Air Force Won Draws Off In West/Southwest Adequan Derby Challenge
AURORA, CO—JUNE 4, 2016—Under jockey Ramiro Garcia, Air Force Won (Heritage Place Graduate drew off to a two-length victory over Royal Quick Eagle (Heriage Place Graduate) in the $36,810 West/Southwest Adequan Derby Challenge at Arapahoe Park Saturday afternoon. May Be Fantastic Sa (Heritage Place Graduate) finished a neck back in third.
Heavy post-time favorite Three Olives N Smoke stumbled badly at the break and finished fourth.
Saddled by Alejandro Chavez, Air Force Won completed the 400 yards in :19.679 seconds, a 96-speed index with a 5 mph tailwind. The $16,932 winner’s purse boosted his career mark to $28,064.
The win also earned the son of champion Ketel Won a starting spot in the $200,000 Adequan Derby Challenge Championship(G2) on October 29th at Los Alamitos Race Course.
Owned by Vences Quarter Horse, Air Force Won has compiled a (9) 2-2-1 record. A finalist in the Los Alamitos Juvenile Invitational last December, the sorrel is out of Forced To Win, by Major Rime. Hughes Donaldson Horse Company bred the stakes winning gelding in New Mexico.
Eliazar Sales saddled runner-up Royal Quick Eagle for owner Adriana Varela Prieto. Clyde Wilmott bred the One Famous Eagle gelding in Texas from the Royal Quick Dash mare Rustys Quickid. The $7,362 second place check boosts the bay’s earnings to $16,577. Juan Pulido had the riding assignment.
May Be Fantastic Sa is a colt by Fantastic Corona Jr out of Darlin Treis by Tres Seis. Ubaldo Guerrero trains the multiple stakes-placed gelding for owner Orlando Guerrero. Martin Osuna had the riding call aboard the Gianni Franco Samaja Oklahoma-bred. He earned $3,681 for the effort.
Fourth-placed finisher, multiple stakes winner Three Olives N Smoke was double entered on Saturday’s Arapahoe card after setting the fastest qualifying time for the $60,442 Lucille Rowe Derby. The Jess Louisiana Blue gelding’s owners were hoping to qualify him to the $200,000 Adequan Derby Challenge Championship(G2) and opted to run the regional Adequan race instead of the Lucille Rowe. An earner of more than $115,000, he suffered only his second loss in eight career starts.
“When the gates came open, he fell on all fours to the ground,” jockey Joe Badilla Jr. said about Three Olives N Smoke. “He actually lost his footing before he left the gate, and he got up and still ran fourth. So it was a solid performance, but it won’t show that on paper.”
Completing the field were Turner Loose Foose, Persistent Pyc Swingin Flight Pickled On Corona, Streak N Cartel and Kips Big Boy.