Racing


Tell America Breaks Her Maiden With Fastest Qualifying Time To The AQRA Derby
Tell America, ridden by Kevin Carbaja, wins her trial heat by a nose over Imm A Heart On Fire, and sets fastest time to the AQRA Derby on Tuesday at Turf Paradise.

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Tell America Breaks Her Maiden With Fastest Qualifying Time To The AQRA Derby

PHOENIX, AZ–APRIL 1, 2025–Two trials were held on Tuesday for the $80,000-estimated AQRA Derby at Turf Paradise. The top four fastest times came from the second trial of the day, with Tell America setting the pace to beat.

Tell America and Imm A Heart On Fire were neck and neck right out of the gates up to the wire of the 350-yard trial race. Tell America finally broke her maiden after winning the nod in a photo finish by a nose.

Imm A Heart On Fire clocked the second fastest time. Ruff An Rowdy, who placed third behind the duo, clocked the third fastest time, followed by Nevaeh West in fourth.

Piloted by Kevin Carbajal, Tell America clocked an 84-speed index in 17.944 seconds. The winning effort paid $9.80 on 7-2 finishing odds.

Tell America has lit the board six of 11 starts, and the $4,960 trial payday improved her bankroll to $17,996. The daughter of leading second-year-sire Tell Cartel placed fourth in last year’s AQRA Futurity.

Martha Wells bred Tell America in Arizona out of Hope For America by Separatist. Orlando Guerrero owns and trains the $10,500 Los Alamitos Equine Sale graduate.

Imm A Heart On Fire, ridden by Jacob Enriquez, clocked the second fastest time to beat in 17.950 seconds. The runner-up’s only win from nine starts was last year in the Four Corners Futurity trials. She has $12,447 in earnings.

Trainer Umberto Belloc saddled Imm A Heart On Fire for owner Juan Manual Carreon. The daughter of Chilitos was bred by Windy Acres Stables from the Feature Mr Jess mare A Dirty Feature.

Running into a nine mph headwind, Kj Flashy Girl won the first trial of the day from wire-to-wire in 18.181 seconds. Under the guidance of jockey Manuel Garcia, the fifth-fastest time earned her a spot in the finals.

The daughter of Big Daddy Cartel defeated Fancey Like by a neck, and the 350-yard upset paid $22.80 for the win on a 10-1 odds.

Alex Torres-Casas trains and owns Kj Flashy Girl, who now has two wins from ten starts. The $4,960 winner’s share of the purse boosted her lifetime earnings to $25,705. John and Kathy Lee bred the gray filly in Arizona out of Kj Hotflash by First Moonflash. The AQRA Derby finals will be her Kj Flashy Girl’s first attempt for blacktype status.

CLICK HERE for complete details on the $80,000-estimated AQRA Derby trials, including horse, sex, sire, dam, dam sire, owner, breeder, trainer, and jockey. Finals are to be run on April 24, 2025.

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