RUIDOSO DOWNS, NM—JUNE 15, 2018—Kelly Perez’s Mi Amor Secreto made a late bid on the outside and scored the fastest-qualifying time to the $68,200 Ruidoso Derby Challenge at Ruidoso Downs on Friday afternoon.

The horses with the 10-fastest times from the four trials advanced to the Ruidoso Derby Challenge on June 30.

Mi Amor Secreto is peaking at the right time for trainer Marcos Carrizales. He won his trial by one length with quickest mark of :20.271 for his second win in three outs.

The Louisiana Cartel gelding won his maiden two starts back when he won his trial to the Sam Houston Maiden Classic by one-half length.

A Texas homebred from the Feature Mr Jess mare Streakin In Secret, Mi Amor Secreto nearly won the $95,800 Sam Houston Maiden Classic when he lost a head bob on the wire to Zaire.

Santos Carrizales has ridden Mi Amor Secreto in each of his five starts.

Vanessa Bartoo’s Corona Ranger, a $40,000 Ruidoso Select Yearling Sale purchase, is well positioned for his second stakes win. He got a sharp start and then disposed of his rivals by drawing out to the one-and-one-half-length win. His time of :20.324 was the second-fastest qualifying time.

Corona Ranger has the stakes class. The Corona Cartel son, from the Azoom mare Azoom Babe, closed out his juvenile season with a three-quarter-length win in the $309,200 Evangeline Downs Futurity. Bollenbach Farms is the breeder.

"He’s paid up in the All American Derby," said trainer John Stinebaugh. "We’ll run him in the finals and then probably go the All American Derby trials from there."

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

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