American Derby Qualifiers

The field is set for the September 1, $1 million-est. All American Derby (G1), with House Of Lords posting the fastest qualifying time. 

The sophomore horses will race at The Downs at Albuquerque following the second straight year of devastating flooding at Ruidoso Downs. 
House Of Lords is a gelding by Flying Cowboy 123 who is 4-for-4 this year. He won the Heritage Place Derby (G2) and romped by 1 ¾ lengths in his All American trial. He and jockey Francisco Calderon stopped the clock in :20.789. 

House Of Lords is owned by Valeriano Racing Stables LLC and trained by Victor H. Rodriguez-Flores. The horse was bred by Buck Way Ranch LLC out of the Okey Dokey Dale mare This Candys Okay.

Also qualifying from that trial were Hovland and AJs Flashnthachicks.

Hovland is owned by La Feliz Montana Ranch and is trained by Xavier Rodriguez. He was ridden by Luis Martinez. The $59,000 Heritage Place Mixed Sale purchase is by Freighttrain B and out of the Apollitical Jess mare Jess A Sweetie. Last year, he contested the Ruidoso Futurity (G1). 

AJs Flashnthachicks is another Grade 1-runner from the family of PJ Chick In Black. This sorrel gelding is out of All American Futurity qualifier Flashing My PJs, and was a $360,000 Ruidoso Select Yearling Sale purchase for the Flashing My PJs Partnership. Bred by Paragon Farms LLC, the son of Apollitical Jess was trained by S. Trey Wood and ridden by Ricky Ramirez. 

Zane Kiehne’s Holy Pete grabbed the second-fastest time while winning his trial in :20.910. Guided by Ali Rivera for trainer John Stinebaugh, the horse was three-quarters of a length better than fellow qualifier Jess Sonny D. Holy Pete was bred by Bobby Simmons and is by Favorite Cartel and out of Suze Returns by High Rate Of Return. 

Jess Sonny D is one of four qualifiers sired by Apollitical Jess. A $280,000 purchase from the Heritage Place Yearling Sale, the gelding out of Sonny D by Tempting Dash was bred by Flag Ranch LLC and is owned by MRB Racing LLC. He was ridden by Oscar Andrade Jr. for trainer Manuel Rodolfo Rodriguez.

The successful partnership of John and Kathy Lee and Ruben Mares saw their homebred KJ Born To Be Wild make it to the finals after winning his trial and outrunning heavy favorite FDD Dreams by a nose. KJ Born To Be Wild is by Apollitical Jess and out of KJ Mustang Sally by Valiant Hero, and is trained by Wes Giles and ridden by Noe Garcia Jr. The horse most recently was sixth in the Ruidoso Derby (G1). 

FDD Dreams races for breeder La Feliz Montana Ranch LLC, and returns to the All American races after contesting last year’s futurity. The son of FDD Dynasty and the Apollitical Jess mare Treasured Dreams is trained by Xavier Rodriguez and ridden by Luis Martinez. 

Ariatt is the third qualifier in the race for La Feliz Montana Ranch LLC, and the second homebred for them. Sired by Tempting Dash and out of the Corona Cartel mare Lethal Lil, the gelding is trained by Xavier Rodriguez and was ridden to finish third in Holy Pete’s trial by Francisco Calderon. 

Utah-bred Big Bang Rocket won his trial for owner Joshua Owens, trainer Mike Joiner and jockey Edwin Escobedo. The Apollitical Jess gelding is out of the First Down Dash mare Budder Think Twice. He was bred by McColee Land & Livestock LLC. 

The Favorite Cartel gelding Beach Fire won his trial with a time of :21.106 to nab a qualifying slot for his partnership of Curtis Crenwelge, Jill Giles, Ezra Elton Lee, Isaiah Lee, John Lee, Ralph Vincent and Jim Laird. Bred out of the Walk Thru Fire mare Weownthenite, the horse was a $77,000 Heritage Place Yearling Sale purchase. He was trained by Wes Giles and ridden by Jesus Rios Ayala.

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