Can Arbitro carry his speed to a new racetrack?

© Coady Media

By Andrea Caudill

ALBUQUERQUE, NM–OCTOBER 22, 2024–Home court advantage for this year’s $140,000-est. John Deere Juvenile Challenge (G2) goes to Conflict, who enters this race with three races over the Downs at Albuquerque surface.

Racing for Scott Branson and Jimmy Vasquez, Conflict has finished top-two in seven of his nine career starts. He was second in his most recent two starts, including the John Deere Ruidoso Juvenile Challenge (G3) just behind Karmalites ($183,800).

The Dr. Steve Burns-bred horse is by Separate Interest and out of the Corona Cartel mare Remember The Cartel.

Representing Indiana is Arbitro, who is owned by Campos Family Ventures LLC. In his four career starts to date, all of which have been at Horseshoe Indianapolis, he won his late June Heartland Futurity trial, following it with a second-place finish by a head in the $168,520 final.

He came back to win his John Deere Horseshoe Indianapolis Juvenile Challenge trial, and then was hand ridden to win the final.

Bred by Dillon Lane, the colt is by Ivory James and out of the Mr Jess Perry mare Jess Dee Dee.

She herself is a full sister to Grade 1-placed runner and sire Dominyun, both coming from American Quarter Horse Hall of Fame member Bobby D. Cox’s influential breeding program.

Cox co-owns Ivory James, and also owns the popular Indiana sire Escondido Beach, who stands at Miller Ranch in Shipshewana.

Among the other horses in the race is the Will Rogers regional race winner The Criminal, a gelded son of Apollitical Jess out of Ms Riptide, making him a half brother to the likes of Mister Riptide ($748,298) and Miss Hi Tide ($641,384).

“I’ve liked him all year long, although he hasn’t done as well as we hoped early in the year,” said trainer and Nutrena Challenge Leading Trainer Jason Olmstead.

Now that is later in the year, The Criminal is proving his trainer's faith and improving rapidly, as he has won his most recent two starts, including the John Deere Will Rogers Juvenile Challenge.

Also ready to go is Canadian challenger First Famous Prize, who comes into the race off a win in the Canada Cup Futurity (G3) for owners Commotion Creek Contracting and WT Ranches, Ltd. The filly, who only once has been worse than second in six career starts, is bred by Nutrena Challenge Leading Breeder Weetona Stanley, and is by One Famous Eagle and out of the Desirio mare Fancy First Prize.

Also running is the Tempting Dash gelding Bottle It Up, bred by Brian Levings and raced by Levings Racing LLC, who most recently was fourth in the PCQHRA Breeders Futurity (RG2). The California invader has never been off the board in seven career starts.

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