California-bred Favorite Rock (inside) gets up over Budderlicious in the $75,000 Rocky Mountain Derby Wednesday afternoon at Arapahoe Park.

© Coady Photography

AURORA, CO–JULY 1, 2020–Favorite Rock broke on top and maintained his lead to win the $93,880 Rocky Mountain Derby at Arapahoe on Wednesday evening, holding off Budderlicous to win by a nose at the wire.

Favorite Rock ($12.80) and Alejandro Luna completed the 350-yard stake in 17.763 and earned a 91 speed index for trainer Jose Barron and owner Hugo Barron-Sierra.

The son of Favorite Cartel was bred in California by Martha Wells, out of the Walk Thru Fire mare Firerock.

Favorite Rock won his trial to the Rocky Mountain Derby on June 14 as the fifth fastest qualifier. Last summer, he broke his maiden in his debut to qualify for the Rocky Mountain Futurity. After Arapahoe, he competed at Prairie Meadows and began his 3-year-old season with a pair of allowance races at Remington.

Mario Delgado rode Budderlicous to a second-place finish for trainer Roberto Treto and owners Christina Flores and Cesar Nunez.

Budderlicous is a multiple stakes placed gelded son of Corona Cartel. He was bred in Utah by McColee Land and Livestock, out of Budder Think Twice, by First Down Dash.

Budderlicous has five career wins in 12 starts, including winning his trial for the Rocky Mountain Derby as the seventh fastest qualifier. As a 2-year-old, he qualified to the Golden State Million Futurity (G1) at Los Alamitos; earlier that year, he won his trial to the Ed Burke Million and finished third in the Ed Burke Juvenile.

Co-fastest qualifier and post-time favorite Interesting Bar finished in third place with Daniel Valles up for trainer Manuel Chavez and owner Jose Berrum Vences. Interesting Bar was bred in California by Steve Burns, DVM, by Separate Interest and out of the Hawkinson mare Baccarat Bar.

The Rocky Mountain Derby trial was the first at Arapahoe for Interesting Bar, who raced exclusively at Los Alamitos. He was third in the Autumn Handicap Stakes in October of 2019.

Completing the field were Kiss My Whaaat, Candy Sign, Daddys Habits, De Capitator Bar, Daddys Beats and Legendary Find. Spittin Candy was scratched.