Phillybuster, under jockey Mario Alberto Lopez, is the 5-2 morning-line favorite for Sunday's $40,000 AQHA Adequan Derby Challenge at Hipódromo de las Américas in Mexico City.

© Luis Prieto Zamudio

By Louanne Wainscott, StallioneSearch

MEXICO CITY, MEX–JUNE 18, 2026–The Sunday evening program at Hipódromo de las Américas will feature a competitive nine-race card highlighted by two prestigious AQHA Challenge events. The $40,000 AQHA Adequan Derby Challenge and the $46,000 AQHA John Deere Juvenile Challenge will bring together some of the region's most talented Quarter Horses to compete for championship opportunities and valuable purse money.

The featured eighth race on the card will feature a field of eight accomplished 3-year-olds in the $40,000 AQHA Adequan Derby Challenge. With several proven runners entered, the 400-yard contest appears wide open and could deliver one of the evening's most exciting finishes.

Leading the field is Phillybuster, the 5-2 morning-line favorite. The talented colt enters in sharp form following a convincing 1½-length victory in the Clasico AMCCCCM on May 10 while racing 400 yards. Prior to that effort, he finished second against allowance company and was elevated to fourth in the Clasico Easily a Possum Stakes. During his juvenile season, he competed in Louisiana before shipping to Mexico, where he has continued to develop into a consistent performer. Through ten career starts, he has earned $23,605.

Phillybuster is a son of Apollitical Jess, out of the Rushago mare Ima China Rush. Bred in New Mexico by MJ Farms, he races for Rancho Las Gaviotas. Trainer Alfredo Rabanal Salinas will saddle the colt from the outside post eight, with Mario Alberto Lopez named to ride.

The ninth and final race of the evening will feature a talented field of ten juveniles in the $46,000 AQHA John Deere Juvenile Challenge. The promising 2-year-olds will sprint 350 yards in an attempt to secure a spot among the elite young runners in the AQHA Challenge program.

Heading the field is CCB TOP, the 5-2 morning-line favorite. The filly made an impressive first impression by capturing her trial in her career debut on May 31. Before that performance, she turned heads with a bullet workout on May 20, signaling the speed and talent she would later display on race day. Owned by Cuadra Cartas Blancas, she enters the final with momentum and the potential to take another step forward.

The filly is by Ajs Tres Of Paint and out of the Genuine Strawfly mare Speedy Habits. She was bred in New Mexico by Larry Mason and Bob McClure. Trainer Jorge Alberto Ruiz Periban will send her from post seven, with Huberclein Gomez returning to the saddle.

The AQHA Challenge program remains one of the most prestigious international racing series in Quarter Horse racing, offering horses across North America and beyond the opportunity to qualify for championship competition. Sunday's regional Challenge races at Hipódromo de las Américas will determine which rising stars move one step closer to representing Mexico on the sport's biggest stage.

With proven 3-year-olds competing in the Adequan Derby Challenge and a promising group of juveniles aiming to launch their careers in the John Deere Juvenile Challenge, Sunday's finale promises an evening of speed, excitement, and championship implications from start to finish.

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