Challenge


Rrelentless Takes Grade 3 John Deere Juvenile at Ruidoso Downs Sunday
Rrelentless, under jockey James Flores, winning the $58,438 Grade 3 John Deere Ruidoso Juvenile Challenge at Ruidoso Downs on Sunday afternoon.

© Jake Rogers / Ruidoso Downs
Rrelentless Takes Grade 3 John Deere Juvenile at Ruidoso Downs Sunday

RUIDOSO DOWNS, NM—JUNE 2, 2019—Rrelentless Partners’ Rrelentless parlayed a great start into a win in the $58,438 Grade 3 John Deere Ruidoso Juvenile Challenge for Quarter Horses at Ruidoso Downs on Sunday afternoon.

Rrelentless grabbed an impressive early lead in the John Deere Ruidoso Juvenile Challenge and then held on to score by a neck over Bv Last Kiss while Shaw Island Senator was another one-half length back in third.

“He broke phenomenal,” winning jockey James Flores said. “He broke on top and I didn’t know if they would catch him. So, I just kept his mind on business.”

Rrelentless raced the 350 yards in :17.700 for his first stakes win and second win from five career starts.

A colt by leading first-crop sire Hes Relentless, Rrelentless also earned a berth in the Grade 2, $125,000 (est.) John Deere Juvenile Challenge Championship at Albuquerque Downs on October 26. Bill Robbins bred the 2-year-old in Oklahoma from the First Down Dash mare First A Princess.

The Gregg Sanders-trained Rrelentless won his maiden at Remington Park two starts before the John Deere Ruidoso Juvenile Challenge and then was second in his John Deere Ruidoso Juvenile Challenge trial with the eighth-fastest qualifying time.

The black colt was purchased by Sanders under the name Mals Relentless for $9,500 at the Heritage Place September Yearling Sale in Oklahoma City. Also a finalist in the Grade 2 Oklahoma Futurity at Remington Park in March, Rrelentless used the $26,538 winner's purse to double his earnings total to $58,677.

Damian Valenzuela’s Bv Last Kiss, a gelding by Jess Lips, is still a maiden after three starts with his runner-up effort in the John Deere Ruidoso Juvenile Challenge being his best finish, earning $11,538.

Jorge Valenzuela is his trainer and jockey Sergio Becerra Jr. was aboard the Bella Vista Farms LLC Oklahoma-bred gelding from the Pyc Paint Your Wagon mare Bv Valentine Wagon.

Wootan Racing’s Oklahoma homebred Shaw Island Senator set the fastest qualifying time to the John Deere Ruidoso Juvenile Challenge for her sole win from three starts.

The Louisiana Senator daughter is trained by Mike Joiner and Felipe Garcia-Luna was the jockey. She is out of the Mr Jess Perry mare Sea Island Dancer. She earned $5,769 for the effort.

Beggars Bargain, Will B Valiant, Dame Of Thrones, Apollitical B Birdie, Pipers Return, One Zoomin Hero and Grey Handsome completed the John Deere Juvenile field.

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