive worth $6,000.
By the end of the week, Kryptoniite had stacked $58,187 and proven equally dangerous on both calves and steers.
Thiccthirty | $58,002
Few horses made a louder statement across multiple events than Thiccthirty, who earned $58,002 between the Futurity Breakaway and Futurity Tie-Down with Cheyanne and Cody McCartney.
In the Futurity Breakaway, Cheyanne McCartney guided the horse to wins in both Round Two and Round Three with scores of 230.49 and 231.67. The pair then won the Average with a 922.95 on four for $10,220, along with the Stallion Incentive worth $10,450 and the Breeder’s Incentive worth $6,000.
Then Cody McCartney climbed aboard in the Futurity Tie-Down, where Thiccthirty flat-out dominated. The pair swept all three rounds with scores of 223.26, 223.20 and 222.87 before winning the Average with an 895.30 on four for $8,020. Add another $11,312 from the Stallion Incentive and $6,000 from the Breeder’s Incentive, and Thiccthirty closed the week as one of the highest-earning horses of the entire event in just two days.
Aldo The Apache | $29,997
Aldo The Apache showed exactly what the Super Horse Award is designed to recognize: versatility under different riders in completely different events.
With Trevor Hale in the Maturity Tie-Down, the horse finished fifth in the Average with an 873.93 on four for $3,100 and fourth in the Stallion Incentive for $2,437.
Then Beau Peterson, proud owner and trainer, stepped into the Maturity Breakaway and the momentum grew fast. The pair won Round Two with a 231.98 for $1,500 before taking the Average with a 927.10 on four for $11,460, one of the strongest averages of the week. Aldo The Apache also claimed the Stallion Incentive title worth $11,500, pushing the horse’s event earnings to just under $30,000 for this event.
Dont Quote Me | $27,249
Dont Quote Me quietly put together one of the steadiest all-around performances of the event, earning across both the Futurity Breakaway and Futurity Tie-Down with Cheyenne and Cody McCartney.
In the Futurity Breakaway, Cheyenne McCartney guided the horse to third in the Average with a 915.69 on four for $5,110 while also finishing second in the Stallion Incentive for $7,837.
Back in the tie-down, Cody McCartney picked up right where things left off by winning Round Three with a 222.87 for $1,500. The pair went on to finish second in the Average with an 877.29 on four for $6,015 and second in the Stallion Incentive for another $6,787.
Across both events, Dont Quote Me consistently stayed near the top of the leaderboard every time she entered the box.
Icingonthedeal | $22,168
Icingonthedeal rounded out the Top Five after producing standout performances in both the Maturity Tie-Down and Maturity Breakaway with Cody and Cheyenne McCartney.
In the Maturity Tie-Down, Cody McCartney won Round Three with a 223.87 for $1,500 before winning the Average with an 889.11 on four for $10,000.
Then in the Maturity Breakaway, Cheyenne McCartney answered with another huge performance, winning Round Three with a 231.96 for $1,500 and finishing second in the Average with a 923.89 on four for $9,168.
The consistency across both events pushed Icingonthedeal to $22,168 for the week and firmly into the early Super Horse conversation.
After one event, the Super Horse standings are already proving exactly what makes the Gold Buckle format unique. The horses at the top are not just specialists. They are showing the ability to adapt, compete and win across multiple events, riders and situations, and that kind of versatility is what keeps separating the great ones from the rest.
