ALTOONA, IA—SEPTEMBER 11, 2020—A Valiant Diamond steps up in Altoona Derby trials to get second consecutive win while posting the top qualifying time.

Under jockey Christian Esqueda, A Valiant Diamond posted a one -length win over Favorit Sake in the second of three trials Friday night at Prairie Meadows. The daughter of champion sire Valiant Hero completed the 400 yards over a muddy (sealed) racetrack in :19.745 seconds, equaling 96 speed index, to get the top mark.

Trainer Patrick Swan saddled the last year's Mystic Lake Northlands Juvenile winner to her fifth career win in 15 starts for owner C.A. Cofer. She entered the trials off an August 16th win in an Optional Claiming race at Prairie Meadows.

Bred in Oklahoma by Valeriano Racing Stables LLC, A Valiant Diamond is out of the multiple graded stakes winner Sixy Chamisa by Sixes Royal. A finalist in the Valley Junction Futurity(G3) and the Gopher State Futurity last season, she has earned $43,900.

Coming off a second-place effort in the Rocky Mountain Derby at Arapahoe July 1st, Budderlicous rallied in the final trial under jockey Ramiro Garcia to defeat Undrafted by 1-˝ lengths while securing the second fastest time of :19.786 seconds, equaling a 94 speed index. Trainer Julio Corral conditions the altered son of leading sire Corona Cartel for owners Crestina Flores Cesar Nunez.

McColee Land & Livestock bred the multiple-stakes placed gelding in Utah from the First Down Dash mare Budder Think Twice. He has compiled a (13) 6-2-1 record and earned $67,507. Last year the bay was third in the Ed Burke Juvenile and a finalist in the Golden State Million Futurity(G1) at Los Alamitos.

Multiple stakes-placed Vf Politics N Chicks was a three-quarter length winner in the opening trial under jockey Berkley Packer to get the fourth fastest time of :19,861 seconds, a 92 speed index into a 5 mph headwind.

Trainer Jason Olmstead saddled the son of leading sire Apollitical Jess to her fourth career win for owner Richard Tobin. Bred in Oklahoma by Victory Farms, the gelding is out of Dashin Chick by Dashin Bye. Second in the Iowa Double Gold Derby and third in the Canterbury Park QH Derby this season, Vf Politics N Chicks has earned $50,587.

The 10 fastest qualifiers from this evenings trial races will return to Prairie Meadows on Friday, September 25th to vie for the winner's share of $133,790 purse going 400 yards.

For the complete list of Altoona Derby qualifiers, times, sires, dams, owners, breeders, trainers and jockeys CLICK HERE.

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About Prairie Meadows
Prairie Meadows began operations as a nonprofit organization in 1989 with the goal of promoting economic development, jobs, agriculture, and tourism in the state of Iowa. Through taxes, grants, and charitable donations, Prairie Meadows has given more than $1.8 billion to the state of Iowa. Prairie Meadows offers more than 1,700 slot machines, table games, live and simulcast racing, hotel accommodations, entertainment, and more.

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