RUIDOSO DOWNS, NM—AUGUST 21, 2016—The day that was supposed to be Jess Good Candy’s gateway to the Grade 1, $2,414,691 All American Derby turned into a revolving door of qualifiers with every trial – except the 13th and final trial – providing a change to the list of top-10 qualifiers on Sunday afternoon at Ruidoso Downs.

The horses with the top-10 times from the trials advance to the 400-yard All American Derby on September 4 and the horses with the next 10-fastest times have preference to the $100,000 First Down Dash.

The standouts on the final qualifying list were trainers Judd Kearl and Eddie Willis. Kearl had four of the top-six qualifiers while Willis saddled the other two three-year-olds among the top six qualifiers.

Champion and All American Futurity(G1) winner Jess Good Candy, owned by PV Quarter Horse Farms, LLC, drew into the second trial. The colt handily won his trial by one-and-one quarter lengths and posted a :21.604 time for the quarter mile while running in the rain. By the time he left the winner’s circle the rain had ceased. Within a few races the sun was shining.

After jockey Esgar Ramirez won the seventh race with second-fastest qualifier Ec Jet One he said the track was getting faster. Ramirez qualified three horses for the All American Derby and four horses for the Grade 1, $3-million All American Futurity.

Jess Good Candy was the fastest qualifier after his trial and that time fell to the 28th-fastest time by the end of the day. It is a memorable example of why so many horses have a chance to qualify to classic Grade 1 stakes with seven-figure purses at Ruidoso Downs.

It is not known if that trial will be the final race of Jess Good Candy’s illustrious and undefeated championship career. The Clint Crawford-trained son of Good Reason SA has won each of his eight starts and has earned more than $2 million. His wins include last year’s Grade 1, $3-million All American Futurity and this year’s Grade 1, $1,069,000 Ruidoso Derby.

Kearl stepped forward and continued his impressive showing this summer with his four qualifiers: V-olcom Bay, Ec Jet One, First Fancy Racy and Brave Heart Won. Each was ridden by Jose Amador Alvarez.

Bennie and Teresa Jeter’s V-olcom Bay impressed with a two-and-one-half length victory in the 12th trial and his time of :21.189 was the fastest-qualifying mark. She was tired after the winning effort and given a van ride to the test barn, according to the stewards. She willing walked into the van.

Volcom Bay, a daughter of Volcom, was second in the Ruidoso Derby in her previous start behind Jess Good Candy. She won her Ruidoso Derby trial by one-and-three-quarter lengths.

Last year, Volcom Bay wrapped up her season with a second-place run in the Texas Classic Juvenile. P.K. Thomas bred the filly in Texas from the Chicks Beduino mare Miss Lethal.

Enrique Carrion’s Ec Jet Won prevailed in his trial by one-length with the second-fastest time of :21.274 for his fifth-consecutive win.

Ec Jet One, a colt by second crop sire The Louisiana Cartel, dominated at Hialeah Park last winter with four-straight wins, including the $200,000 Hialeah Derby and the $204,000 South Florida Derby. The homebred is from the Mr Jess Perry mare Pretty Girl Perry.

“He had surgery to remove some chips after Hialeah,” said Kearl. “We’ve been pointing to these trials with all these horses.”

Aldai Transport’s First Fancy Racy, a daughter of Carters Cartel, raced in the fourth trial and was making her first appearance since a second-place run in the Texas Classic Futurity last November. Sunflower Supply Co. bred the filly from the First Down Dash mare First Down Racy.

“She’s a good mare and been training super,” said Kearl. “She also had surgery to remove chips.”

The Willis-trained pair Boogies Special Dash and One Fabulous Eagle each had Cesar Gomez aboard.

Kenneth Ruthardt’s Boogies Special Dash, a gelding by Walk Thru Fire, sped to a :21.301 mark, the sixth-fastest time, while winning by one-and-one-half lengths as the odds-on favorite.

Boogies Special Dash is in peak form after a second-place run in the Rainbow Derby in his previous start. Jaime Gomez bred the gelding in California from the Strawfly Special mare Boogie Special.

Darling Farms’ One Fabulous Eagle is especially dangerous at 440 yards. He was a close second to Jess Good Candy in last year’s All American Futurity and came into the All American Derby trials off a daylight win in the $100,000 Corona Cartel Stakes.

Christine Huston bred the son of leading sire One Famous Eagle from the Strawfly Special mare Ladys Heart Of Gold.

Second to One Fabulous Eagle in the eighth trial was First Valiant Sign, the eighth-fastest qualifier with a :21.363 time. Cody Jensen was up.

Owned by Scott Bryant, Joe Dee Brooks, R.D. Hubbard and Derrol Hubbard; First Valiant Sign is a warrior. The son of Valiant Hero won the Ruidoso Futurity, was a close second in the Rainbow Futurity, finished fourth in the All American Futurity and was fourth in the Rainbow Derby, his prior start.

For the complete list of qualifiers to the Grade 1 All American Derby, their times, sires, dams, owners, breeders, trainers and jockeys CLICK HERE.

For the second 10 fastest are preferred invites to the $100,000 First Down Dash Stakes. CLICK HERE for a list of those horses.

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