Get some tips on handicapping the Adequan® Pocatello Derby Challenge.

© Kira Crook

By Ed Burgart

Sophomore horses to watch in Friday's $47,392 Adequan® Pocatello Derby Challenge in Idaho are Conant Valley, The Secret Prize and B The One. All have the credentials to capture the 400-yard dash in which the winner earns a berth to the Adequan® Derby Challenge Championship (G3) finals to be held on Bank of America Challenge Championship night October 22 at Horseshoe Indianapolis.

The improving Conant Valley seeks his fifth consecutive victory and is my selection to win based on improving Equibase speed figures and an expected clean trip from the outside post in the 10-horse field.

The Secret Prize starts from Post 5 and is in search of his fourth straight victory.

B The One begins from Post 4 and has scored in four of 10 lifetime outs.

Here is a look at the 10 entrants in post position order:

1. Suzes Dynasty dropped a head photo in the slowest of three trials two weeks ago. She scored an 18-1 upset win in last year's Wyoming Futurity and all of her four wins have come at either 300 or 350 yards.
2. Radar defeated Suzes Dynasty by a head in a trial victory accomplished in :20.04, which is slower than the day's two other trial winners. Three outs ago in The Plan Handicap at Los Alamitos, Radar was fourth versus Hopefulblue, who recently ran fourth for a $20,000 claiming tag at Los Alamitos. Radar's biggest plus is his fondness for Pocatello Downs, a track where he has three wins and one third from four starts.
3. Dr Toola was 2 3/4 lengths behind fastest qualifier Conant Valley in his trial and has only one win from three starts. The maiden victory at Sam Houston last year was achieved over Temptastic, whose best 2021 effort came when capturing a Delta Downs maiden race.
4. B The One was only a neck behind The Secret Prize in a trial runner-up effort and captured a Pocatello Downs stakes two outs ago when beating No Juans Fool, who had previously finished second in a stakes. B The One was only beaten a nose in last year's Bitterroot Futurity and has the field's third fastest qualifying time. He is one of the horses to watch.
5. The Secret Prize is the main threat for Conant Valley. The Secret Prize seeks his fourth straight victory and has four wins and four seconds in nine starts. He went :19.95 to outfinish 2021 Far West Futurity winner B The One in his trial and was third in the John Deere Juvenile Challenge regional at Pocatello Downs last year moves from the rail to the No. 6 post and was more than three-quarters of a length behind Conant Valley in a trial runner-up out. His three 2021 wins came against easier competition in Wyoming.Honey Butte
6. Mr Famous Racy has only one win in six outs and is one of the least likely contenders. He was 1 3/4 lengths behind The Secret Prize in a third-place trial when breaking from the rail post.
7. Empowered To Prosper only beat two horses when fourth in his trial and has failed to repeat his good 2021 form in which he was third versus Apolinaria Prize in the John Deere Emerald Juvenile Challenge at Emerald Downs. Apolinaria Prize returned to capture the John Deere Juvenile Championship (G2) in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
8. Eagle Assault hasn't been a threat against rivals Radar and The Secret Prize and was more than 1 1/2 lengths behind The Secret Prize and B The One in his fourth-place trial.
9. Conant Valley hasn't been involved in a photo in his last four victories and ran a half-length quicker than second fastest qualifier The Secret Prize when posting an impressive three-quarter-length trial win in :19.87. He has improved his Equibase speed figures in each of his four 2022 starts. He began his 2-year-old campaignat Ruidoso Downs when finishing fifth seven outs ago against FDD Scout, who eventually ran second in the All American Futurity (G1) at Ruidoso Downs.

Wagering Advice: I like Conant Valley to win and would use B The One and The Secret Prize as exacta partners.

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