RUIDOSO DOWNS, NM—JULY 10, 2016—The connections of Valiant Rogue and Boxwineizfine had a long Sunday afternoon at Ruidoso Downs during the record 14 trials to the Grade 1, $1,224,488 Rainbow Derby.

Valiant Rogue started from the ninth post position in the first trial and Boxwineizfine was next door in the eighth post position. Valiant Rogue lost his footing for an instant at the start, however was shortly even with Boxwineizfine. Valiant Rogue gained the advantage when Boxwineizfine veered in and then out midway through the race.

Valiant Rogue won by one-half length under Tanner Thedford.

Wyok Ranch, LLC’s Valiant Rogue was timed in :21.705 for the 440 yards while Boxwineizfine stopped the timer in :21.777.

Then the waiting began. Through each trial those times stood up as the fastest-qualifying marks. The 14th and final trial was hailed as the strongest trial with Ruidoso Futurity winner First Valiant Sign and Rainbow Futurity winner Tres Friends. First Valiant Sign pulled out to an impressive one-length win and the wait was on to see his time. The suspense ended with a :21.840 mark that placed him fourth on the qualifiers’ list.

Valiant Rogue and Boxwineizfine ended the afternoon as they started ‑ the top-two qualifiers to the Rainbow Derby.

First Valiant Sign also impressed and could gain favoritism in the Rainbow Derby.

The Judd Kearl-trained Valiant Rogue has shown promise throughout his 10-race career. The gelding qualified for the $1.1 million Texas Classic Futurity at Lone Star Park and lost all chance after he made a huge hop at the start. He settled for a late-running fifth-place finish.

"I think he could have won the Texas Classic, " said Kearl. "I thought he was the best baby that we had last year, but he just needed time to mature. "

A $20,000 bargain at the Ruidoso Select Yearling Sale, Valiant Rogue has shown steady growth in his maturity this year as a three-year-old. The Valiant Hero son was a close second in a conditioned allowance race at Sam Houston Race Park in May. He made a big step forward in his next start at Ruidoso Downs. He dominated another conditioned allowance race by one-and-one-quarter-lengths while timed is a crisp :17.478 for the 350 yards. That win set him up for his Rainbow Derby trial score.

Jose Luis Hernandez’s Boxwineizfine, ridden by Sergio Becerra Jr., was erratic during the trial. However, Becerra kept the Separatist-sired filly in contention and now she is in prime position to improve in the Rainbow Derby.

Another Ruidoso Select Yearling Sale bargain at $12,000, Boxwineizfine has stakes credentials with a fourth-place finish in the West Texas Derby in May at Sunland Park for trainer Albert Franco.

First Valiant Sign was a $100,000 Ruidoso Select Yearling Sale purchase that now has earnings approaching $700,000.

Another gelding by Valiant Hero, First Valiant Sign impressed in his trial. “He scrambled away from the gate,” said jockey Cody Jensen. “We needed to change leads and then he finished strong.” He won by an expanding length over longshot Double Down.

Owned by Scott Bryant, Joe Dee Brooks, R. Lee Lewis, R.D. Hubbard and Derrol Hubbard, First Valiant Sign has an impressive racing resume that could help him achieve favoritism in the Rainbow Derby. Last summer, the Mike Joiner-trained gelding won the Grade 1, $750,000 Ruidoso Futurity, was second in the Grade 1, $1,000,000 Rainbow Futurity and fourth in the Grade 1, $3,000,000 All American Futurity.

The third-fastest qualifier is La Feliz Montana Ranch’s homebred Significant Runner. The daughter of Foose won the fourth trial by an impressive one-and-one-quarter lengths in :21.798 under rider Raul Herrera.

Significant Runner, trained by Joel Valeriano, Jr., won her trials to the Ruidoso, Rainbow and All American futurities at Ruidoso Downs a year ago, however did not reach the finals of any of those Grade1 races. She has moved forward as a three-year-old by qualifying for the Grade 1, $1,069,000 Ruidoso Derby and now the Rainbow Derby.

For the complete list of Rainbow Derby qualifiers, times, sires, dams, owners, breeders, trainers and jockeys CLICK HERE.

Horses that did not qualify for the Rainbow Derby are eligible for the $100,000 Corona Cartel. Preference for entry is given to those horses with the fastest non-qualifying times in the trials. For a list of the next 10 fastest horses from today's trials CLICK HERE.

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