RUIDOSO DOWNS, NM—JULY 1, 2017—In the 400-yard $48,510 Adequan Ruidoso Derby Challenge, Irma Vargas’ Maxx was with the leaders within the first 100 yards and then showed why he was the even-money choice.

He drew out and withstood a mild bid from runner-up Rock About It to win by three quarters of a length.

Maxx, with Jose Amador Alvarez aboard, was timed in :19.613 over a fast track that had received slight rainfall a few minutes before the start of the race.

Rocking J Running Horses’ Rock About It finished a neck in front of third-place runner Born To B Bad.

Maxx was disqualified from a win in his Sam Houston Derby trial and then a close second in the $198,000 Sam Houston Derby before coming to Ruidoso Downs.

The gelding by Pyc Paint Your Wagon made his local 2017 debut in the trials to the Adequan Ruidoso Derby Challenge and responded with a neck win as the 7-10 favorite. His time of :19.555 was the top-qualifying mark.

Trained by Judd Kearl, Maxx had a promising two-year-old season in 2016. He won the $69,000 John Deere Sam Houston Juvenile Challenge and qualified for the Grade 1, $1-million Texas Classic Futurity, finishing fifth.

Jim Gubas bred Maxx in Oklahoma from the Bully Bullion mare Bullions N Garters. He has compiled a (10) 5-1-0 record and banked $109,139.

Saturday's win also guarantees Maxx a starting spot in the $180,000 Guaranteed Grade 3 Adequan Derby Challenge Championship October 14th at Prairie Meadows.

The Tammy Kay Johnson-trained Rock About It won his Adequan Ruidoso Derby Challenge trial by a head. In his prior start, the gelding by Rock Solid Jess was sixth in the Grade 1, $297,000 Heritage Place Derby at Remington Park.

Rock About It races for owner Rockin J Running Horses and was ridden by jockey Benito Baca. The gelding is out of Not Sable Shes Rose, by Coronas Blackdiamond. He picked up $9,702 to bring his earnings to $46,465.

Melissa Slayton and Cody Bowling’s Born To B Bad, also trained by Johnson, was third to Maxx in their Adequan Ruidoso Derby Challenge trial. He won last summer’s John Deere Ruidoso Juvenile Challenge and was second by a neck in the $151,000 John Deere Juvenile Challenge Championship. Slayton bred the Freighttrain B gelding in Texas with N.R. Stevenson. ,p> WinneBorn To B Bad earned $4,851 to bring his total to $98,405. He is out the Separatist mare Dosvedanya.

Mbv Mvp, Stella Lou, Sinsational Tacha, Marseille, Riverside Revolution, Just A Little Wagon and B Double U completed the field.

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