Tres Of Blood, ridden by Edgar Diaz, wins the $115,213 QHRAI Stallion Service Auction Derby on Saturday at Horseshoe Indianapolis.

© Coady Media

SHELBYVILLE, IN–AUGUST 31, 2024–To say Trainer Claudio Barraza has had an exceptional season would be an understatement. The momentum continued for him in the $115,213 QHRAI Stallion Service Auction (SSA) Derby on Saturday, August 31, at Horseshoe Indianapolis when his horses finished one-two in the race.

Tres of Blood kept his win streak intact with the win, followed by longshot Jess a Flyin Train, who was the ninth horse on the list to qualify for the final.

Tres of Blood began from post four with Barraza's first call rider, Edgar Diaz. The start was a little bumpy coming out of the gate, but it didn't seem to faze Tres of Blood, who quickly got back on task.

Cisco Beach and L.D. "Daniel" Martinez, who was the quickest qualifier from the trials, broke without incident on the inside and took over the lead early in the 400-yard dash.

As the wire neared, so did the bulk of the pack in the center of the track. Four horses, with Tres of Blood in the middle, moved in unison toward the wire. The final stride determined the winner in a four-horse photo with Tres of Blood getting the edge by a nose over Jess A Flyin Train and Erik Esqueda to his outside. Skyline Spirit and Aron Hunt finished another head back in third.

"My horse was standing perfectly in the gates when the other horse (Cleave) became fractious and flipped," said Diaz. "That was a concern for me because he was standing so good the first time. But when we reloaded, he regained his concentration and broke well. He was bumped pretty hard out of the gate but recovered quickly."

The winning connections of Tres Of Blood accept the $115,213 QHRAI Stallion Service Auction Derby trophy at Horseshoe Indianapolis on Saturday. © Coady Media

"I'm stoked," said Barraza on finishing one-two in the race. "Having Jess a Flyin Train move up like that to finish second, I'm still shocked, but he deserved to be in there.

He ran well in his trial. I think it helped both horses to have competition like that (running together at the end). It definitely made them gut it out to the finish."

Tres of Blood, a trial winner and listed third on the list of qualifiers by time from the trials, paid $4.00 as the favorite of the field. Campos Family Ventures owns the three-year-old son of Apollitical Blood.

He is now four for five in 2024 and boosted his career earnings tally over the $200,000 mark after cashing the $44,934 winner's check.

He was a $72,000 purchase from the Heritage Place Winter Mixed Sale earlier this year by the Campos family, who owns a training center near Connersville, Indiana. Keith and Kyla Renfrom bred the bay gelding in Louisiana out of Tres Seis Game Chick by Tres Seis.

Sheri Miller in Indiana bred runner-up Jess A Flyin Train out of the Feature Mr Jess mare Jess Alive Bully. Keith Bode owns Freighttrain B's winning son, earning $37,131 from ten starts.

Trainer Dwain Cissell saddled third-place finisher Skyline Spirit for owner Baylee Cissell. James Burgess Md bred the $6,000 Heritage Place Fall Mixed Sale graduate in Oklahoma out of Shez First Class Act by Heza Fast Dash. He is sired by Apollitical Spirit.

Dna Jess Plain Bill, Cisco Beach, Eyesa Dashin Josie, Dupont Beach and Jess Takin On Cash complete the order of finish.

The QHRAI SSA Derby boasted its biggest purse in the history of the race to set the new high at $115,213. The race was held outside the state of Indiana prior to the arrival of pari-mutuel Quarter Horse racing in the state in 1997 at Hoosier Park. The race was held in Indiana for the first time in 1998 and was moved to Horseshoe Indianapolis when all Quarter Horse racing was transferred to the Shelbyville, Ind. track in 2013.

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The 22nd season of live Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse racing extends through Thursday, Nov. 14. Racing is held at 2:10 p.m. Monday through Thursday. One additional all-Quarter Horse racing day is set for 10:45 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 5. For more information on live racing at Horseshoe Indianapolis, visit www.caesars.com/horseshoe-indianapolis/racing or find the track on Social Media @HSIndyRacing.

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