BY MICHAEL CUSORTELLI

SHELBYVILLE, IN–OCTOBER 6, 2022–Twenty-one 3-year-olds are entered in Saturday's 400-yard QHRAI Derby trials at Horseshoe Indianapolis.

Rock Candy Blue, a sorrel son of champion Jess Louisiana Blue owned by Campos Family Ventures LLC, is coming off of a 2 1/4-length victory in the 400-yard, $116,000 Horseshoe Indianapolis QHRAI Derby on June 28. An $88,000 purchase at the 2020 Heritage Place Yearling Sale, the Oklahoma-bred gelding is trained by Jessica Vazquez.

Rock Candy Blue drew post 3 and will be ridden by Giovani Vazquez-Gomez in the last of three trials.

The 10 fastest qualifiers will meet in the October 29, $100,000-added QHRAI Derby final.

Two other sets of trials will be contested at Horseshoe Indianapolis on Saturday. Thirty-two juveniles, led by Gordon L. Timm's Extermynator, are entered in four 350-yard Governor's Stakes trials.

A gelded son of champion Tres Seis and a $55,000 buy at last year's Heritage Place Yearling Sale, Extermynator has won his last four races, including the July 23, $145,000 Heartland Futurity, and the September 22, $49,000 John Deere Indianapolis Juvenile Challenge Stakes. Randy Smith trains the gelding, who has won four of five outs and has banked $117,298, all at Horseshoe Indianapolis.

Extermynator drew post 8 and will be ridden by Juan D. Marquez in the third heat.

The 10 fastest qualifiers will meet in the $100,000-added Governor's Stakes final on October 29.

Randy Smith, the meet's leading Quarter Horse trainer, will be represented by 14 hopefuls in Saturday's 350-yard Miss Roxie Little Futurity (R) trials.

A total of 49 Indiana-bred 2-year-olds are entered in five heats, headed by the leading earner in the group, Our Louisiana Girl. Trained by Smith for his wife, owner Deborah A. Smith, the sorrel daughter of Duponte has banked $147,924 from five races, and her three wins include a neck victory in the 350-yard, $188,000 Leader of the Class Futurtiy (R) on September 14.

Our Louisiana Girl drew post 7 and will be ridden by Juan D. Marquez in the second trial.

The 10 fastest qualifiers will meet in the October 29, $150,000-added Miss Roxie Little Futurity final.

All Horseshoe Indianapolis races can be seen at Q-Racing Video.com.