GRANDE PRAIRIE, TX–OCTOBER 21, 2023–Fox News, a bay daughter of champion FDD Dynasty owned by Tom Maher of Pierre, South Dakota, won Saturday's 400-yard, $154,750 Adequan Derby Challenge Championship (G3) for 3-year-olds at Lone Star Park.

Sent to post as the 3-1 choice in the full field of 10 sophomores, Fox News defeated 4-1 second choice Leading Flare by three-quarters of a length in :19.947. Edwin Escobedo rode the filly for trainer Jason Olmstead.

Fox News was purchased by Maher for $42,000 at the 2021 Ruidoso Select Yearling Sale. The filly was bred in Missouri by Jim Streelman and Bill Dale, and she is out of Summer Love Song, an unraced Texas-bred daughter of champion Mr Jess Perry. Her second dam, the First Down Dash mare Tiny First Down, won 2000 Southern California Derby (G1) at Los Alamitos in her final career start and was a finalist in the '99 All American (G1) and Rainbow (G1) futurities at Ruidoso Downs.

Fox News qualified to this race with a third-place run, a neck behind dead heat winners Big Caney and AJ Fast Corona, in the October 1, $56,000 Adequan Will Rogers Derby Challenge.

The filly has won eight of 17 races, including four of six at the 400-yard trip, and the $71,185 winner's share of the purse from her first stakes victory bumped her bankroll to $182,365, of which $134,984 has been pocketed from 10 outs this season.

Runner up Leading Flare, ridden by Alan Hernandez, made a steady surge for the wire for place. The son of Flare For Ivory has lit the board six of six starts with three wins and $92,614 in the bank, including his Ruidoso Downs Derby Challenge Stakes victory in August.

 

Wesley Giles prepped Leading Flare for owner/breeder Cheri Wardell of Wardell Quarter Horses in South Dakota. The chestnut gelding is out of Leadmetoyourladder by Special Leader.

O Seeyalater was bumped but still stomped a path to third under the guidance of Fernando Fonseca-Soto. The daughter of leading Canadian sire First Timber broke her three stakes win streak in 2023 with the show finish. The four-time stakes winner trained by Dirk Peery has $90,897 in earnings.

Breeder Wesley Oulton sold O Seeyalater to her now owner Jeff Rath for $12,000 in the 2021 AQHRA Yearling Mixed Sale. The Oklahoma-bred filly is out of Howdoyado by Pappasito.

The remaining order of finish is A Legacy of Tales, Chilli Red, Aj Fast Corona, Big Dream Bay, Dc Lady Dash Eagle, What Else Is New and A Game Of Corona.

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