Undefeated World champion Whistle Stop Cafe will head 10 sophomore fillies entered back in Saturday’s 440-yard, $374,363 Rainbow Oaks at Ruidoso Downs.

© Jake Rogers / Ruidoso Downs

RUIDOSO DOWNS, NM—JULY 19, 2021—Reigning world champion Whistle Stop Cafe heads a field of 10 sophomore fillies entered back in Saturday’s 440-yard, $374,363 Rainbow Oaks at Ruidoso Downs.

A gray daughter of Freighttrain B and a $42,000 purchase at the 2019 Heritage Place Yearling Sale in Oklahoma City, Whistle Stop Cafe made her season debut with a one-length victory in the fourth of five Rainbow Oaks trials on July 11. The filly is trained by Trey Wood for owner Whitmire Ranch.

Whistle Stop Cafe has won all seven of her races, including last year’s Grade 1 All American and Rainbow futurities, and she has earned $1,974,986. The filly drew the rail post and will be ridden by Tanner Thedford.

Other contenders include Larry L. Rice’s HR Princess Jess, a sorrel daughter of world champion Apollitical Jess trained by Eddie D. Willis. HR Princess Jess is coming off of a Remington Park spring campaign during which she ran third, a half of a length behind winner Empressum, in the 400-yard, $356,000 Remington Park Derby (RG2) for Oklahoma-bred 3-year-olds.

HR Princess Jess drew post 9 and will be ridden by Jimmy Dean Brooks.

Valiant Stars, runner-up in the Grade 1 Ruidoso Derby to Empressum, will start from post 4 for owners J & SM, Inc. and Stone Chase Stables, LLC. Trainer Fred Danley has named regular rider Noe Garcia, Jr. to ride the daughter of champion sire Valiant Hero.

Valiant Stars won the opening trial for the Ruidoso Oaks on July 11th and posted the third fastest qualifying time.

The complete lineup, in post position order including jockey assignments and morning-line odds:

1. Whistle Stop Cafe (Tanner Thedford), 7-4
2. Packsaddle Senator (Sergio Becerra Jr.), 20-1
3. Ynot The Favorite (Oscar Andrade Jr.), 30-1
4. Valiant Stars (Noe Garcia Jr.), 8-5
5. Elphaba (Francisco Calderon), 8-1
6. Paint Me Tres (Jorge Torres), 6-1
7. Best Moonflash (Raul A. Valenzuela), 10-1
8. Caliente Caramelo (Jose A. Alvarez), 15-1
9. HR Princess Jess (Jimmy D. Brooks), 4-1
10. Miss Famous Eagle (Benito Baca), 20-1

The Rainbow Oaks, and all Ruidoso Downs races, can be seen at Q-RacingVideo.com.