RUIDOSO DOWNS, New Mexico (July 22, 2017) — Darling Farms’ fastest-qualifier Hold Air Hostage (*2015 Heritage Place Winter Mixed Sale Graduate) demolished a strong field to win the Grade 1, $1,150,000 Rainbow Derby on Sunday afternoon at Ruidoso Downs.
Hold Air Hostage gave jockey Rodrigo Sigala Vallejo an easy ride to the win in :21.397 for the 440 yards. The gelded son of Apollitical Jess flew from the starting gate and steadily increased his advantage throughout the 440 yards. He was tapped a couple of times by Vallejo and cruised under the wire one-and-three-quarter lengths ahead of the consistent High Plains Perry.
High Plains Perry finished a neck ahead of Jess A Painted Wagon.
A gelded son of Apollitical Jess, Hold Air Hostage is strong and displays his strength. “He’s a beast,” said trainer Judd Kearl. “He’s aggressive. In fact, we galloped him yesterday.”
Hold Air Hostage has now won four of six starts this year and six of nine starts lifetime.
The gelding started his 2017 campaign at Remington Park.
“He wasn’t ready for his first out,” said Kearl.
Hold Air Hostage has been ready for every race since that third-place run in his trial to the Remington Park Oklahoma-bred Derby. After a close second in his trial to the Grade 2, $297,000 Heritage Place Derby, he stepped up and took the 400-yard finals by one-and-three-quarter lengths.
That was the first of three consecutive daylight victories.
In his first start at Ruidoso Downs, his Rainbow Derby trial, he easily won by one-and-three-quarter lengths. His time of :21.414 topped the 11 trials.
Sent off as the 3-2 favorite in the Rainbow Derby, he lived up to his supporters’ expectations.
Runner-up High Plains Perry, owned by Paragon Farms, LLC, closed out his juvenile season with a win in the Grade 1, $1-million Texas Classic Futurity and has continued his consistent record this year for trainer Trey Wood. The gelded son of Mr Jess Perry was the closest of third-place finishers in the Grade 1, $800,000 Ruidoso Derby. The $100,000 Ruidoso Select Yearling Sale purchase was .02 seconds behind the two horses that finished in a dead heat for the win, Tough To Bee and Magical Jess.
Ricky Ramirez, the only jockey to ever ride High Plains Perry, was aboard.
R.D. Hubbard’s Jess A Painted Wagon, a daughter of Pyc Paint Your Wagon, added some black-type to her strong pedigree. She is from the family of champion two-year-old and All American Futurity winner Jess Good Candy.
The Mike Joiner-trained Jess A Painted Wagon, a $35,000 Ruidoso Select Sale purchase, won her two previous starts. She won a Ruidoso Downs’ conditioned allowance race and then her Rainbow Derby trial in :21.493 for the second-fastest qualifying time.